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As per the LG's order, all the advertisements released by the Delhi Government are to be referred to the Content Regulation in Government Advertising for vetting and checking if they are in accordance with the top court's order.
The Delhi Lt Governor VK Saxena on Monday ordered the recovery of Rs 97 Crore Government money used by the Aam Aadmi Party-driven Delhi Government on its own political advertisements calling it "government advertisements".
The Lt Governor ordered that all commercials since September 2016 be sent to the Content Regulation in Government Advertising (CCRGA) for review and confirmation that they adhere to the standards set by the Supreme Court in his direction to the Chief Secretary.
A statement from the Lt Governor's office said, "He has additionally asked for Shabdarth - the public agency formed by the Kejriwal Government, currently manned by 35 individuals on a contractual/outsourced basis, out of the total sanctioned strength of 38 officials, to be manned by government servants, instead of private individuals. The finances of Shabdarth ever since it came into being shall also be audited"
Referring to Supreme Court's order dated September 16, 2016 and a High Court's order, it has been said that "apart from being a gross case of misappropriation of Government funds for the benefit of a political party, the act of the Delhi government also amounts to contempt of the Supreme and High Court."
The apex court's order was passed in a plea seeking direction to "restrain the Union of India and all State Governments from using public funds on Government advertisements which are primarily intended to project individual functionaries of the Government or a political party and laying down appropriate guidelines by the Court."
The statement further said that all of it was done by AAP and its Ministers by resorting to grossly illegal move which entailed putting in place a Committee of its own to look into violations of the Supreme Court guidelines. This in itself was illegal, since the Committee appointed by the GOI as per orders of the Supreme Court, was authorized and empowered with jurisdiction over all GOI advertisements as well as those issued by the Union Territories, that includes Delhi, the statement added.
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