NEW DELHI: Taking strong note of frauds and embezzlement by many publications, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has decided to lodge FIRs and pursue legal action. Sources with the ministry said that these publications have taken government advertisements from DAVP through wrong means.
Officials said that the ministry has decided to lodge Firs against over 270 publications as they have allegedly indulged in “fraud and embezzlement” to obtain money meant for government advertisements. As many as 277 publications from Lucknow and Delhi are under the Ministry’s scanner after a spot check verification carried out by the Department of Audio Visual Publicity (DAVP) found gross irregularities in their publishing and circulation data.
“The check was carried out in Delhi and Lucknow and it was found that the details provided by these publications were shockingly misleading. The ministry is of the view that these 277 publications have indulged in fraud and embezzlement of Government money,” an official source said.
Officials said that 70 of the 277 publications which are now under the ministry’s scanner were published from a single printing press, sources said.
“There is a strong view that these publications have used unfair means to obtain money meant for government ads from the DAVP. I&B minister M Venkaiah Naidu has taken a stern view of the matter and efforts will be made to recover money from them. “In addition, the DAVP has also been directed to file FIRs against the owners, printers and publishers of these publications on the basis of spot verifications made,” the source added.