New Delhi, Feb. 13: The environment ministry has been asked by the Prime Minister’s Office to join the government’s “India Shining” campaign, but it is short of publicity funds.

“Out of a Rs 3.63-crore publicity budget, only Rs 20 lakh are left in the fund,” an official said.

The PMO, however, is insistent that the ministry showcase its “achievements” through an advertisement blitz. It has advised the ministry to use money from other heads of expense to bring out print ads.

But the ministry has to first get permission from its finance counterpart to divert funds. “In this case, the finance ministry would have already been told to give permission,” an official said.

A slew of advertisements from various ministries and departments are already out in print. The total bill of the Centre’s propaganda adds up to an estimated Rs 450 crore, with Rs 200 crore alone being spent on television ads.

The environment ministry’s brief is to publicise its new minister Ramesh Bais’ recent decisions. These include the conversion of forest land to revenue land to distribute pattas in tribal villages and the clearance to five development projects in Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Bais’ home state of Chhattisgarh.

Environmentalists have dubbed the decisions harmful and accused the government of showering poll sops at the cost of the environment.

But almost all Union ministers are jostling with each other to underline their “achievements” before the Election Commission imposes the model code of conduct, which bars political leaders from using government money and machinery for advertising.

Petroleum minister Ram Naik, for instance, figures with his minister of state Sumitra Mahajan and Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje in an advertisement showcasing the government’s macro and micro oil discoveries.

Shipping minister Shatrughan Sinha features in an advertisement with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee to announce that “India leads in implementing the maritime code”.

Health minister Sushma Swaraj has launched a massive campaign for the Vande Mataram scheme, inaugurated earlier this week to reduce maternal mortality rate through the government’s partnership with private gynaecologists.

The most fulsome advertisements though are on the Prime Minister’s dream national highway project.

A displeased Election Commission has asked the government to keep in mind the “spirit” of the conduct code while the Congress has met the poll panel, urging a clampdown on the ad blitz.