SC verdict pours cold water on Dispur plan

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, May 15: The recent verdict from the Supreme Court banning the use of photographs of politicians on government advertisements has poured cold water on the Assam Government’s plan for a massive advertisement drive on the celebrations of the completion of the fourth year of its third term.

The Supreme Court excluded the President of India, the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India and former tiol leaders like Gandhiji from the purview of its verdict.

The Assam Government is to celebrate the occasion with a two-day programme on May 23 and 24 during which it was aimed at hightlighting the performance of the government in a massive way. Self-help groups have also been roped in in the programme. The plan, however, suffered at setback as the SC banned the use of photographs of any ministers, including that of the Chief Minister, in government advertisements.

The Information and Public Relations Department is consulting legal experts to examine the SC verdict and its application.

According to sources, on May 23 various development departments will showcase their works at exhibitions at Khapara in Guwahati. The main function will be on May 24 when the government will highlight its activities in the past 14 years. The government has also planned to publish booklets highlighting  its achievements.