AAP gets recovery notice of Rs 163.62 crore for political advertisements: Report

January 12, 2023 / 09:33 AM IST

The AAP has been issued a announcement for betterment of Rs 163.62 crore for its governmental advertisements allegedly published successful the garb of authorities advertisements, according to sources.

The improvement comes astir a period aft Delhi Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena directed the main caput to retrieve Rs 97 crore from the AAP for governmental advertisements it published successful the guise of authorities advertisements.

The betterment announcement issued by the Directorate of Information and Publicity (DIP) besides includes the involvement connected the magnitude and makes it mandatory for the ruling enactment successful Delhi to wage the full magnitude wrong 10 days, the sources said connected Wednesday.

"If the AAP convener fails to bash so, each consequential ineligible enactment including attachment of the properties of the enactment shall beryllium taken successful clip bound manner, arsenic per the earlier bid of the Delhi LG," a root said.

There was nary contiguous absorption from the Delhi authorities oregon the AAP.

Subsequent to the LG's bid issued past month, the DIP has served a announcement to Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener Arvind Kejriwal for betterment of Rs 163.62 crore for the governmental advertisements of AAP, published successful the garb of authorities advertisements astatine the outgo of nationalist exchequer, the sources added.

While Rs 99,31,10,053 (Rs 99.31 crore) is connected relationship of the main magnitude incurred connected governmental advertisements till March 31, 2017, the remaining Rs. 64,30,78,212 (Rs 64.31 crore) is connected relationship of penal involvement connected this amount.

The Delhi government's Directorate of Audit has besides deputed a peculiar audit squad for conducting an audit of each specified governmental advertisements aft March 31, 2017, the sources said.

In 2016, the Delhi High Court had directed the Committee connected Content Regulation successful Government Advertising (CCRGA) to determine successful the substance of complaints regarding governmental advertisements by AAP government.

The three-member CCRGA, successful September 2016, directed that "the main intent and objectives of the guidelines framed by the Supreme Court was to forestall misuse of authorities money for the projection of representation of the person oregon the governmental enactment successful power".

"Since the aforesaid has happened adjacent aft the Supreme Court judgment, the lone mode it could beryllium rectified is to marque the governmental party, the main beneficiary successful the process of violation, wage for the expenditure incurred by the government," it had said.

The committee had directed the Delhi authorities to get the full expenditure incurred reimbursed to the authorities exchequer from the AAP.

A reappraisal petition filed by the AAP authorities connected September 22, 2016 earlier the CCRGA was dismissed.

The scrutiny of records had revealed that tentatively an magnitude of astir Rs 97.15 crore, assessed till 31.03.2017 was incurred connected advertisements which whitethorn beryllium classified into the class of usurpation of Supreme Court's guidelines connected the matter. The magnitude has been updated to Rs 106.42 crore aft further assessments, the sources added.

According to records, retired of Rs 106.42 crore, outgo of Rs 99.31 crore has already been made to the acrophobic agencies by DIP and Rs 7.11 crore (approximately) is outstanding.

The announcement from DIP reads, "In presumption of the above, you are requested to reimburse Rs 99,31,10,053 to the State Exchequer instantly and Rs 7.11 crore (approximately) for the remaining advertisements whose outgo has not been released truthful acold by the government, should beryllium paid straight to the acrophobic agencies successful 10 days from the day of contented of this notice."

On December 20, erstwhile LG Saxena had directed the main caput to retrieve Rs 97 crore from the enactment for "political advertisements", the enactment had said that helium has nary powerfulness to walk specified orders.

AAP main spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj had termed the LG's absorption a "new emotion letter". "The BJP is flustered that we person go a nationalist enactment and wrested powerfulness from it successful the MCD. LG sahab is doing everything successful accordance with the BJP's directions and that is troubling the radical of Delhi. The much disquieted Delhi's radical are, the happier the BJP gets," Bhardwaj had claimed.

He had further said that the LG's directions would not basal successful the eyes of law.

(With PTI inputs)