New Delhi, July 13
The Congress on Thursday cited a finance ministry order dated May 29 to say that publicity funds meant for ministries had been placed at the disposal of the Central Bureau of Communications in the election year and questioned the motive behind the move.
In a series of tweets, Congress general secretary Communications Jairam Ramesh said the Parliament votes Budgets for all Departments and Ministries of the Government of India and each programme and scheme has a distinct Budget Head.“Now on May 19, 2023 in an unprecedented move, the Ministry of Finance has ordered that 40% of the funds voted by Parliament for ‘Advertising and Publicity’ in various Departments/Ministries should be placed at the disposal of the Central Bureau of Communications (CBC) in the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. The CBC’s Budget for 2023-24 approved by Parliament is Rs 200 crore. With the May 19th, 2023 order of the Ministry of Finance the Budget for CBC for the current year will suddenly zoom to more than Rs 750 crores,” said Ramesh tweeting copies of the finance ministry order.The Congress leader said “Clearly this CBC (along with CBI and ED) will be the spearhead of the Modi Govt’s election campaign for 2024. The CBC is a super czar dancing to the tune of the PM urf Prachar Mantri. But this propaganda machine didn’t have enough funds. Now with this surgical strike, just like the 40% Commission Sarkara dislodged in Karnataka, the Modi Govt. usurps 40% of funds already allocated to ministries by Parliament and enriches the CBC. Is this not de facto misappropriation?”
Ramesh also alleged that the directive was a further subversion of Parliament’s Constitutional obligations.
“It not only ignores the expertise of specific ministries but it wholly undermines the sanctity of the Budget voted by Parliament. Normally, the Government of India is referred to as the Central Government Under Mr. Modi, it has become a Central(ised) Propaganda Machine,” Jairam Ramesh tweeted.
A response from the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting is awaited.
