Bhubaneswar, April 22: The Odisha government has announced plans to revise the English spellings of several districts, towns, sub-divisions, tehsils, and blocks across the state. This initiative seeks to align the English names more accurately with the original Odia pronunciations, restoring their linguistic and cultural authenticity.
The Revenue and Disaster Management Department issued a notification on Wednesday detailing the proposed changes, which will affect 58 places in 23 districts. Notably, 13 of these changes involve district names and headquarters towns.
This move is part of a broader effort to reverse the anglicisation of place names over the years, ensuring they better reflect their Odia roots. According to officials, the revised spellings aim to provide a more accurate transliteration from Odia to English.
The proposals were finalized after a review by a committee led by renowned litterateur Pratibha Ray. The committee considered public suggestions, feedback from people’s representatives, and input from various organizations. Before initiating this process, the state government had invited feedback from stakeholders.
The government is now seeking further suggestions and objections from the public within 30 days of the notification. These can be submitted via post or email to the Revenue and Disaster Management Department.
Key proposed changes include:
Other revisions include changes to subdivisions and blocks, like:
Officials emphasized that this initiative is not just a linguistic change but a cultural assertion, ensuring that official records and communication better reflect the state’s rich heritage.
