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New Delhi: Lieutenant Governor V.K. In 2016, Saxena directed general secretary Naresh Kumar to recover Rs 97 crore from the AAP for allegedly misusing funds to publish political advertisements with the tone of government advertisements.
The LG’s office said the ad violated the SC’s 2015 order, the Delhi HC’s subsequent order in 2016 and the guidelines of the Government’s Commission for Content Regulation in Advertisements (CCRGA).
The AAP, however, said the LG had given the order at the behest of the BJP, saying it was “shocked” by its status as a national party. The party also said Saxena had no authority to issue such directions.
Officials said several petitions have been filed against the central and state governments following an SC order issued in May 2015 to “prohibit the use of public funds in public advertisements aimed at projecting individual officials of government or political parties”. . member CCRGA Committee was formed by Ministry of I&B in April 2016 to regulate advertisement content and eliminate wasteful expenditure of government revenue.
According to sources, the CCRGA had probed Congress leader Ajay Maken’s complaint in August 2016 on the orders of the Delhi HC and found certain advertisements in violation of the SC guidelines issued by the Delhi government. The Department of Information and Publicity (DIP) was then directed to account for the amount spent on such advertisements and recover from the AAP.
According to officials, the DIP found that Rs 97.1 crore was spent on “inappropriate” advertisements in violation of the SC order. Of this, DIP has released Rs 42.2 crore through its advertising agency and Rs 54.9 crore is unpaid.
In March 2017, the DIP directed the AAP convener to pay Rs 42.2 crore to the state exchequer immediately and to pay Rs 54.9 crore directly to advertising agencies or publications within 30 days, officials said.
“Even after five years and eight months, AAP has not complied with this DIP order. This is serious because the party has not allocated budget funds to the state budget. Such violation of legal order by a registered political party not only undermines the judiciary but also does not augur well for the health of good governance,” the LG note said.
In September, Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly R.S. Following a complaint filed by Bidhuri and an individual, the Delhi government’s Vigilance Department (DoV) found that not only was the amount of Rs 42.2 crore not recovered, but the expected amount of about Rs. 54.9 billion rather than being paid by AAP.
In eight cases, the DoV was found to have paid Rs 20.5 crore as “sham” by court/arbitration award, while Rs 27 crore had been paid in “sham settlements or settlements” without a trial or court order.
The DoV termed the three-member committee appointed by the AAP government to probe the alleged violation of SC guidelines as “illegal”. LG has asked to be reimbursed for the cost of operating the panel.
Saxena also appointed the management of Shabdart, an advertising agency set up by the AAP government, and ordered a probe into its finances.
The LG’s office said the ad violated the SC’s 2015 order, the Delhi HC’s subsequent order in 2016 and the guidelines of the Government’s Commission for Content Regulation in Advertisements (CCRGA).
The AAP, however, said the LG had given the order at the behest of the BJP, saying it was “shocked” by its status as a national party. The party also said Saxena had no authority to issue such directions.
Officials said several petitions have been filed against the central and state governments following an SC order issued in May 2015 to “prohibit the use of public funds in public advertisements aimed at projecting individual officials of government or political parties”. . member CCRGA Committee was formed by Ministry of I&B in April 2016 to regulate advertisement content and eliminate wasteful expenditure of government revenue.
According to sources, the CCRGA had probed Congress leader Ajay Maken’s complaint in August 2016 on the orders of the Delhi HC and found certain advertisements in violation of the SC guidelines issued by the Delhi government. The Department of Information and Publicity (DIP) was then directed to account for the amount spent on such advertisements and recover from the AAP.
According to officials, the DIP found that Rs 97.1 crore was spent on “inappropriate” advertisements in violation of the SC order. Of this, DIP has released Rs 42.2 crore through its advertising agency and Rs 54.9 crore is unpaid.
In March 2017, the DIP directed the AAP convener to pay Rs 42.2 crore to the state exchequer immediately and to pay Rs 54.9 crore directly to advertising agencies or publications within 30 days, officials said.
“Even after five years and eight months, AAP has not complied with this DIP order. This is serious because the party has not allocated budget funds to the state budget. Such violation of legal order by a registered political party not only undermines the judiciary but also does not augur well for the health of good governance,” the LG note said.
In September, Leader of the Opposition in the Delhi Assembly R.S. Following a complaint filed by Bidhuri and an individual, the Delhi government’s Vigilance Department (DoV) found that not only was the amount of Rs 42.2 crore not recovered, but the expected amount of about Rs. 54.9 billion rather than being paid by AAP.
In eight cases, the DoV was found to have paid Rs 20.5 crore as “sham” by court/arbitration award, while Rs 27 crore had been paid in “sham settlements or settlements” without a trial or court order.
The DoV termed the three-member committee appointed by the AAP government to probe the alleged violation of SC guidelines as “illegal”. LG has asked to be reimbursed for the cost of operating the panel.
Saxena also appointed the management of Shabdart, an advertising agency set up by the AAP government, and ordered a probe into its finances.
