Assam: Sonowal spent Rs 126 cr on government ads in 5 yrs, Himanta Rs 131 cr in 2 yrs

The Himanta Biswa Sarma-led Assam government has spent Rs 130.59 crore in advertisements during the last two years, while his predecessor Sarbananda Sonowal government spent Rs 125.6 crore in its entire five-year tenure, a minister said on Wednesday.

In a written reply to a query by Independent MLA Akhil Gogoi in Assam Assembly, Information and Public Relations Minister Pijush Hazarika said the present government of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma released a total of Rs 132 crore for advertisements during 2021-22 and 2022-23 to his department.

The Information and Public Relations Department (DIPR) has so far placed advertisements on different media worth Rs 130.59 crore in the last two financial years, he added.

Hazarika further said that the BJP government headed by former Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who is currently a Union minister, released a total of Rs 132.3 crore to the DIPR during the entire five-year period.

The total cost of all government-published advertisements from 2016-17 to 2020-21 stood at Rs 125.6 crore, he added.

The advertisements were placed in daily newspapers, magazines, TV channels, FM radio and other media, the minister informed the House.

In total, the BJP government has spent Rs 256.19 crore in advertisements against the allocation of Rs 264.3 crore since it came to power for the first time in 2016, he added.