Naveen’s Orissa to replace ‘English’ with Oriya in official communication

In a significant development, the Orissa government on Saturday decided to use Oriya language in all the official works.

All communications would be made in the files in Oriya and English would be replaced phase by phase. Till today, English language is being used in files for all official purposes.

A decision to this effect was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by chief secretary TK Mishra.  Significantly, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is yet to have a full grip on Oriya language though he has been the chief minister of the state for the last 10 years. Naveen reads out public speeches in Oriya, but the speeches are written in English alphabet.

In the first phase, Oriya language would be used in all the blocks, tehesil and district headquarter. Then it would be used even in the state secretariat. All nameplates, plaques and signboards would be written in Oriya.  But all inter-state communication including communication with Delhi would be in English.

The Orissa government has decided to develop a software on Oriya by April 1. An Oriya dictionary carrying all administrative would also be published to this effect. The government has constituted a high-level committee under a senior IAS officer to examine, regulate and scrutinise all developments on this matter.
Soon Orissa would be known as Odisha and Oriya to be Odiya. The state’s proposal to this effect has already got the nod of the central Cabinet and is soon be tabled in
Parliament.