Hyderabad: Information and public relations (I&PR) minister Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy has disclosed that Rs 580 crore has been spent on advertisements in print and electronic media, and hoardings in other states during the ten-year Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government.
He said that around Rs 200 crore has been spent on advertisements in media outlets and hoardings within the state since the Congress government came to power in the state, and not a single rupee was spent in advertisements in other states by his department.
Speaking in the Telangana assembly on Wednesday, March 26, he said that maximum tariff was given to Namasthe Telangana and Telangana Today newspapers and T News television channel, on par with reputed media outlets during the BRS government.
He said that the tariff per square centimeter in Namasthe Telangana grew from Rs 875 in 2014, to Rs 1,150 in 2016, and Rs 1,500 by 2019. This hike was on par with that of Eenadu Telugu newspaper, which was Rs 1,500 per sq cm, and more than Times of India which was paid Rs 1,000 per sq cm.
Similarly, he said that T News channel was given Rs 3000 per second of television advertisement, while ETV was given Rs 2,500 per second, and NTV was paid Rs 3,000 per second.
“This is a small sample to show how the BRS government looted public money,” he said.
BRS stages walkout, accuses Telangana Dy CM of unparliamentary language
He made this disclosure after the BRS members accused the Congress government of giving advertisements during the assembly elections in Maharashtra.
