Govt verifying circulation claims of newspapers: Rathore

The government today said in the Lok Sabha that it gives advertisements to newspapers only after verifying their claims regarding their circulation.

Replying to a query during Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, Information and Broadcasting Minister Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore said the Registrar of Newspapers for India has been asked to gather details of circulation of various newspapers.

The newspapers are being given advertisements only after their circulation claims are verified, he said.

Besides, Rathore said his Ministry has framed certain categories and rules regarding the advertisements to newspapers and an impact assessment was being conducted on the advertisements given to them.

"15 per cent of the advertisements by us go to small (newspapers), 35 per cent got to medium and 50 per cent to big. We have also categorised them as per language -- 30 per cent in English and 35 per cent each in Hindi and vernacular languages. We try to maintain this ratio," the minister said.

Moreover, he said the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity policy clearly states that the purpose of information and broadcasting is that policies of the government and ministries should be properly extended, especially to areas where there is a sizeable target audience.

"We issue the advertisements keeping this in mind," he said.

Replying to a query by BJP MP Roopa Ganguly regarding advertisements in Bengali newspapers in West Bengal, Rathore said two types of advertisements are issued, one from the resources of the I and B Ministry and the other from client ministries' resources.

In 2017-18, he said, the advertisements to Bengali newspapers were worth Rs 1,790 crore from client ministries and Rs 2,200 crore through the I&B Ministry.