A Right to Information query filed by activist Anil Galgali has revealed that the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance spent Rs 155 crore on publicity campaigns in the last sixteen months. Galgali sought information from the Director-General of Information and Public Relations, who revealed that in 2020, a total of Rs 104.55 crore was spend on campaigns of 26 departments.
The Directorate General of Information and Public Relations, while replying to Galgali’s application, has provided details of expenditure on publicity from 11 December 2019 to 12 March 2021. It has spent Rs 20.31 crore in 2019, while the highest amount of Rs 19.92 crore has been spent on vaccination.
In the year 2020, a total of Rs 104.55 crore has been spent on publicity of 26 departments.
Let’s take a look at the cost:-
- 5.96 crore has been spent on publicity campaign on the occasion of Women’s Day.
- 19.92 crore has been spent on National Health Mission and 22.65 crore on Special Publicity Campaign in 4 phases. 1.15 crore has been shown on social media.
- 6.49 crore has been spent on Maharashtra Urban Development Mission in 3 phases.
- The Disaster Management Department spent Rs 9.42 crore during the cyclone, of which Rs 2.25 crore was spent on social media.
- The state medical education department has spent Rs 18.63 crore
- Rs 20.65 lakh has been spent on publicity of Shiv Bhojan Yojana. Show 5 lakh has been spent on social media.
- In the year 2021, 12 departments have spent Rs 29.79 crore on publicity till March 12, 2021.
- The medical education department has spent Rs 15.94 crore on this while Rs 1.88 crore has been spent on publicity of Jal Jeevan Mission.
- Rs 45 lakh has been spent on social media.
- The Women and Child Development Department has spent Rs 20 lakh on social media at a cost of Rs 2.45 crore.
- The Minorities Department has spent Rs 48 lakh out of Rs 50 lakh on social media.
- The public health department has spent Rs 75 lakh on social media at a cost of Rs 3.15 crore.
- On the basis of this information, Galgali has written a letter to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, questioning the expenditure incurred in the name of publicity on social media. He demanded that the government should make the expenditure incurred at the departmental level, nature of expenditure and other details available on the website.
