“Yellow media” benefitted a lot during the five-year rule of TDP chief and AP CM N Chandrababu Naidu.
Naidu openly showed discrimination against other newspapers, which have circulation either more than or almost equal to Andhra Jyothy and Eenadu, in releasing higher government advertisements through Information and Public Relations Department (I&PR)
Naidu gave ads worth Rs 9.04 crore in 2014-15, Rs 7.37 crore in 2015-16, Rs 16.64 crore in 2016-17 for Eenadu, which amounts to a total of Rs 33.05 crore for Eenade in three years alone.
In case of Andhra Jyothy, Naidu gave ads worth Rs 5.73 crore in 2014-15, Rs 5.27 crore in 2015-16 and Rs 10.99 crore in 2016-17, totalling Rs 21.99 crore.
The data clearly shows that Naidu doled out more funds to yellow media towards the end of his tenure.
Naidu has kept the data for 2017-18 and 2018-19 a ‘secret’, fearing that it would attract severe criticism from Opposition parties and other quarters.
But going by this trend, he is expected to have given another Rs 50 crore each to both these papers in the past two years.
On the contrary, he showed discrimination on Sakshi newspaper, owned by YSRCP chief YS Jagan, despite having circulation almost equal to Eenadu and much higher than Andhra Jyothy.
Naidu gave ads worth only Rs 8.99 crore to Sakshi from 2014-15 to 2016-17. Sakshi got ads worth just Rs 2.53 crore in 2014-15, 2.40 crore in 2015-16 and Rs 4.07 crore in 2016-17.
Overall, Naidu splurged Rs 125.42 crore for his publicity mania and to benefit yellow media by allocating them major share in funds.
Naidu’s looting of public money has now come under the scanner of Constitutional body, The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).
CAG issued notices to AP I&PR commissioner to explain why Naidu’s government showed undue favouritism towards Eenanu and Andhra Jyothy and wasted public money to benefit few media organisations of his choice.
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