15/12/2015
Khattar govt spent 17cr on anniv publicity: RTI
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Chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar-led BJP government spent Rs 17 crore in a month on publicity to mark a year of its rule, a query under RTI Act has revealed.
RTI activist P P Kapoor from Karnal got details about money spent by the government in October. According to information, Haryana government had spent the money on advertisements and publicity in print, electronic and social media.
He said that while Rs 6 crore was spent on publicity of CM and his ministerial colleagues' tour progammes, Rs 4.50 crore was spent on electronic media. Besides, the department of information public relations (DIPR) had spent Rs 4.25 crore on strip advertisements in various newspapers.
An amount of Rs 60 lakh was spent on advertisements released in certain magazines, including RSS-owned Panchjanya and Organizer. The DIPR spent Rs 1.47 crore on show reels of the government made by various private production houses in Haryana. "We wish this amount was spent on welfare or redressing the grievances of general public. We have been raising such issues in the past and would continue to do so in future," said Kapoor, who has also asked for information related to employment opportunity for Haryana youths following the CM's foreign visit, but is yet to receive it.
INLD spokesman R S Choudhary termed the government's expenditure on publicity as criminal waste of money. "Was there any special achievement of the government that needed to be highlighted? I think spending Rs 17 crore is the only achievement of the BJP government," said Choudhary.
Haryana Congress spokesperson Ranjeeta Mehta termed the government's expenses as "another bluff with people of the state".
"We have been persistently saying that Khattar government is simply taking credit for our work. Even after spending Rs 17 crore, the BJP would not be able to popularize itself. Those who work for masses need not go for any publicity," she said.
