Maharashtra Govt Approves ₹56.49 Crore For Publicity Campaign, Warns Against Wasteful Spending Amid Fiscal Strain

Usually, a government decision to approve funds for an initiative outlines the motive and the resources available with the department. However, a government resolution (GR), which approved Rs56.49 crore for a state publicity campaign, came with a cautionary advice on the state's weak financial condition. It underlined that care should be taken to control the expenses by avoiding unnecessary and unproductive expenditure.

The decision pertained to the directorate general of information and public relations (DGIPR) for ‘Maharashtra This Week’. The programme will be aired on TV channels, selected by the government, in a format of reportage or bulletin. It will focus on the decisions taken by the CM and his cabinet colleagues, and the government's plans and projects. The programme will be aired in English, Marathi and Hindi during the current fiscal, says the GR.

While giving approval, the general administration department (GAD) placed conditions like the DGIPR should consider the orders issued by it as well as the finance and industry departments while zeroing on the TV channels as per their rates. Adding another caveat, the GAd said that the DGIPR should also take care that the channels selected charge minimum cost.

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Given the state’s revenue deficit, fiscal liabilities and financial burden of new schemes, efforts should be taken on cost saving, read the GR.

The caution, according to sources, could be due to the state’s precarious financial health, which says the current debt burden is set to touch Rs10 lakh crore by the end of the current fiscal.