UPA welfare schemes portal, AIR free SMS service launched

Giving a big push to publicising the UPA government's welfare programmes, the information and broadcasting ministry Monday launched an interactive online portal on the measures and also a free SMS news service of All India Radio.

Launching both the programmes at the spanking new National Media Centre, Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said the Bharat Nirman online portal would help "mainstream the silent transformation that has swept our country during the 10 years of UPA rule".

The portal, which is in Hindi and English and would soon be available in 13 other Indian languages, has six tabs for each of the major welfare programmes launched by the United Progressive Alliance government - including the Food Security Bill and Land Acquisition Bill - with complete information on each.

It also has a section on "Jamunia", a radio serial on the empowerment of the girl child and women, and another on a serial "Purva Suhani Aayi Re", also on social awareness and empowerment.

The launch of the portal comes barely a month after the ministry had launched the "Glimpses of India Story - Phase II" ad blitz in the form of audio-visual clips on the welfare programmes launched during the nine years of the UPA. The first phase was launched May 22.

The portal,which is also to have some games and quizzes, will be manned by Joint Secretary Anurag Srivastava in the ministry.

All India Radio also launched its free SMS service.

Under the scheme, free SMS news alerts would be sent to mobile phones thrice a day as well as public utility messages, said Director General (News) Archana Dutta. AIR gives out 650 news bulletins a day, she said at the event.

Tewari said unlike the BJP's "sloppy and simmering" India Shining ad blitz in 2004, the launch of the portal and the Bharat Nirman India Story attempts were part of a "continuum of efforts" to publicise the welfare programmes of the UPA government in the 10 years.

The general elections are due in May 2014.