Modi govt spent Rs 3000cr on publicity in 5 years .... RTI query reveals big spending on electronic media, including social media platforms, television and radio

Narendra Modi (Prem Singh)

PTI, TT, 15 February 2019, New Delhi: he Narendra Modi government has spent over Rs 2,374 crore on publicity in the electronic media and another Rs 670 crore on outdoor publicity in the past five years, according to an RTI reply by the Bureau of Outreach and Communication under the information and broadcasting ministry.

Giving a break-up of the expenditure on electronic media, including social media platforms, television and radio, the bureau said Rs 470.39 crore had been spent in 2014-15, Rs 541.99 crore in 2015-16 and Rs 613.78 crore in 2016-17. The amount was Rs 474.76 crore in 2017-18,and Rs 273.54 crore from April 2018 to December.

The RTI query had been made by bureaucrat Sanjiv Chaturvedi.

The expenditure had been done on All India Radio and other radio platforms, DD National, the Internet, production, SMS, theatres, TV and on miscellaneous heads, among others, the reply said.

The expenditure had been incurred on different types of advertisements in various categories such as employment notices, tenders, other notices and advertisements of schemes through the bureau on behalf of clients, ministries, departments and public sector undertakings, according to the reply.

A sum of nearly Rs 670 crore had been spent on outdoor publicity from 2014 to November 26, 2018, the bureau said, without specifying details of what constituted such canvassing.

Of this, Rs 81.27 crore was spent in 2014-15, Rs 118.51 crore in 2015-16, Rs 186.37 crore in 2016-17 and Rs 208.54 crore in 2017-18, the RTI reply said. A total of Rs 75.08 crore had been spent on outdoor publicity between April 2018 and November 26, it added.

Chaturvedi had sought details of the amounts spent on all advertisements related to publicity of the central government since June 1, 2014, including the amount spent in the print, electronic and social media.

In case of outdoor publicity, the Bureau of Outreach and Communication also gave details of expenditure since 2009-10. It said about Rs 19.85 crore had been spent in 2009-10, Rs 31.06 crore in 2010-11 and Rs 45.47 crore in 2011-12. Around Rs 51.42 crore was spent on outdoor publicity in 2012-13 and nearly Rs 74.35 crore in 2013-14, the RTI reply said.