AAP govt spent Rs 70 crore on ads in 3 years of rule

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)  government’s expenditure on outdoor advertising has risen by four times annually as compared to that of Congress’ dispensation. According to an RTI reply, the AAP government has spent Rs 70.5 crore annually on an average in the past three years on print, electronic, and outdoor advertising.

In the first year, after assuming office in Febr-uary 2015, the current government spent Rs 59.9 crore on advertisements; Rs 66.3 crore the following year; and Rs 85.3 crore upto December 31, 2017, the Directorate of Information and Publicity (DIP) said in reply to an RTI plea by a news agency.

The average annual expenditure by the AAP government on its advertisements, from April 2015 to December 2017, was Rs 70.5 crore. On the other hand, the Congress’ average expenditure was Rs 17.4 crore in the last five years of its rule between 2008 and 2013.

According to the DIP, the expenditure includes, among others, advertisements with photos of the chief minister and other ministers in newspapers and hoardings; commercial spots on TV and radio; and tender notices published in newspapers.

The AAP government’s spending on advertisements increased by about 300 per cent compared to that of the Congress government’s.

A 2017 Comptroller and Auditor General report found that the Delhi government had spent 86 per cent of the total budget for its media campaign celebrating its completion of one year in power in 2016. The auditor pulled up the government for using the name of the party in the advertisements.

Last year, the government came under attack from the Opposition after lieutenant-governor Anil Baijal asked the party to cough up Rs 97 crore spent on advertisements, allegedly to promote the party instead of the government. The order was based on a report by the Committee on Content Regulation in Government Advertising.

The regulatory authority asked the Delhi government to assess the expenditure in issuing “those advertisements/advertorials in which the name of Aam Aadmi Party is mentioned” and other factors.

The Delhi government approached the high court and the matter is currently pending there. The Delhi government spokesperson, Nagendar Sharma, said he has “no comments” to offer on the issue of increase in expenditure.

Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken said, “They (AAP) are using the power of advertisements to put pressure on TV (channels) and newspapers. They are doing it ruthlessly.”