SRINAGAR, AUGUST 07: The
Government has designated Department of Information & Public Relations as
the Central Office for distribution of all official advertisements, both in the
print and electronic media.
“Except where
otherwise provided by any general or special order of Government in any
particular case, the Information Department will be the Central Office
for the issuance of all official advertisements and it will
secure standing contracts for advertisement space in the various media
approved by Government from time to time,” said a Circular issued by the
General Administration Department (GAD) here this evening.
It said the
instructions relating to routing of Government Advertisements through
Department of Information have been issued from time to time both by the
General Administration Department and the Finance Department. “In this
context, reference is invited to Government OrderNo: 671-GAD of 2007 dated:
08.06.2007 and Circular No: 16-GAD of 2015 dated: 16.03.2015 issued by the
General Administration Department and Govt Order No: 201-F of 2018 dated:
06.04.2018 and Circular issued under No: FD-VII-Gen/2008-09 dated:
14.11.2008 by the Finance Department,” said the Circular adding that
notwithstanding these instructions, it has been brought to the notice of
the Government that certain Departments and Public
Sector Undertaking/Autonomous bodies are still issuing official
advertisement(s) directly to the print and electronic media without
routing the same through Department of Information, which is a stark
violation of the rule position and standing instructions of the Government.
“It is, therefore,
impressed upon all the Administrative Secretaries/Heads of Departments
/Managing Directors of PSUs that no Government Department/Public sector
Undertaking/Autonomous Body shall, under any circumstances, issue
official advertisements directly to the print and electronic media and
instead routethe same through the Directorate of Information,” it said adding
any violation in this regard will be reviewed seriously and appropriate
action initiated against the delinquent official/officer (s) if any,
including recovery of costs of such advertisements from Administrative
Secretaries/HODs/MDs/etc.
“The Information
Department shall closely monitor the matter and report violations, if any,
of these circular instructions to the General Administration Department on
afortnightly basis,” the Circular said.
Pertinently, the
Government has designated the offices of Joint Director Information
Kashmir/Jammu as Nodal Offices for the distribution of official advertisements
and release of payments to the newspapers.
The
State Government has enhanced the Advertisement Budget substantially during the
past few years and from Rs 22 crore in 2014-15 it has gone up to Rs 35 crore
for the current fiscal. The Advertisement rates for the print media were also
hiked by more than 50% by the government last year.
The Information Department is in the process of formulating an
Advertisement Policy for the Electronic Media as well.
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