GUWAHATI: Opposition parties sought details about the remuneration paid to Priyanka Chopra, the brand ambassador of Assam Tourism, in the State Assembly on Tuesday.
On the second day of the three-day special session of the House, tourism minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the remuneration of the Quantico actress had not been finalised yet although Rs.2.37 crore was spent by the government during her last visit to the State. She had come to be officially signed as the brand ambassador of the state.
“We haven’t yet decided on her remuneration. The government is working out on the details. Tenders that we have floated are likely to be finalised by May 15. Roughly, around Rs 100 crore will be spent on the campaign, including publicity,” Sarma said replying to a query from an Opposition MLA.
The minister also said that the tourism department had spent Rs 42 lakh on Chopra and her team’s visit to Guwahati in February.
In December last year, the Assam Tourism had signed the actress as its brand ambassador and a deal, accordingly, was struck with her firm Purple Pebble Pictures (PPP). But her ‘Awesome Assam’ campaign had triggered criticism on the social media.
An advertisement featuring her with the tagline “Naturally wild, Kyunki yeh Assam hai” (Naturally wild, because it is Assam) had ruffled many a feather as a few objected to the double meaning portrayed by the tagline. Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi had tweeted, “Awesome Assam is not going to promote tourism. It's damaging our state's public image and brand”.
Meanwhile, the actress is coming to the State on June 20 on a 10-day trip, official sources said. During her stay, she will be shooting a series of short promotional films.