I&B Ministry approaches PM, FM to streamline ad process

NEW DELHI: To avoid different departments putting out similar advertisements, the I&B Ministry has approached the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister to streamline the process and ensure that no section of the press is left out while planning media campaigns.

Official sources said the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has expressed its viewpoint to the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister that media campaigns highlighting key schemes could be co-ordinated through it.

A senior official said while the ministry of I and B was the nodal unit for release of advertisements, many ministries were sending advertisements independently.

"There is a wing in the I&B ministry, the Department for Audio and Visual Publicity (DAVP) which should be used for publicity. There are occasions, say on the birth anniversary of national figures, when several ministries send similar advertisements," he said.

I and B ministry officials said they also felt that due to independent spending by the ministries, certain sections of the press were left out when media campaigns were planned.

Sources said I and B ministry's communication with the Prime Minister and the Finance Minister was important keeping in mind the fact that government would like to highlight its work before the next Lok Sabha elections in 2014.

A senior official said while the ministry was trying to streamline the process of media campaigns, it was also working on improving house mechanisms.

The I and B ministry has under the chairmanship of the secretary, formed a co-ordination committee of its information wing.

Sources said all heads of media units including Directors of Doordarshan and All India Radio (AIR), the DAVP, the Directorate of Field Divisions and senior officials of the ministry were part of the committee which would meet every month.