Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena on Tuesday directed the Chief Secretary to recover Rs 97 crore from the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for political advertisements it published as Government advertisements in 2016.
The LG cited the ruling party violated the orders of the Supreme Court, Delhi HC order of 2016 and the Committee on Content Regulation in Government Advertising’s (CCRGA) order of 2016.
The Delhi Government's Directorate of Information and Publicity (DIP), acting on a 2016 directive from a Committee on Content Regulation in Government Advertising set up by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, had notified that Rs 97.14 crore (Rs 97,14,69,137) had been spent or booked on account of "non-conforming advertisements", they said.
The DIP in 2017 directed the AAP to pay over Rs 42.26 crore to the state exchequer immediately and directly pay the pending amount of Rs 54.87 crore to the advertising agencies or publications concerned within 30 days.
"However, even after the lapse of five years and eight months, the AAP has not complied with the DIP order. This is serious as public money, despite a specific order, has not been deposited by the party to the state exchequer.
Such defiance of a legitimate order by a registered political party is not only contemptuous of the judiciary, but also does not augur well for the health of good governance," the source added.
According to the Raj Niwas note, 54.87 crore for advertisements published, were still pending disbursal. “Accordingly, DIP, vide letter dated March 30, 2017, directed the Convener of Aam Aadmi Party, a registered political party with Election Commission of India to pay Rs.42.26 crore to the State Exchequer immediately and directly pay the pending amount of Rs. 54.87 crore to the concerned agencies within 30 days.
It is emphasized that, these payments were on account of advertisements published in violation of Supreme Court's guidelines,” it added.
“From records, it is also revealed that a Society viz. “Shabdarth" has been functioning as a monopolistic agency to control all advertisements of the Government of National Territory of Delhi.
In the Cabinet note circulated in this regard, the goal for creating this Society was to gamer saving to the Exchequer by getting back 10 per cent of the 15 per cent commission being paid to Advertisement Agency, since Shabdarth would only charge at the rate of 5 per cent for meeting its expenses,” it stated.
“Directorate of Vigilance hat also mentioned that some of the files, viz. "Rajasthan Patrika v/s Shabdarth and Ours”: “Shared Advertisement V/s Directorate of Information and Publicity”; "Talk to AKM” in which payments were released arc musing.
“There is an apprehension about certain vested interests being served, by way of these files going missing. In the event missing files are not traced,” the note said.
“FIR should be registered by the Secretary, Department of Information and Publicity and action should be initiated against those responsible, as per extant Rules. Simultaneously, all measures mutt he put in place in ensure that all remaining files, relating to the instant case, are token into safe custody forthwith,” it further added.
As per the Supreme Court order dated September 16, 2016, in this regard, “The CCRGA has unanimously come to the conclusion that the Government of NCT of Delhi has violated the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court of India in six of the nine "areas listed by the complainant Ajay Maken.”
“The Committee further directs the Govt. of NCT of Delhi to get the entire expenditure so incurred on the category of advertisements reimbursed to the State exchequer from the Aam Admi Party,” the order further stated.