Rs 7.25 cr spent on Rajiv, Indira Gandhi birthday ads in 2011

NEW DELHI: The government spent Rs 7.25 crore on print advertisements on the birth anniversaries of former PMs Rajiv and Indira Gandhi this year.

The I&B ministry said the government had spent Rs 4.79 crore and Rs 2.46 crore on advertisements of Rajiv and Indira Gandhi respectively.

Minister of state for I&B C M Jatua added that no campaign was released through the electronic media on the birth anniversaries of the two former prime ministers.

The health ministry spent the highest amount of over Rs 95 lakh on the birth anniversary of Rajiv, followed by the ministry of new and renewable energy at Rs 82 lakh.

The tourism ministry spent over Rs 79 lakh on the occasion. The ministry of housing and urban poverty alleviation spent over Rs 65 lakh, I&B ministry over Rs 58 lakh while social justice ministry spent over Rs 51 lakh for the occasion.

The I&B ministry topped the list of spenders on advertisements on the birth anniversary of Indira Gandhi at over Rs 60 lakh, followed by the social justice ministry at over Rs 56 lakh.