GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma's administration has allocated over Rs. 370 crore for advertisements in the past four fiscal years, as revealed by Information and Public Relations Minister Pijush Hazarika in the state assembly on Wednesday.
In response to a query from Congress MLA Abdul Batin Khandakar, Hazarika detailed the expenditure, stating that the current BJP government has spent a total of Rs 372.33 crore on advertisements across print, electronic and outdoor media since CM Sarma assumed office in May 2021. In contrast, the previous government led by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who served from 2016 to 2021, spent Rs 125.6 crore on advertisements over five fiscal years.
The minister provided year-wise expenditure figures, indicating that the Sonowal administration spent Rs 30.24 crore in 2020-21. Since Sarma became Chief Minister, advertisement spending went up to Rs 72.83 crore in 2021-22, then further to Rs 78.85 crore in 2022-23 and then to Rs 160.92 crore in 2023-24.
Hazarika also added that the current fiscal year, 2024-25, has itself seen Rs 59.72 crore being spent on all types of advertisements. Additionally, in response to Independent MLA Akhil Gogoi, the minister disclosed that the Assam government spent Rs 18.58 crore on advertisements in 2015-16, the final year of former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi's tenure, which rose to Rs 26.88 crore the following year under Sonowal's leadership.
Also Watch: