Bhopal: In a bid to wash the #VyapanScam blot, Madhya Pradesh government is planning a major PR blitzkrieg ahead of November 29 when Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan completes 10 years in office showcasing the ‘growth story’ the state has witnessed in his tenure.
The state government, which has borrowed Rs 8,000 crore in the last four months to meet everyday expenses, piling a total debt of Rs 1.2 lakh crore, is set to splurge several crores in this latest publicity gimmick days after smoking nearly a 100 crore in World Hindi Summit.
The campaign is also being seen as an opportunity to re-establish Chouhan’s “pro-development” image which has suffered a major dent after Vyapam scam hit national headlines.
Sources said that November 29 may be still two months away, but state government’s PR department is already on the job. The campaign will see ads in all major national and regional newspapers in the country depicting the development the state has seen in the last once decade under Chouhan.
The celebration would be similar to Modi government’s one year carnival. To match it, a slogan on the lines of “Saale ek, Shuruaat anek” which was used on NDA government’s anniversary celebrations is being mooted. Sources said that a slogan “10 saal, bemisal” has been floated but more options are being considered.
The culmination of the celebrations which may last several days will be in the form of a mega event where Chouhan will be felicitated by BJP's top leadership. Invitations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and president Amit Shah has already been sent for the same.
The state machinery is also looking to get eight to ten documentaries made and several articles published in national magazines and newspapers to project how things have taken a positive turn after Chouhan took over on November 29, 2005. A booklet will also be published detailing the work done in last one decade while hoardings will also be erected across the state.
The campaign is also going to be the first major assignment of Madison World, an international PR firm which has been recently hired by state government for two years for “branding, marketing and image building of the state”.
The PR firm, known for its association with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's general elections campaign and Guajrat government when he was the CM, has already opened its office at Riviera town in Bhopal and started collecting data from various departments on social indicators such as agriculture, GDP, irrigation, health, education, law and orders among others.
Graphical representations of these indicators showing an upward curve since Chouhan took over from his predecessor Babulal Gaur in 2005 is going to be the focus of the campaign.
The company has been hired for two years at a cost of Rs 1.5 to 2 crore for branding, marketing and image building of the state. It will work under Commissioner Public Relations. The decision to hire a PR firm was taken as similar experiments in other states like Gujarat has been successful. Association with them will also mean our people will be trained in new technologies including social media, said a senior government official.
The state government, which has borrowed Rs 8,000 crore in the last four months to meet everyday expenses, piling a total debt of Rs 1.2 lakh crore, is set to splurge several crores in this latest publicity gimmick days after smoking nearly a 100 crore in World Hindi Summit.
The campaign is also being seen as an opportunity to re-establish Chouhan’s “pro-development” image which has suffered a major dent after Vyapam scam hit national headlines.
Sources said that November 29 may be still two months away, but state government’s PR department is already on the job. The campaign will see ads in all major national and regional newspapers in the country depicting the development the state has seen in the last once decade under Chouhan.
The celebration would be similar to Modi government’s one year carnival. To match it, a slogan on the lines of “Saale ek, Shuruaat anek” which was used on NDA government’s anniversary celebrations is being mooted. Sources said that a slogan “10 saal, bemisal” has been floated but more options are being considered.
The culmination of the celebrations which may last several days will be in the form of a mega event where Chouhan will be felicitated by BJP's top leadership. Invitations to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and president Amit Shah has already been sent for the same.
The state machinery is also looking to get eight to ten documentaries made and several articles published in national magazines and newspapers to project how things have taken a positive turn after Chouhan took over on November 29, 2005. A booklet will also be published detailing the work done in last one decade while hoardings will also be erected across the state.
The PR firm, known for its association with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's general elections campaign and Guajrat government when he was the CM, has already opened its office at Riviera town in Bhopal and started collecting data from various departments on social indicators such as agriculture, GDP, irrigation, health, education, law and orders among others.
Graphical representations of these indicators showing an upward curve since Chouhan took over from his predecessor Babulal Gaur in 2005 is going to be the focus of the campaign.
The company has been hired for two years at a cost of Rs 1.5 to 2 crore for branding, marketing and image building of the state. It will work under Commissioner Public Relations. The decision to hire a PR firm was taken as similar experiments in other states like Gujarat has been successful. Association with them will also mean our people will be trained in new technologies including social media, said a senior government official.
