Bhubaneswar, Aug 6: In view of extensive use of Odia language across the state in the day to day lives, the Housing & Urban Development Department, Government of Odisha is all set to encourage people to use Odia language in their business organizations and commercial institutions.
H &UD Principal Secretary Usha Padhee on Wednesday issued a direction to the Urban Local Bodies (ULB) and district Collectors in this connection.
In the correspondence Padhee has asked the ULB authorities and the district admins to sensitize the bizmen and institutions under their jurisdictions, to install their signage boards written in Odia within a maximum period of 55 days.
According to the letter, the signages must contain at least 60% information in Odia for comprehension of public in order to keep up the linguistic significance of the Odia dialect.
The business organizations that will effectively carry out the instructions during the prescribed timeline that is September 30 will avail a 5% discount during renewal of their trade license, the letter said.
On the other hand, the defaulters will be imposed a cash penalty worth Rs 500 per day after 55-day deadline fixed for essential correction of their existing signage boards till compliances, the letter added.
