Court seeks account of govt funds spent on ads

The Bombay High Court on Thursday asked the Union and state government to file an affidavit detailing the number of advertisements issued by government agencies between April 2005 and September 2007.

The court was hearing a PIL filed by NGO Janhit Manch alleging that government funds were being wasted by spending huge sums on advertisements issued by various Union and state ministers with their photographs. The petition says such expenses add up to almost Rs1,000 crore yearly and more during elections.

Janhit Manch President Bhagwanji Rayani told the court that a Comptroller and Auditor General report too talks of these expenses as unwanted An affidavit submitted by the desk officer of the general administration department, Prashant Pradhan, however, says all the advertisements have been released at government approved rates, which are minimal. Private agencies have been paid Rs1 lakh for every advertisement that they prepared. The assistant government pleader told the court that issuing such advertisements helped newspapers in districts and talukas generate revenue.

Additional Solicitor General Rajendra Raghuvanshi told the court that between April 2005 and September 2007 the Union government had spent Rs63.11 crore on advertisements across the country. Court seeks account of
govt funds spent on ads