Chat shows promoting Maharashtra government policies, featuring Chief Minister, Ministers and officials seem to be burdening the treasury with extra weight, at a time when the State struggles for financial resources.
Production, broadcast and publicity of one episode of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s Mi Mukhyamantri boltoy ( ‘This is Chief Minister speaking’), Jai Maharashtra — a chat show with Ministers and senior government officials and a radio chat show Dilkhulas with government authorities cost exchequer ₹27.09 lakh. This is irrespective of the fact that the State has its own studio, camera set-up and the show neither has popular actors nor exorbitant sets.
The government launched a chat show with the Chief Minister few months ago, where he addresses the citizens of Maharashtra on various issues affecting the State. As per the show format, he takes questions live from the selected citizens present in the studio. The government has its own studio with state-of-the-art facilities in Mantralaya.
Total budget
A government resolution was issued on October 5, detailing the expenditure incurred on these programmes which are touted as tools to publicise and make people aware of government policies and initiatives. The total annual budget for these initiatives is fixed at ₹4.45 crore.
According to the GR, ₹10 lakh is required for the production — which includes script writing, make up, colour correction, grading, montage music, montage editing, floor manager, lightman etc. Publicity of the shows, which are meant for publicity of government policies, by advertising in newspapers would cost ₹16.34 lakh each episode.
The State publicity department, however, calls it a necessary expenditure and also low cost.
