DW BUREAU / Chandigarh The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today demanded a white paper on the money wasted in advertisements across the country by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, stating the government had resorted to cheap publicity during the current budget session by claiming the paperless budget presented by it had saved Rs 21 lakh but splurged Rs 5 crore on newspaper advertisements to tout empty claims. In a statement here, SAD secretary general Balwinder Singh Bhundur said it was shocking that the finance minister had boasted about making savings of Rs 21 lakh by presenting a paperless budget but had given the go ahead to waste Rs 5 crore in the form of advertisements in all newspapers of the region. "The finance minister claimed he had saved 800 trees by presenting the paperless budget, but the AAP government eventually ended up sacrificing thousands of trees by taking out full page newspaper advertisements to seek cheap publcity". Demanding that the government set the record straight through a white paper, Mr Balwinder Bhundur said "ever since the AAP government has been formed it has spent crores on advertisements. As per record available through RTI, it has spent Rs 24 crore on advertisements in one month alone. The three month advertising bill could be twice this amount". Bhundur said the white paper should also go into the reason as to why the AAP government had taken out advertisements across the country, even in regional languages in Southern India as well as poll bound States of Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat. "The amount spent on commissions and kickbacks received should also be probed while preparing the white paper", he added. The SAD secretary general also demanded the AAP government stop frittering away precious State resources on advertisement and instead spend the same to fulfill its promises including providing Rs 1,000 per month to all women in the State as well as providing jobs to youth. "It is unfortunate nothing is being done to fulfill the promises made to Punjabis even as precious resources are being wasted on self-praise and propaganda", Bhundur added. (editor@dailyworld.in)