BHOPAL: The state government has taken a strict stand on the departments doing direct publicity.

Chief Secretary (CS) SR Mohanty has issued instructions to various departments not to do direct publicity and to transfer the remaining publicity budget to public relations (PR) department.

He also asked the departments to provide information to the PR department about the publicity which they want to undertake.

He also asked them to provide a list of film making related work by the departments to the PR department. Madhya Pradesh Madhyam would maintain records of the film making done by the departments.

The CS has also put a check on film making by any other agency other than Madhya Pradesh Madhyam.

The CS also made it clear that no department will spend fund for publicity directly.

Generally, departments utilise the fund for publicity of various government schemes. Many a times, the government does not have information about the publicity done by the departments.

It is also said that there is need of funds for publicity following financial slowdown of the government.