By NNN-PTI,
New Delhi : Stung by a sharp surge in prices in an election year, the UPA Government will soon unleash an advertisement campaign to prove that consumers in India are not hurt as as much as those in other countries by high inflation.
The decision to unveil the media blitzkrieg, involving print and television advertisements, was taken at the meeting of the Committee of Secretaries on July 2, sources said.
The CoS, chaired by Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar, directed various departments like steel, food, commerce, fertiliser, consumer affairs and industrial policy and promotion to come out with appropriate media insertions and TV commercials.
The media message will give facts and figures comparing the price rise in India with other countries like Pakistan, China, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Indonesia. Inflation has hit economies in several parts of the world, particularly in Asia. It is as high as 27 per cent in Sri Lanka.
Elections are due both for the Lok Sabha and seven state assemblies in the next 10 months. The Congress has already lost in Karnataka, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab. Price rise was one of the main issues raised by BJP in Karnataka polls.
While the government is hoping for positive response, a secretary in one of the departments was quite sceptical about the move. “How a consumer cares what are prices in other countries. He wants relief. However, the multi-crore campaign will surely help the agencies,” he said.