There is no cost to the exchequer on maintaining the social media presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his office has said.
The Prime Minister’s official mobile App ‘PMO India’ was designed by students in a contest conducted by MyGov and hence there was no cost except the prize money in developing the application, it has said in response to an RTI filed by AAP leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia.
“The App is maintained by PMO,” it said. “Website of the Prime Minister’s Office is www.pmindia.gov.in and is developed and maintained by PMO,” it said.
The office said the other social media presence of the Prime Minister’s Office is managed by PMO and “as such there is no separate cost on the maintenance of the same”. “No campaign was run by the PMO on any social media,” it added.
In the RTI, Sisodia had sought complete information on year-wise expenses on every social media platform ever since Modi took charge as the Prime Minister.
In the response, the PMO also said, “No social media campaign was run on Facebook/ Twitter/ YouTube/ Google/ Gmail by the Prime Minister’s Office.” It said the social media presence of the Prime Minister’s Office on Twitter, Facebook and You Tube is maintained by the PMO.
“The official Mobile App of the Prime Minister’s Office ‘PMO India’ is available on Google Playstore. The above properties disseminate the latest news from government, and speeches and views of Hon’ble Prime Minister and updates from his visits,” it added.