In an effort to keep citizens of the national Capital updated about various issues, the Lieutenant Governor Secretariat is in the process of hiring a social media agency for managing its social media outreach. “It is ironical that such statements come from a Minister of a Government that spends Rs 30 lakh per month (one lakh per day) to an agency for issuing Press releases alone, Rs 14 crore annually to an agency for live streaming of its political programmes, Rs four crore annually to a PR Agency and Rs two crore annually to a social media agency,” Raj Niwas officials said.

The Secretariat deals with extremely important people oriented subjects that inter-alia include Housing, Infrastructure Development and upgradation of the city and law and order, security and policing, officials said here on Wednesday.

Underlining the need of toning up its social media reach, they also said several projects like development of green spaces, restoration of heritage, cleaning of drains, traffic/parking management and pollution mitigation, village development,  that require public participation and feedback, are being carried out directly under the supervision of the Lt Governor.

The Secretariat also serves as a forum for seamless coordination between various Urban Local Bodies, GNCTD, other agencies in the NCT of Delhi and the residents at large. All of these require continuous interface and interaction with the people of Delhi.

At the same time, in the prevailing days of fake news, misinformation and false propaganda, the Secretariat is also required to put out factual and correct information so as to counter misinformation, often played up on Social Media Platforms by people with vested interests.

The tender to this effect, amounting to Rs 1.5 crores annually has been transparently posted on relevant platforms and the above mentioned objectives and reasons for doing the same have also been outlined in the tender document.

This Secretariat has taken grave objection and exception to the statement issued by Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj in this regard and the language used by him therein.

To say the least, his choice of words is abusive, defamatory, misleading and patently false and the Secretariat will take legal recourse in the matter.

It is underlined here, that such statements coming from the Minister of a government that has spent Rs 1,900 crores of public money in advertising during 2019-2023, which included two years of severe financial distress due to the pandemic, is laughably atrocious. The publicity budget for the year 2023-2024, stood at Rs 557.24 crores.

It would not be out of place to mention here that the total Ads spent during five years of Sheila Dikshit regime during 2009-2010 to 2013-2014, amounted to a meagre Rs 87.5 crores in comparison to the  Rs 1,900 crores of his Government.  This Government has spent at an average of Rs 36 crores per month and Rs 1.2 crores per day on advertising for personal glorification of its leader and its political party (AAP), even as Delhi has become a living hell in terms of pollution, health and civic infrastructure for its people.

Delhi Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Tuesday accused the Lt Governor that he was planning to “waste” taxpayers' money to boost his image through social media and called it a “conspiracy” to influence voters before assembly elections in the national capital.