Question : DAVP ADVERTISEMENTS TO NER

(a) whether the Government has received requests to look into the problems faced by newspapers in the North Eastern Region (NER) and earmarking 10% advertisement budget of the Directorate of Advertising and Visual Publicity (DAVP) for the accredited newspapers of DAVP published from the NER;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether the Government has any proposal to allocate DAVP advertisement to newspapers published from the Regional office of NER;

(d) if so, the details thereof;

(e) if not, the action taken in this regard;

(f) whether the Government proposes to expand the activities of DAVP in the NER; and

(g) if so, the details thereof alongwith the number of vacant posts in DAVP and the action taken to fill up these posts ?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION & BROADCASTING ( SHRI C.M. JATUA )

(a) : No such proposal has been received in the recent past.

(b) : Does not arise.

(c) : No, Sir.

(d) : Does not arise.

(e) : There is no such proposal.

(f) : Yes, Sir.

(g) : For organizing Exhibition in the North-East Region, the budget has been increased to Rs.30.00 lakhs during 2010-11 as against an allocation of Rs.10.00 lakhs during 2009-10. For outdoor publicity in the North-East Region, the budget allocation has been increased to Rs.35.82 lakhs during 2010-11 as against an expenditure of Rs.2.37 lakhs during 2009-10.

The number of vacant posts in North-East Region is 42. Two posts of Field Exhibition Officer (FEO) have been filled by posting FEO, 1 each at Izwal and Imphal. Further, one post of Mechanic-cum-Carpenter has already been advertised and for filling up of 1 post of Technical Assistant (Outdoor Publicity), requisition has been made with the Staff Selection Commission. It is pertinent to mention that recruitment is a continuous process.