PSUs start aggressive campaigns to publicise Modi govt's flagship schemes

Public sector undertakings (PSUs) in the oil and power sectors have started aggressive campaigns to publicise government’s flagship schemes. 
 
For instance, Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has issued a Rs 2.93 billion tender for outdoor publicity for Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMUY).
 
The publicity campaign for PMUY involves putting up hoardings in Karnataka, Gujarat, Odisha, Mumbai and Delhi. “Since the target group of this scheme is predominantly rural women, oil marketing companies (OMCs) feel massive publicity is required to make rural women aware of it, as also the social and economic benefits of using LPG,” a spokesperson of the ministry of petroleum and natural gas said in an e-mailed response.

 

IOC, the country's largest petroleum retailer, will, however, be setting up hoardings across 26 airports in the country, not visited by this target group.
 
Under PMUY, the government provides free cooking gas connections to Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. The scheme is set to achieve its target of 50 million connections seven months in advance, by mid-August.
 
At the same time, the government is also considering to come out with massive advertisements on its four-year achievements, close to Independence Day. The government has so far given 48.9 million connections under PMUY, covering 715 districts. 
 
National transmission company Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCIL) and hydropower major NHPC, are also carrying out media outreach campaigns. The two power PSUs have been entrusted with publicity for another flagship scheme, Sahaj Har Ghar Bijli Yojana (Saubhagya). The scheme aims at providing metered connections to all households and free connections to BPL households. The scheme covers both rural and urban homes.

 
According to information assessed from the government’s e-tendering website, PGCIL has issued four tenders totalling Rs 58.2 million to install hoardings across several districts of Odisha. NHPC will do the same across Jammu & Kashmir, including Leh and Ladakh. The total tender volume of NHPC stands at Rs 2.6 million.
 
Thermal power giant NTPC's e-tendering website also lists tender issued for Saubhagya but are of a different kind. NTPC is providing last-mile electricity connections to about a dozen districts in Odisha.
 
Under the Rs 163.2-billion Saubhagya scheme, the government would provide “last mile electricity connectivity to all rural and urban households.”