Bhubaneswar: The previous BJD government spent Rs 452.96 crore from the state exchequer for advertisements in the last five years, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who also holds the Information and Public Relations portfolio, told the Odisha Assembly on Thursday.
Among these, Rs 15,26,91,933 was spent between January 2023 and May 2024 on ads and advertorials featuring former CM Naveen Patnaik and BJD leader and former 5T Chairman V K Pandian, he further stated in a written reply to a query by BJP MLA Laxaman Bag.
During this period, the Information and Public Relations Department requested certain newspapers to publish advertorials on several programme and these included photos related to specific events, featuring both Naveen and his close aide Pandian. The department published advertisements worth Rs 33,71,49,106 in various newspapers, highlighting various government schemes and programmes, during this period, Majhi added.
The Odisha government is already investigating the extensive use of helicopters by former bureaucrat during previous administration. While Naveen had defended these visits on the floor of the House, many district collectors claimed ignorance about them in RTI replies later.
