Maharashtra government will pay nearly Rs 6 crore for handling the social media of the deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar.
In a report, the general administration department on Wednesday published an order signed by under-secretary R N Musale on the modalities for appointment of an external agency for handling the social media accounts as well as the task of ensuring that decisions taken by Ajit Pawar reach the common people.
The external agency, which will be appointed after consultation with the Deputy CM’s secretariat and DGIPR (Directorate General of Information and Public Relations), will be managing Pawar’s Twitter, Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, WhatsApp bulletin, Telegram, and SMS.
However, General Administration Department (GAD) has asked to select the agency from the DGIPR’s panel. A senior bureaucrat has also questioned the appointment of an external agency for the image makeover of Ajit Pawar
“We have a full- fledged DGIPR with a total staff of nearly 1,200 and an annual budget of Rs 150 crore. Then why do we need an external agency for the promotion of the deputy CM?” the bureaucrat asked, as per a report
Last month Pawar was seen urging people who can afford the vaccine doses against the coronavirus disease to pay for themselves due to the additional financial burden on the state.
