The Delhi Government has spent Rs22.33 crore since May 13 last in advertisements. Information and Publicity Department of the Government told the Delhi Government on Monday.
Refuting the allegation that huge amount of money was being spent on advertisements glorifying Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the party, the AAP Government on Monday told the Delhi High Court that it was spending Rs8 crores per month on ads related to its policies and programmes.
A Bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice Jayant Nath was informed by the Delhi Government’s Information and Publicity Department that since the May 13 ruling of that Supreme Court that taxpayers’ money cannot be spent to build the image of political leaders, it has spent Rs22.33 crore.
“It is pertinent to mention here that the funds allocated by the answering respondent (Delhi Government) for the purpose of information and publicity is Rs526.74 crore which is the outer limit to be spent for the purpose of dissemination of information and publicity.
“Total Budget for advertising is for a sum of Rs40,000 crore, out of which Rs523 crore is earmarked for information and publicity which comes to 1.518 per cent. From the date of the Supreme Court judgement in question, that is from May 13, 2015 and till date, a sum of Rs22,33,24,659 has been spent on print, electronic media as well as outdoor publicity which works out to approx. Rs8 crores per month from may 13, 2015... Which comes to very meager amount as compared to the total Budget of Rs523 crores for information and publicity,” the affidavit filed through the Delhi Government’s standing counsel Raman Duggal said.
The AAP Government’s response came in the backdrop of the court’s July 29 direction in which while expressing “blatant” violation of the Supreme Court guidelines, it had asked them to give details of the money spent on advertisements allegedly glorifying Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).
The court’s order had come on a PIl filed by senior Congress leader Ajay Maken, who has sought immediate direction to restrain the “Delhi Government from airing its recent audio visual TV advertisement and also its recent advertisement” in the national Capital besides other States. Advocate Aman Panwar and Mudit Gupta, appearing for Maken, contended that “apart from airing large-scale advertisements in the newspapers of Delhi and the national television”, the AAP Government on July 20 “went to the extent of publishing advertisements in several towns and cities throughout India”.
Denying the allegations made by the Congress leader in the plea, the AAP Government said in its affidavit that it has “not spent a single penny from exchequer on photograph of any Government functionary on Government advertisements/campaigns which was released” after the apex court judgement. It said the source of payment is from the Government advertisement funds earmarked for Department of Information and Publicity.
“It is wrong and denied that the advertisements regularly aired/published by the Delhi Government only seek to glorify the Chief Minister of Delhi and the party in power and to cast a negative impressions on other parties, critics etc.
“It is wrong and denied that the Delhi Government is misusing public funds by airing and publishing illegal advertisements,” the affidavit said. It is reiterated that the Delhi Government has alleged advertisements spread awareness about the Government policies, programmes, activities, achievements, services and initiatives among the public, as such it is wrong and denied that Government is misusing public funds for advertisements aimed at glorification as such the petition under reply is liable to be dismissed, it said.