All signboards, milestones to be in Gurmukhi in Punjab

MOTHER LANGUAGE DAY State languages dept writes to govt, sem-govt institutions to comply in a bid to promote Punjabi

CHANDIGARH: To promote the use of Punjabi in the state, the Punjab government on Friday made it mandatory for all government and semi-government institutions, boards, corporations to ensure all signboards are in Gurmukhi script. Road milestones will also be written in Gurmukhi in the state.

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The Punjab languages department issued directions to all departments to implement the decision on International Mother Language Day.

Punjab higher education and languages minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa said that he had assured the Vidhan Sabha of implementing this decision during the special session to commemorate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev.

According to orders issued under the Punjab State Language Act’s section 4, “Signboards in all government and semi-government institutions, boards, corporations and road milestones will be written in Gurmukhi script on top. If the need arises, the information will be provided in any other language below, in smaller font.”

Higher education and languages secretary Rahul Bhandari has written to heads of all departments, divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners, district session judges, Punjab Vidhan Sabha secretary, Punjab and Haryana high court registrar, boards and corporation chairpersons and all semi-government organisations in this regard.

The minister said that the languages department has written to the labour department to issue a separate notification to implement this decision in private business, industrial and educational institutions.