Ministry of Planning Demands Rs. 100 Million for Media and Promotional Activities

The Ministry of Planning and Development has asked for Rs. 100 million for media advertisement and promotional activities in the budget for the next fiscal year. It has labeled the project ‘Development Communication’, and the money has been sought for issuing press releases, arranging press conferences, and releasing TV tickers to the media. More than Rs. 616.4 million has been allocated for the project from 2020 to 2025, as per a document available with ProPakistani. The project was first approved in the PML-N regime in 2014 and 2015. Under the ministry, the Central Development Working Party (CDWP), which is chaired by the Deputy Chairman Planning Commission, had approved the revised plan in November 2020. Over Rs. 253 million have been spent on the project in the last three years. According to the document, the ministry allocated Rs. 100 million in the current fiscal year and Rs. 50 million has been released for the development communication project so far. Under the project head, the total spending in the current fiscal year until Dec 31 was Rs. 5.4 million.