Kejriwal government to spend Rs 520 crores on FM radio ads

The Aam Aadmi Party has found its way around the Supreme Court ban on the use of pictures of chief ministers on government advertisements.

The Aam Aadmi Party has found its way around the Supreme Court ban on the use of pictures of chief ministers on government advertisements.

Delhi chief minister and party supremo Arvind Kejriwal has been reaching out to his electorate through FM radio. In a 76-second ad spot, which is being played at least 40 times a day on some radio stations, the Delhi chief minister is propagating his government’s works.

‘Jo Kaha, So Kiya’ (delivered as promised) is the tagline of the ad in which Kejriwal refers to his party’s pre-poll promises and the plans to implement them as envisioned in the recently-presented Delhi budget.

Sources said the government is spending `50 lakh on the radio advertisement which will continue to be aired this week.

In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court had ordered a stop on using the pictures of chief ministers and other political personalities on the advertisements, billboards or hoardings of government schemes. The Prime Minister and the President are the only exceptions to the rule.

The radio ad is part of the Delhi government’s blitzkrieg that it plans to unleash to advertise its achievements and plans. A consolidated fund of `520 crore has been set aside that will be spent on the information and publicity this financial year.

This is for the first time that a consolidated fund has been created for the purpose, as earlier every department used to plan its own advertisements and the expenditure. Sources also said that the consolidated amount is much more than what used to be spent on promotion earlier.

In the radio advertisement, Kejriwal says that his government has doubled the budget for education and the allocation for health has gone up by 45%. He says his government has the intent to spend money on people’s welfare, junking the oft-repeated excuse of lack of funds.

Sources said that the government is also working on a new television advertisement on the `10-lakh student loan scheme

Recently, the government had launched an advertisement campaign on TV, claiming how they have improved governance in Delhi. All the major news channels are still airing that two-minute long video that shows a home-maker finding it difficult to meet ends due to the constant price rise. It shows how the reduction in power bills by the AAP government helped the family save money and live peacefully.