(a) the expenditure incurred by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) on advertisements and promotion of their products/ schemes during the last three years and the current year, State and year-wise; and
(b) the details of the criteria/norms fixed for granting advertisement assignments by both these companies?
THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)
(a) Circle-wise details of expenditure incurred by Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited (MTNL) on advertisements and promotion of their products/schemes during the last three years and the current year (upto December, 2014) is given in Annexure-I
(b) BSNL has reported that it is following the guidelines issued by Government for releasing/granting advertisement assignment for marketing activities and normally award advertisement work to empanelled agencies of Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP).
MTNL has reported that its advertising policy provides that all advertisements and marketing assignments in print media, newspapers, magazines and electronic media, FM Radio are issued through empanelled agencies at negotiated rates.