Propaganda ads by state governments. Election commission must take note
Nowadays I find a new trend in governance has emerged. Leading national newspapers, on almost daily basis, contain 1 to 4 full pages of ads released by different state governments tom-tomming their policies and work , with photos of leaders. I estimate that each such ad costs at least a crore of rupees, per newspaper, per insertion. Integrate this amount over all the other newspapers displaying same ads, all over India, and we get a rough idea of the amount splurged this way on recurring basis. Could this money not have been used in a better way to implement schemes for social needs of the tax paying public ? Why do state governments feel that their work should be zealously publicised through ads not only in their own state, but even all over India ? Is it not enough publicity when newspapers and media already report on their schemes and work ? The beneficiaries and general public can very well gauge each government’s work by seeing it on ground zero. Such rampant misuse of public money must stop. Else the election commission must take cognizance and think of adding all this money proprtionately, to the election expenses of each and every cabinet minister of the respective state, whenever they contest the immediate next loksabha or assembly election. With all the technology available, it is not difficult for the election commission to maintain a ledger account for a total of just about 2000 odd ministers in the country.
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Government shoehorns publicity into the pre-election days - politicisation of its achievements. This is capricious. Election commission take note.
Oct 24
Tax payers money is being used for personal publicity with impunity. This should be banned and the funds saved be used for social welfare and upgrading infrastructure.
Oct 17
Ultimately money circulates. At government's behest newspapers benefit. Employment gets generated. Virtuosity and public welfare advertised. See attached.
Oct 07
It is another covert path of corruption. Many of the shareholders (or tacit) beneficiaries of many of such newspapers. Increased advertisements means increased monetary (direct or indirect) benefit to such stakeholders.
Oct 04
Once elections are over and results declared, Election Commission doesn't have any role in this matter. It is the respective State's people who need to raise voice against waste of public money. We also need to understand that by giving advertisements - either in own State or nation wide, media is bought out to speak for the agenda and narrative of the concerned Government.
Oct 02
Only the fear of all this money getting added to their election expenses, leading to possible disqualification, will stop them from being in a permanent election propaganda mode. If it gets added to the ministers' account, they will ensure that even their chamchas dont release such ads on their behalf. Maybe the rules need to be ammended to get this done. In our country the constitution gets swiftly ammended if it suits the ruling party. So why not ammend the election rules just as swiftly ?
Oct 02
