Guwahati: The Assam government, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, has spent a staggering Rs 372.33 crore on advertisements in the last four financial years, according to Information and Public Relations Minister Pijush Hazarika.
This figure is significantly higher than the Rs 125.6 crore spent by the previous government, led by Sarbananda Sonowal, in the five fiscals since 2016-17.
The present BJP government’s advertisement expenses have shown a steady increase since Sarma took charge in May 2021. In the first year, the government spent Rs 72.83 crore, which jumped to Rs 78.85 crore in 2022-23 and further increased to Rs 160.92 crore in 2023-24. However, the expenditure on advertisements has been relatively lower in the current fiscal, with Rs 59.72 crore spent so far.
In comparison, the Sonowal government’s advertisement spending was significantly lower, with Rs 30.24 crore spent in 2020-21. The government’s expenditure on advertisements also increased in the following year, but at a much slower pace. The Assam government’s advertisement spend has been a subject of discussion, with some questioning the need for such high expenditure on advertisements.
The minister’s reply also revealed that the Assam government had spent Rs 18.58 crore on advertisements in 2015-16, the last fiscal of former chief minister Tarun Gogoi’s regime. The advertisement spending increased to Rs 26.88 crore in the following year, after Sonowal took charge.
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