Protest against Ludhiana civic body for ‘ignoring’ Punjabi language

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, November 10

Members of the Punjabi Bhasha Pasaar Bhaichara staged a peaceful protest at the MC’s Zone D office against the civic body for allegedly ignoring Punjabi language.

Members Mitter Sain Meet, Harbax Singh Grewal, Mahinder Singh Sekhon and others gave a letter (addressed to the MC Commissioner) to the Zonal Commissioner at Zone D and they requested the MC to take steps for the prevention of violation of the provisions of the Punjab Official Languages Act, 1967. They demanded from the MC to ensure that all official works should be conducted in Punjabi language.

Sekhon said: “In the memorandum, the Commissioner was apprised of legal provisions of the Act, and the orders issued by the state government under which all offices in public sector agencies, boards, local bodies, etc, are required to conduct their official work in Punjabi. The action to be taken under the Punjab Civil Services (Penalties and Appeals) Rules, 1970, against employees violating the provisions of this Act or the information provided under them, was also mentioned.”

“We have also submitted some photographs to the civic body about gross violations of these provisions of law and government orders by his department. The Commissioner was requested to pay attention to the following negligence, so that the mother tongue Punjabi, the official language of Punjab, could be given due respect by the government”, they said.

They demanded that the MC’s official website and the Facebook account should also be created in Punjabi.

“All office works should be done in Punjabi. Receipts, forms, plans, etc. should also be provided in Punjabi. Roads and street names should be in Punjabi. Contractors constructing roads and bridges should also put up cautionary boards in Punjabi. Immediate action should be taken against the neglect, discrimination and stepmotherly attitude of the Smart City Ludhiana authorities, towards Punjabi language (Sarabha Nagar Market is an example of the same),” the members said.