HYDERABAD: The state government is reportedly considering ordering an inquiry into the expenditure made by the digital media wing during the BRS regime, especially in the run-up to the 2023 Assembly elections.
According to sources aware of the matter, the government has taken note of the information that the digital media wing spent a whopping Rs 13.85 crore in just eight months in 2023, much higher than the average of around Rs 50 lakh per year.
In reply to a reported RTI query, the Special Chief Secretary of the ITE&C department said that the digital media wing spent a total of Rs 18.45 crore between August 1, 2016, and December 3, 2023. The reported reply says that from 2017–18 to 2020–21, the digital media wing spent, on average, around Rs 50 lakh per year.
However, this spending spiked sharply in 2021–22, reaching Rs 94.93 lakh, and jumped to Rs 1.5 crore in 2022–23. From April 1, 2023, to December 3, 2023, the expenditure of the digital media wing reached a staggering Rs 13.85 crore. Those aware of the matter said that the sharp spike in expenditure has raised doubts over whether the funds were diverted to the BRS election campaign.
This was why the government was contemplating a Vigilance inquiry. Meanwhile, sources disclosed that the then Telangana Digital Media director, Konatham Dileep Kumar, made official visits to the US five times, Davos three times, and the UK twice between May 2015 and May 2023.
However, the ITE&C department said that the digital media wing did not bear the expenses for these visits. It said that the expenditure may have been covered by other wings of the ITE&C department.