Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government is recruiting a 25-member professional team to ramp up its social media presence and to highlight its achievements.

The move, aimed at projecting the government's actions in good light on various social media platforms, will cost the exchequer Rs 41 lakh a month. The head of the team will be paid Rs 1.5 lakh a month.

Administrative sanction has been given to set up a social media cell under the department of public relations to host the team.

Sources said the team was being formed in spite of a similar team working in the chief minister's office. They said this would be an additional burden on the already strained exchequer. Also, most ministers have their own media managers or public relations officers.

The 'cyber warriors' of the CPM, an FB group, have reportedly rushed in to secure the jobs. Four content managers under the team leader will draw a monthly salary of Rs 75,000 each. Some six content developers will get Rs 25,000 each; two data analysts, Rs 50,000 each; and three content assistants Rs 25,000 each.

Content development vendors in total will cost Rs 3 lakh. The expenditure for data vendors will be Rs 2 lakh and for campaign vendors, Rs 8 lakh.

As much as Rs 10 lakh will be spent to get a data base, buying from firms that collect content like letters, audio and video from social media and sell them.

The massive spending is planned when the public relations department had the wherewithal to handle the government's propaganda effectively.

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