Karnataka Congress's attack on BJP govt over report on ₹4.5 crore ad film

Former minister and Congress MLA Priyank Kharge said that the government, which "failed to provide jobs in the state", is "spending exorbitant amounts" for promotion.

The Congress in Karnataka has slammed the state government over a report on spending about Rs. 4.5 crore for a 5-minute film to promote the upcoming Global Investors Meet (GIM) in Bengaluru. Former minister and Congress MLA Priyank Kharge said that the government, which "failed to provide jobs in the state", is "spending exorbitant amounts" for promotion.

Congress in Karnataka has slammed the state government over a report on spending about Rs. 4.5 crore for a 5-minute film

In a tweet, Kharge - who is the Chairman, Communications, KPCC (Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee), said, “Taking a leaf out of Modi ji’s style of functioning, Industries Dept spends a whopping Rs. 4.5 Cr for 5 minutes promotion film. The Dept has failed to generate any jobs past 3 years & is now relying on “slick” promos to mislead people. (Sic)”

According to a report in Deccan Herald, Karnataka’s Commerce and Industries Department minister Murugesh Nirnani wrote a letter to the department's Additional Chief Secretary, E V Ramana Reddy, on October 21 after learning that it is going to cost Rs. 4.5 crore for an advertisement with a duration of 5 minutes. He even asked the officer to cancel the deal with the production company. “Such a work order with high expenditure is not appropriate in the present economic condition. The work order shall be cancelled,” the minister reportedly wrote in the letter.

The Global Investors Meet is scheduled on November 2 to November 4 in Bengaluru after a hiatus of six years. "The state is expecting over ₹5 lakh crore in investments in the Global Investors Meet 2022," Nirani said at the launch of a roadshow in the national capital earlier this month to promote Karnataka as an investment destination.