What nation really pays for MP's lunches
The Hindu reports that the nation paid Rs 60 Cr to subsidise MP's lunch during the last 5 years. The numbers are revealed as a response to an RTI petition. Let's look a bit deeper into the numbers. Rs 60 Cr in five years translates into Rs 12 Cr per year or Rs 1 Cr per month. If we take that the canteen functioned 20 days a month , with 500 MPs eating at the canteen on an average per day (considering that the parliament is not in session always, I think these numbers are quite high) , the subsidy amounts to Rs (1 Cr)/(20*500) or Rs 1000 per MP, per day. The report quotes typical subsidy for some of the dishes: Non Vegetarian meal : Rs 66 Stewed Vegetables : Rs 38 Fish Fried with chips: Rs 70 Mutton cutlet : Rs 52 Mutton curry : Rs 60 Masala Dosa : Rs 24 Roti is sold at a profit of Rs 0.23 per roti and khomani ka meetha is sold at cost price. Remember that these subsidies are at today's cost. The subsidies during the previous years would definitely be less as