Huge scam in government ads

Vijayawada : The Question Hour in Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Friday left the members aghast when they found out how the YSRCP government had funded ‘Sakshi’ newspaper owned by the YSRCP leaders and pumped over Rs 400 crore into it during the last five years by releasing government advertisements.

I&PR Minister K Pardhasarathy announced in the Assembly that the officials of the department had shown extreme favouritism to this newspaper under the garb of a GO the YSRCP government had issued. The minister assured the members that he would consult the Speaker and see that a House committee was constituted on this embezzlement of funds.

But the members were vociferous in demanding a thorough probe not just a House committee. Nakka Anandababu (TDP) said I&PR Commissioner T Vijayakumar Reddy and his team had indulged in massive corruption and took unilateral decisions in release of regular advertisements to a few selected newspapers including some national papers and others which had no circulation at the cost of local papers. He also alleged that Sakshi was benefitted in the form of surveys and ads on digital media. The minister assured that he would speak to the Chief Minister and initiate appropriate action against the Commissioner.

Another MLA Sharvan Kumar said the village secretariat volunteers were given allowance to buy Sakshi paper to increase its circulation. D Narendra of TDP demanded a probe and serious action against the Commissioner and other officials involved init.It may be mentioned here that Information and Public Relations departments were created to take up publicity of government schemes in various modes not just advertisements. They also have a set of rules for release of advertisements to various newspapers and the rates are approved by the I&PR based on the circulation and place of the publication.

But during the last five years, all rules have been thrown to the wind. All decisions regarding who should be given and who should not was decided by two persons. The advisor to the government Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy and I&PR Commissioner Vijay Kumar Reddy. Soon after the alliance government came to power, Vijay Kumar Reddy wanted to go back to his parent department but the state government did not agree and is now contemplating to order a detailed probe into the charges of corruption against him. If the list of advertisements released by the I&PR in the last five years is any indication, apart from Sakshi, two English papers The Hindu and Deccan Chronicle had got lion’s share of Rs 40 crore worth of advertisements followed by New Indian Express Rs 30 crore.

Hindustan Times which has no edition in AP was given Rs 43 crore worth of ads.

Ads were also given to some Telugu and English papers which do not have print editions from Vijayawada and some lesser-known papers. While the papers like Hans India which have four editions in AP were ignored and had to face humiliation from the I&PR Commissioner. In the five-year period, only Rs 7 crore worth of ads were released to the paper. Even the bills are yet to be cleared. Even meeting the advisor to the government did not help in getting justice.