Guwahati, 12 March (HS): The government led by Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma in Assam has spent more than ₹370 crore on advertisements in the last four financial years. This information was given by Information and Public Relations Minister Pijush Hazarika in response to a question in the Assam Assembly on Wednesday.

The minister said that earlier, during the tenure of Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal (2016-2021), a total of ₹125.6 crore was spent by the government on advertisements in five years.

In response to a written question by Congress MLA Abdul Batin Khandkar, the minister said that the current BJP government has spent a total of ₹372.33 crore on advertisements in print, electronic and outdoor media from 2021-22 till date.

Dr. Sarma took over as Chief Minister in May 2021. According to government data, ₹30.24 crore was spent on advertisements by the Sonowal government in 2020-21. This amount increased to ₹72.83 crore in 2021-22, when Dr Sarma became the Chief Minister.

Advertisement expenditure increased every year during the tenure of Chief Minister Dr Sarma government. In 2022-23, this expenditure was ₹78.85 crore, while in 2023-24 it increased to ₹160.92 crore. In the current financial year 2024-25, so far ₹59.72 crore has been spent on advertisements.

In response to a question by Risor Dal MLA Akhil Gogoi, Minister Hazarika also informed that the government of former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi had spent ₹18.58 crore on advertisements in the year 2015-16. Subsequently, during the Sonowal government in 2016-17, the expenditure increased to ₹26.88 crore.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash