MP Government's Social Media Falls Short: Crores Spent, Citizen Information Still Missing

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Even as the Madhya Pradesh government pushes digital governance and encourages citizens to access services online, many of its departments have failed to use social media effectively for public communication.

Most departments maintain official accounts on X, Facebook and Instagram, but several remain inactive for days or even weeks, while many primarily post photographs of ministers, meetings and greetings instead of timely information on schemes, services, advisories or citizen centric announcements.

The limited use of social media comes at a time when digital platforms have become one of the primary sources of information for citizens.

A review of the official social media accounts of key state government departments shows that despite having a sizeable digital audience, public engagement remains limited due to irregular posting and lack of informative content.

Central government recommends constant monitoring

The Union government's digital communication guidelines encourage ministries and departments to maintain an active presence across major social media platforms and regularly disseminate public information, scheme updates and citizen advisories.

MyGov also recommends consistent engagement and weekly performance monitoring of official social media accounts.

Lakhs spent on publicity but citizen info takes a back seat

The state government spends several crores every year on public outreach through advertisements, publicity campaigns, creative content, digital promotions, photography, videography and media management.

Departments also have dedicated Public Relations Officers and social media personnel to disseminate government information.

Many departments additionally hire professional agencies or outsource digital content creation under various communication campaigns.

Despite this investment, the official social media handles of several departments are not being utilised to their full potential.

Rather than regularly informing citizens about schemes, application deadlines, beneficiary eligibility, grievance redressal mechanisms or emergency advisories, the majority of posts revolve around photographs of meetings, birthday greetings, speeches and event coverage.

Info missing from departmental accounts includes: Recruitment notifications, scholarship deadlines, admission schedules, scheme eligibility, application procedures, public grievances, traffic advisories, disease alerts, weather warnings,

water supply interruptions, electricity maintenance schedules, emergency helpline information

frequently asked questions

Follower count doesn t mean public engagement

Several departments have built sizeable audiences over the years. Yet engagement remains limited because posts are largely ceremonial rather than informative.