Info Deptt cries foul over direct advertisements to media
Keeps silence over violations
Jammu Tawi, December 23: The Department of Information today cried foul over the state government departments, Public Sector Undertakings and Autonomous Bodies who have been flouting the standing government orders by releasing advertisements directly to the media by-passing the Information department claiming its domain over releasing all sorts of government advertisements, at least on papers.
The information department or the GAD have failed in monitoring such violations by such government bodies for decades and to take any action against the heads of such departments despite obligations to do so according to government's old and new advertisement policies.
Many government and public autonomous bodies like Jammu University, J&K Board of School Education, JKPCC, J&K Cements Ltd, J&K Medical Supplies Corporations, SKIMS etc and even some departments have been consistently issuing their advertisements and making payments directly to few select newspapers of their choice while not bothering for Information department for its inadequacy.
Interestingly, the Information department which has been given mandate to monitor such violations brazenly ignored the practice. In an RTI Reply on similar enquiry, the Information department disingenuously say otherwise. It says that rarely some government bodies or departments have been releasing advertisements directly to media.
However, a circular issued today by the new Director Information, Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said who holds the adhoc charge says, “It has been noticed that advertisements are being issued by various Government Departments, Public Sector Undertakings and Autonomous Bodies to TV channels and FM Radio channels directly in the absence of any rate contract approved by the Finance Department.”
“In pursuance to the orders issued by the Finance Department from time to time, all the Government Departments, Public Sector Undertakings and Autonomous Bodies are required to route official advertisements to the print and electronic media through the Department of Information,” the circular said and added that in yet another order issued by the Finance Department under endorsement No: DGAT/IT-Misc/Gene-58/22/PS-DR/625 dated: 11-08-2011, the instructions regarding routing of government advertisements through the Department of Information have been reiterated. “It has been time and again further reiterated by the Finance Department that the Treasury Officers shall not entertain any bills in respect of advertisements issued directly to the print and electronic media by any department or public sector undertakings etc,” it said.
The circular issued by the Director Information today states that it has been observed by the Department of Information that some Government Departments, Public Sector Undertakings and Autonomous Bodies are violating the standing instructions of the Government and are issuing official advertisements to the media, especially the electronic media directly instead of routing these through the Department of Information.
“Issuing advertisements to the TV and Radio in the absence of the rate contract, which is not available with such Departments, PSUs and autonomous bodies, is a serious violation of the codal procedure,” it said.
