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Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
State to spend ₹25 crore on govt scheme publicity during Ashadhi Wari
MUMBAI: As the bugle for the upcoming local body elections is sounded — dates for which are yet to be officially announced — the Maharashtra government is set to spend over ₹21 crore on publicity for various schemes during the 21-day Ashadhi Wari pilgrimage from June 18 to July 8. The Wari, a 700-year-old annual pilgrimage of the Warkari sect, sees over 2.5 million devotees (Warkaris) walking nearly 240 km from Alandi and Dehu to the temple town of Pandharpur. The yatra culminates on Ashadhi Ekadashi, which falls on July 6 this year. This year, the state's publicity blitz during the Wari is pegged at ₹25.17 crore — a figure that notably exceeds the ₹12.82 crore allocated for essential sanitation services such as portable toilets for pilgrims. Tenders have been floated across departments to promote government initiatives during the yatra. The campaigns will use Chitraraths (decorated floats), street plays, mobile LED vans, exhibitions, and social media drives to communicate various schemes to the Warkaris. In contrast, the sanitation plan involves daily deployment of over 1,800 portable toilets to cater to the massive footfall. The toilet facilities alone cost: Dehu to Pandharpur route: ₹7.83 crore and Alandi to Pandharpur route: ₹4.99 crore. Vitthal Patil, president of the Warkari Sahitya Parishad, welcomed the state's efforts but raised a pointed concern, 'The facilities have been improving every year, which is commendable. However, while the government uses the Wari for heavy publicity, the real question is whether these schemes truly reach the people.' Brijesh Singh, director general, information and public relations, said, 'The information and education campaign is being implemented to reach out a natural assembly of lakhs of citizens from rural area. We take the opportunity to interact to the people, especially farmers on their issues and take the schemes meant for them to them in their own language. This has been happening for years and has nothing to do with the ensuing elections.' Break-up of the publicity budget: Employment guarantee scheme department: ₹9.39 crore Health department: ₹2 crore Disaster management cell: 3.48 crore Transport department: ₹21.93 lakh Special assistance department: ₹43.96 lakh Information and Public Relations (DGIPR): ₹5.36 crore for the 'Sanwad Wari' campaign Other departments: Undisclosed amounts
Time of India
22-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Macau Jibe To Advt Row: Cong & BJP Maha Chiefs In War Of Words
Nagpur: A clerical error in a govt advertisement triggered a political flashpoint between Maharashtra Congress president Harshwardhan Sapkal and BJP state chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule . Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Both leaders traded barbs on social media, escalating hostilities between the parties ahead of the upcoming local body elections. The row began after a Republic Day advertisement issued by the Public Works Department for a proposed cabinet meeting in Chaundi appeared in a vernacular daily with a misprinted cost figure. Due to a missing decimal point, the advertisement showed a cost of Rs150 crore instead of the actual Rs1.5 crore, sparking criticism and speculation online. Bawankule, addressing the matter on social media platform X, dismissed the controversy as a technical error on the part of the newspaper and accused Sapkal of exploiting the incident for publicity. "Sapkal is still very young. To go far in politics, he must first shed his childishness," Bawankule remarked, adding that the release order and website displayed the correct figure and that such manipulation was "pitiable". Sapkal, in a pointed response, wrote: "Bawankule Saheb, I am indeed young. But I'm certainly not big enough to blow Rs3.5 crore in an hour at a Macau casino." The sarcastic remark was widely seen as a reference to earlier allegations of extravagant spending involving BJP leaders. Defending his position, Sapkal urged Bawankule to seek clarification from the Directorate General of Information and Public Relations (DGIPR), which already admitted that the misprint was unintentional. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "Since you are so senior, I trust you can read numbers properly. Instead of blaming the newspaper, speak to DGIPR," he added. DGIPR officials have since confirmed that the error was inadvertent and promised internal corrective measures. This episode adds to a string of confrontations between the two leaders in recent months. Ahead of the Congress's Sadbhavna Rally in Nagpur on April 16, Bawankule took a swipe at Sapkal, suggesting that "a rally in his hometown Buldhana would have sufficed". Last month, Sapkal courted controversy by likening chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb during the Assembly session, prompting Bawankule to demand action against him for the remarks. The ongoing verbal duel between the state party chiefs mirrors the heightened political temperatures as Maharashtra heads toward crucial civic polls, with both sides positioning themselves for electoral advantage.
