MP gave Rs 14 cr govt ads to shady websites run by journalists, relatives: Report

At least 81 websites, many of them associated with relatives of journalists, received advertisements worth Rs 5-10 lakh, reported the Indian Express

An investigation by the Indian Express has revealed that the Madhya Pradesh government has spent over Rs 14 crore on advertisements to 234 websites over a period of four years. Many of these websites, it has been found out, are run by relatives of journalists based within the state.

These websites have reportedly been identified in a list that was prepared by the government as response to a question in the state Assembly by Congress MLA Bala Bachchan. The report revealed that costs of the advertisements placed on these websites ranged between Rs 10,000 to Rs 21.7 lakh.

The newspaper also revealed that: 

1. Out of at least 26 websites that got advertisements worth Rs 10 lakh or more, at least 18 are run by journalists or their relatives. 

2. At least 81 websites, many of them associated with relatives of journalists, received advertisements worth Rs 5-10 lakh.

3. Some of the websites identified by Indian Express are https://bsmedia.business-standard.comwww.failaan.com (Rs 18.70 lakh), http://www.citychowk.com (Rs 11.90 lakh) and http://www.prakalp.org (Rs 10.60 lakh). The listed addresses for http://www.failaan.com (Prakhar Agnihotri) and http://www.indiannews&view.com (Rs. 8.75 lakh, Rajesh Agnihotri) are the same. 

Anupam Rajan, commissioner for public relations, Madhya Pradesh in relation to the advertisements said, "Web sites are the new news media. Money was given to popularise this new medium, no matter who runs those sites." However, he added that the policy of giving advertisements to websites has now been changed. 

The government now checks whether a website is actually working or not before the money is paid, he said. "Besides, we give advertisements now only after getting reports of the number of hits on the site. We cannot do anything if any of these web sites shut down after getting advertisements,” Rajan added. 

MLA Bala Bachchan said, “Advertisements should go to actual news portals run by genuine journalists. Why are advertisements being given to web sites of people associated with the BJP and some journalists?"

Journalists linked to websites and their reactions:

1. Run by school teacher Mini Sharma, wife of Gireesh Sharma, resident editor of The Pioneer in Bhopal — http://www.mpnewsonline.com received Rs 17 lakh from the government in the form of advertisements from 2012 to 2015. In reaction, Gireesh Sharma said, “It may be unethical but there is nothing illegal in it.”

2. The website which earned the maximum amount in government advertisements - Rs 21.7 lakh - is listed under the name of one Ashwini Rai. Rai, who claims to work with the BJP, however, said that the website was run by someone else.

3. Run by Suman Sharma, wife of Nitendra Sharma, editor of the English daily Free Press - http://www.burningnews.org has received Rs 20.7 lakh in advertisements. “My wife has every right to run a web site. This is not such a big issue," said Sharma in defence of his wife.

4. Shruti Anurag Upadhyay, wife of Anurag Upadhyay, a former journalist with India TV runs http://www.dakhal.net, a website which earned Rs 19.7 lakh in advertisements. “My wife is dedicated to this web site,” said Upadhyay.

5. Sarman Nagele who, along with his wife Sunita Nagele runs three websites - http://www.mppost.com, http://www.socialmediamp.com and http://www.bharateseva.com - and have received a total of Rs 17.7 lakh in advertisements.