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Time of India

‘War on drugs': AAP govt launches 13k-village poster blitz at ₹15 cr in Punjab

Chandigarh: After facing criticism over its spree to put inauguration stones on repaired toilets in govt schools under its "Sikhya Kranti" drive, the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab govt is now going all out to put up posters, flex boards, and wall paintings in its " Yudh Nasheyan Virudh " (war against drugs) campaign in 13,000 villages across the state, at a cost of more than Rs 15 crore. "Yudh Nasheyan Virudh. Send information on drug smugglers. Your identity will be kept secret," reads a sample poster in Punjabi, with a photo of chief minister Bhagwant Mann, his hands folded, and a WhatsApp number to share the information. In addition, wall paintings with similar wording dot the villages across the state. A directive by the Punjab rural development and panchayats director on April 16 instructed that at least two flex boards, four wall paintings, and nearly one thousand posters should be put up in the villages across respective districts in the state. The directive stated that the cost of printing should not exceed the rates fixed by the Punjab chief electoral officer. According to the order, flex boards would cost Rs 1.92 crore, wall paintings Rs 4.74 crore, and posters Rs 8.45 crore—totalling at least Rs 15 crore. The letter was marked to deputy commissioners, additional deputy commissioners (development), and district development and panchayat officers (DDPOs). It said that the exercise to put up posters, flex boards, and wall paintings should be completed within two days, and respective panchayats will make use of their funds for the purpose. A Punjab govt functionary said that asking the officials to put out posters at a cost not exceeding the rates fixed by the Punjab CEO was "likely aimed at avoiding the tendering process and carrying out the exercise emergently." The functionary said there are "fixed rates" as approved by the CEO for each district when tendering is done during the elections. "These fixed rates are approved by the respective district election officer," said the functionary, adding that funding was done from the "fit charge," designated by the govt on panchayat funds wherein expenses are incurred by Panchayats using their own funds rather than the state govt's budget. Another official said a target of putting 1,000 posters in each village was rather far-fetched. "This would mean posters at every possible place in the village," the official said. "This is pure theatrics. This is drama. Which station house officer does not know who the peddlers or smugglers are in their respective areas?" said retired Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) professor of sociology Ranvinder Singh Sandhu, while reacting to the govt move. Another GNDU retired professor from the political science department, Jagrup Singh Sekhon, told the TOI, "It is terrible. This is mimicry. It shows the restlessness of the AAP that they are cut off from the ground reality. Who does not know what is happening or what is not in Punjab? People are rather getting agitated with such publicity moves and putting photos for the sake of photos. This is a politically unwise decision and a waste of resources. One can traverse from one corner of Punjab to another in three and a half hours, and moreover, there is social media which the majority of people use. Such things are for places where communication is a problem," said Sekhon. When contacted, Gurdaspur DDPO Gurpreet Singh said, "At least 1.77 lakh posters have been put up in 1,279 villages across the district. The remaining six villages do not have panchayats. Nearly 5,000 wall paintings are in place." Bathinda ADC (D) Kanchan said, "Around 2 lakh posters have been put up in 318 villages in Bathinda district." Punjab rural development and panchayats director Uma Shankar Gupta was not available for comment despite calls and texts to him. BYPASSING TENDERS Rs 15+ crore for two flex boards, four wall paintings and 1,000 posters per village in 13,000 villages Orders to complete within 2 days using panchayat funds, bypassing formal tenders Report drug peddlers via WhatsApp – identity kept secret, says the poster featuring CM Bhagwant Mann 'Optics over action' Experts call it wasteful, politically tone-deaf, and disconnected from reality Professors from GNDU slam the move as 'theatrics' and 'mimicry of action' with no real impact They say in a digitally connected Punjab, such physical campaigns may be obsolete and redundant MSID:: 120589446 413 |