‘Withhold increment of staff not using Marathi for official business deliberately’

The Maharashtra government has on Monday issued a circular making it mandatory for all its departments, local authorities, officials and employees to use Marathi

The Maharashtra government has on Monday issued a circular making it mandatory for all its departments, local authorities, officials and employees to use Marathi language for official business and communications. It has also asked all department heads to take actions such as warning, mentioning it in the confidential reports, issuing strictures and withholding annual increment as a punishment against the staff found deliberately not using Marathi language in official business.

HT Image

The circular was issued by the Marathi language department.

“It is mandatory to use Marathi language for official communication and business. Comprehensive guidelines have already been issued for 100% use of Marathi language in administrative work in the past. Despite that, many departments are still found using English language for issuing government resolution, official communication etc. Complaints in this regard have also been raised by the public representatives time and again,” stated the circular.

It further said, “The department heads are again asked to issue strict instructions to their subordinates to use Marathi for all official business. They are directed to strictly implement the instructions and also take necessary action against all those found not using Marathi deliberately. They can issue warning, record it in their confidential report, pass strictures and also withholding annual increment as a punishment.”

The circular stated that using Marathi will help people easily understand the information and also follow the instructions.

In the budget session of the state Assembly in February, the government had passed a law making Marathi language a mandatory subject in all schools of all the boards.