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Month on Punjabi signage at Bharat Nagar Chowk not fixed despite language dept’s reminders
The letter also attached copies of the state government’s December 5, 2022 orders, which make it compulsory for all departments to use Punjabi on names, signboards, road names, mile markers and all public signage.
More than a month after the Punjab Language Department issued a formal letter, the municipal corporation (MC) has yet to correct the absence of mandatory Punjabi signage at the Bharat Nagar Chowk beautification project.
In its October 31 letter to the MC commissioner, the department pointed out that Punjabi in Gurmukhi script had been “ignored or inadequately displayed” on signboards and plates installed under the ongoing project—violating the Punjab State Language Act, 1967, and its 2008 amendment. The letter also attached copies of the state government’s December 5, 2022 orders, which make it compulsory for all departments to use Punjabi on names, signboards, road names, mile markers and all public signage.
Officials said the district office had written several times to the MC over the past few months, but “no corrective action” has been taken so far. “This continued neglect is a violation of the State Language Act and the government’s clear instructions,” the letter stated.
The department has also reminded all civic bodies and councils to strictly follow language laws, forwarding copies of the reminder to the Secretary, Higher Education and Languages Department, and the principal secretary, Local Government Department.
Local residents and language activists expressed disappointment, noting that Bharat Nagar Chowk is among the city’s busiest intersections. “The government has issued clear orders, but the civic body has not implemented them. Punjabi must be given prominence on all public signage, especially at major projects,” said Mohinder Singh Sekhon, a resident tracking the issue.
Responding to the concerns, additional commissioner Paramdeep Singh Khaira said, “We will direct the officials to look into the matter so that Punjabi language is not to be ignored in Bharat Nagar Chowk.”
