Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is once again in the news. An RTI reply has revealed that CM Siddaramaiah's office spends Rs 54 lakh every month to handle his social media accounts. On one hand, there is talk of a shortage of funds. On the other hand, the head of the Congress government is spending lakhs of rupees for his publicity. This is now troubling people. This includes both the official and personal social media accounts of the CM. There is a 35-member team to handle all the social media accounts of CM Siddaramaiah. 

Disclosure in RTI

Let us tell you that this RTI was filed by RTI activist Marlinga Gowda Mali Patil. In response to this RTI, CMO officials confirmed Siddaramaiah's expenditure on social media and said that this amount is less than the Rs 2 crore spent by previous Chief Ministers this month and every month. According to the reply given to Patil by a government body named Karnataka State Marketing and Advertising Limited, the CMO spent about Rs 3 crore from October 25 last year to March 2024. This detail revealed that the CMO paid about Rs 53.9 lakh every month, including 18 percent. 

Millions are being spent on social media

This money has been given to a company called Policy Front, which handles all the social media accounts of Siddaramaiah with a team of about 35 members. This company has been handling all the social media platforms of Siddaramaiah since September last year. Marlinga Gowda Patil, who filed the RTI, said that when I filed an RTI for information related to the CM's social media account, I was told that Rs 3 crore had been spent so far, that is, Rs 50 to 52 lakh is being spent every month.

RTI activist's appeal

He said that I oppose the way public money is being spent indiscriminately. 52 lakh rupees is too much to run a social media. I appeal to the CM to get this investigated and find out where the 52 lakh rupees are being spent and take action against those responsible for spending it indiscriminately. Today CM Siddaramaiah was in Mysore. After visiting Maa Chamundeshwari, he participated in various government programs. During this time he also talked to the media, but refused to comment on the money being spent on social media.