Modi govt spent over Rs 3,000 crore on self-promotion ads since 2018

News Network
July 23, 2023

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New Delhi, July 23: The Narendra Modi government has spent Rs 3,064.42 crore on advertisement and publicity for its schemes and programmes since 2018-19 with print media topping the list, though the overall advertisement budget has shown a decline.

The data provided by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting in Rajya Sabha last week showed that the government spent Rs 1,338.56 crore in print media, Rs 1,273.06 crore in electronic media and Rs 452.80 crore on outdoor publicity between 2018-19 and 2023-24 till July 13 this year.

According to the data, the overall expenditure has declined from Rs 1,179.16 crore om 2018-19 to Rs 408.46 crore in 2022-23. 

In 2019-20, the advertisement expenditure had slumbed to Rs 708.18 crore. It further declined to Rs 409.47 crore in 2020-21 and Rs 315.98 crore in 2021-22 but picked up in 2022-23. 

Between April and July 13 this year, the government has spent Rs 43.16 crore on advertisements.

An analysis of the data showed that the electronic media had a higher share of the advertisement pie in 2018-19 and 2019-20 over the print media, its share declined in the next three fiscals.

In 2018-19, the electronic media got advertisements worth Rs 514.29 crore against print media's Rs 429.55 crore. The next fiscal too saw a similar trend though the advertisement budget was cut substantially owing to Covid-19 pandemic -- electronic media got Rs 316.99 crore against Rs 295.05 crore.

However, the trend reversed in 2020-21 when print media got Rs 197.49 crore against electronic media's Rs 167.90 crore. Similarly in 2021-22, it was Rs 179.04 crore against Rs 101.24 crore and Rs 220.34 crore and Rs 155.27 crore respectively.

The first four months of this fiscal, however, showed that electronic media spent was higher -- Rs 17.37 crore against Rs 17.09 crore in print.

The expenditure on outdoor publicity has come down drastically from Rs 235.33 crore in 2018-19 to Rs 32.85 crore in 2022-23. This fiscal so far, the government has spent Rs 8.70 crore.

In his written reply to the query of Trinamool Congress' Abir Ranjan Biswas, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur has said that an independent third party agency, conducted an all India Survey/Impact Assessment Study of Multi-Media Campaigns executed by Central Bureau of Communication (CBC) covering 722 districts. 

"Findings of the study have been found to be very useful in planning effective communication strategies so as to ensure targeted information dissemination and last mile connectivity," he said.

In a similar but separate question by Congress' Syed Nasir Hussain, the Minister said the CBC releases campaigns relating to publicity/awareness about Government schemes/programmes keeping in view the factors like target audience, availability of budget etc. as indicated by the client ministries and departments.

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News Network
November 14,2024

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Bengaluru: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi led union government has requested the Karnataka High Court to direct the Mandya district administration and the state government to clear a madrasa operating within the premises of the historic Jama Masjid in Srirangapatna.

The Waqf Board, opposing this move, has claimed the mosque as its property and defended the right to conduct madrasa activities there.

The matter was brought before a division bench headed by Chief Justice N V Anjaria following a public interest litigation filed by a person named Abhishek Gowda from Kabbalu village in Kanakapura taluk. The petition alleged “unauthorised madrasa activities” within the mosque.

Representing the Central government, Additional Solicitor General of India for High Court of Karnataka, K Arvind Kamath argued that the Jama Masjid was designated as a protected monument in 1951, yet unauthorised madrasa operations continue there.

He noted that concerns over potential law and order issues have so far prevented any intervention. Kamath urged the court to direct the Mandya district administration to take action and vacate the madrasa from the mosque.

In defence, lawyers for the state government and the Waqf Board contested this request, stating that the Waqf Board had been recognised as the owner of the property since 1963 and, thus, conducting madrasa activities there is lawful.

After hearing both sides, the bench adjourned the case for further arguments, scheduling the next hearing for November 20.

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News Network
November 10,2024

Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has warned that disciplinary action will be taken against those officials who change the land mutation records and serve eviction notices to farmers under the Waqf Act.

In a letter, the Revenue Department Principal Secretary Rajender Kumar Kataria reminded all regional commissioners and deputy commissioners in the districts that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah recently had a meeting following complaints about certain land properties being made in favour of the Karnataka Board of Waqfs.

In the meeting it was decided that all the directions issued previously by any government office or authority to change the mutation records has been withdrawn, the letter said.

It added that all the notices served in the past have also been withdrawn and no action should be taken against the farmers who are cultivating on the said land.

On the directions of the chief minister, the previous letters and the latest reminders served on November 7 to the farmers and land owners have been withdraw, the letter said.

"The officials who served reminder-2 despite the chief minister's direction will face appropriate disciplinary action," Kataria said in his letter.

He said he has been instructed to strictly implement the chief minister's direction.

The fresh direction was issued in poll-bound Karnataka, where bypolls to three crucial assembly segments are due on November 13.

Some farmers in Honwad village in Vijayapura in north Karnataka had alleged last month that they were served eviction notices as the Waqf Board claimed rights over it.

Subsequently, complaints started in pouring in from some other parts of the state.

BJP leader Tejasvi Surya on October 25 alleged that Karnataka Waqf Minister B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan directed the deputy commissioners and revenue officials to register lands in favour of the Waqf Board within 15 days, which resulted in confusion.

On Surya's request, the Chairman of the Joint Committee of Parliament on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, Jagdambika Pal visited Karnataka on November 7 and met farmers in Hubballi, Vijayapura and Belagavi districts who had alleged that their lands were marked as Waqf properties.

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News Network
November 11,2024

Udupi, Nov 11: A traveller reportedly lost ₹4.1 lakh after attempting to book a cab online in Udupi. 

At around 1:30 PM on November 7, the man from West Bengal searched for car rentals on Google and selected a website named "Shakti Car Rentals." Shortly after, he was contacted by someone claiming to be "Rohit Sharma," who directed him to pay a registration fee of ₹150 on the site.

After unsuccessful payment attempts via both his Canara Bank debit card and SBI credit card (without receiving an OTP), "Rohit Sharma" instructed him to pay the driver directly. But at 1:47 PM, he received messages showing deductions of ₹3.3 lakh from his SBI credit card and ₹80,056 from his Canara Bank debit card, totaling ₹4.1 lakh.

The complainant alleges fraud through a deceptive link disguised as a booking token fee. A case has been registered at Udupi Town Police Station.

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