Ratan Tata not a part of petition to check on government achievement ads: Tata Sons

NEW DELHI: Tata Sons today said its Chairman Ratan Tata is not associated with the petition filed by an NGO in Supreme Court seeking restrain on governments advertising their achievements using taxpayers' money.

Yesterday Supreme Court agreed to hear PIL filed by Foundation for Restoration of National Values, in which Tata has been on the advisory board, on the matter.

"We would like to clarify that while Ratan N Tata has been on the Advisory Board of the NGO, he is not associated with the petition in any way," Tata Sons said in a statement.

The PIL filed by the NGO submitted that governments should be restrained from using taxpayers' money for the purpose of "eulogising" and glorifying" their achievements.

The NGO, whose advisory board also include former Chief Justice M N Venkatachaliah, and E Sreedharan, alleged that such advertisements were wasteful expenditure of governments which could not be justified.

"This wasteful and wholly unnecessary exercise, cannot be justified in any manner, particularly at a time when various development and beneficent schemes are not able to reach the masses and the unprivileged, owing to either paucity of funds or infrastructural deficiencies," the NGO said in its petition.

"Crores of rupees spent in advertisements, publicity and on self-glorification, could be usefully and fruitfully spent on development and growth," it said.