Odisha Govt Spent Rs 70 Lakh On COVID Press Meets

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government spent around Rs 70 lakh on press meets conducted by its officers to provide information about COVID pandemic in 2020.

According to the Information & Public Relations department, press meets were held on 99 days between March and September during the pandemic. Maximum 30 press meets were held in April, the department informed in its reply to an RTI application.

Eleeanora Images Private Limited provided the technical assistance for telecast of the press meets. The technical support included a set-up of three cameras, sound set and social media coverage.

While the firm submitted a total bill of Rs 58,41,000 towards its works, the government has paid Rs 56,43,000 so far. The bill included Rs 13 lakh towards LED wall, digital generator, sanitisers, napkins and hand-wash between March 25 and May 18, the department said.