"The company will be paid Rs 4.5 lakh a month for a year. Though we have our own public relations department, its officers lack exposure to latest PR techniques. CCL started functioning from July and will work in tandem with our men," Sharma added.

The director said 11 firms had applied for the Haryana account. A committee headed by chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda shortlisted the firm after presentations on “Brand Haryana”.

Asked whether the move was prompted by the Honda incident, Sharma said the decision to hire the firm had nothing to do with it.

“All of a sudden, the situation (Honda case) had taken ugly turn. But the government managed the situation well,” the DPR claimed. CCL director Ravi Arora said Haryana account was a prestigious contract his company had bagged.

“We have been engaged by the Haryana Government to improve and develop the state as a brand, nationally and internationally. We have launched a survey in the state and are talking to the grassrootslevel people.” The firm would be handling Haryana account with its team of 20 people deployed at Chandigarh and Delhi.

Makeover mode The company selected after a year-long scrutiny, will be paid Rs 4.5 lakh a month for a year. It will work in tandem with the state officials Director of public relations said 11 firms had applied for the Haryana account. A committee headed by chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda shortlisted the firm after presentations on "Brand Haryana" Haryana government’s brief to the company was to improve and develop the state as a brand, nationally and internationally. The company has launched a survey in the state and is talking to people at the grassroots level. The firm would be handling Haryana account with its team of 20 people deployed at Chandigarh and Delhi. The company, CCL, started functioning from July and will work in tandem with our men.