PANAJI
Acknowledging the impact of social media, the State government has recruited 30 'influencers' ostensibly to propagate a 'correct picture' of the work it does and to also promote its various welfare and other schemes but officials admitted it will be an uphill task to monitor and assess what they do.
The 30 'influencers' have been engaged through a process which included calling for 'RFP' styled applications from social media influencers which was conducted by the Entertainment Society of Goa (ESG) on behalf of the Department of Information and Publicity (DIP).
The letters engaging them were distributed at an event held at the ESG's Maquinez Palace campus by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant.
ESG vice-chairperson, Delilah Lobo, CEO Ankita Mishra, IAS, DIP joint director Ganraj Morjekar and other officials were present.
Meanwhile officials from both the DIP as well as the ESG, who will be jointly overseeing this first-of-its-kind initiative by the government to use social media platforms for disseminating government propaganda and information, are skeptical of the scheme.
"How will authentic, official information flow to these influencers? What is the benchmark to assess their work? These and more questions remain unanswered," a DIP official said pleading anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media on the subject.
Pertinently, the timing of the government's move to engage social media influencers just before the upcoming elections has come to be questioned by many quarters.
Opposition Leader Yuri Alemao said, it is clearly an election related ploy but it will backfire not only on the government but also on these social influencers.
"I believe that the handles of these 30 people must be having significant following. By allying with this failed BJP government and using these handles to propagate its shoddy work soon they will start losing followers and will not remain influencers anymore," Alemao said.
