MUMBAI: As the bugle for the upcoming local body elections is sounded — dates for which are yet to be officially announced — the Maharashtra government is set to spend over ₹21 crore on publicity for various schemes during the 21-day Ashadhi Wari pilgrimage from June 18 to July 8.
₹25 crore on govt scheme publicity during Ashadhi Wari” title=”State to spend ₹25 crore on govt scheme publicity during Ashadhi Wari” />The Wari, a 700-year-old annual pilgrimage of the Warkari sect, sees over 2.5 million devotees (Warkaris) walking nearly 240 km from Alandi and Dehu to the temple town of Pandharpur. The yatra culminates on Ashadhi Ekadashi, which falls on July 6 this year.
This year, the state’s publicity blitz during the Wari is pegged at ₹25.17 crore — a figure that notably exceeds the ₹12.82 crore allocated for essential sanitation services such as portable toilets for pilgrims. Tenders have been floated across departments to promote government initiatives during the yatra.
The campaigns will use Chitraraths (decorated floats), street plays, mobile LED vans, exhibitions, and social media drives to communicate various schemes to the Warkaris. In contrast, the sanitation plan involves daily deployment of over 1,800 portable toilets to cater to the massive footfall. The toilet facilities alone cost: Dehu to Pandharpur route: ₹7.83 crore and Alandi to Pandharpur route: ₹4.99 crore.
Vitthal Patil, president of the Warkari Sahitya Parishad, welcomed the state’s efforts but raised a pointed concern, “The facilities have been improving every year, which is commendable. However, while the government uses the Wari for heavy publicity, the real question is whether these schemes truly reach the people.”
Brijesh Singh, director general, information and public relations, said, “The information and education campaign is being implemented to reach out a natural assembly of lakhs of citizens from rural area. We take the opportunity to interact to the people, especially farmers on their issues and take the schemes meant for them to them in their own language. This has been happening for years and has nothing to do with the ensuing elections.”
Break-up of the publicity budget:
Employment guarantee scheme department: ₹9.39 crore
Health department: ₹2 crore
Disaster management cell: 3.48 crore
Transport department: ₹21.93 lakh
Special assistance department: ₹43.96 lakh
Information and Public Relations (DGIPR): ₹5.36 crore for the ‘Sanwad Wari’ campaign
Other departments: Undisclosed amounts