‘SADBJP govt violated SC norms in selfpromotion’

CHANDIGARH:THE Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) in a report tabled in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Thursday rapped the state department of information and public relations (DIPR) for spending crores of rupees on publicity during the previous SAD-BJP regime.

The report says money was spent on advertisements publicising the ruling party and its ministers in violation of the norms and guidelines of the Supreme Court.

In a report on public sector undertakings for 2016-17, the CAG found that ₹236.73 crore was spent on information and publicity during 2015-17, of which ₹184.94 crore (78%) was spent in 2016-17, which was election year. “From April 2016 to January 2017, the DIPR spent ₹2.12 crore on getting made 60 videos on social welfare schemes and ₹9.64 crore on their TV telecast... These clips were telecast between April 2016 and January 2017 on different TV channels. In 20 clips, social schemes were shown as personal initiatives of the then CM Parkash Singh Badal and his deputy Sukhbir Singh Badal.”

The report says ₹25.6 crore was spent on projecting individual leaders of the ruling party or the political party which was against the norms of the SC guidelines.

The CAG report pointed out that in 2016-17, as many as 1,459 cable operators registered with the department of customs and central excise evaded ₹2.19 crore entertainment duty. As per the norms, every operator was required to pay an annual duty of ₹15,000.