Sena ultimatum to banks, state

The Shiv Sena is at it again. The party has given the government one month’s time to ensure signboards of all commercial establishments, including banks, are in Marathi.

The Shiv Sena is at it again.

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The party has given the government one month’s time to ensure signboards of all commercial establishments, including banks, are in Marathi.

It has also asked the government to use Marathi for all its official communication.

“Despite laws that clearly say that all boards and signages have to be in Marathi this is still not being followed. Most government advertisements and MHADA forms are in English, which is not acceptable,” Shiv Sena leader in the legislative Council Diwakar Raote said on Tuesday.

“If this does not change in a month do not hold us responsible for the consequences.”

Raote has demanded a discussion on the issue and wants the state to act against bureaucrats who do not use Marathi as the official language of communication.

He gave examples of the state-run Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank that still does not have a signboard in Marathi. He added that the airport at Nagpur has boards and signages in English and Hindi but not in Marathi.

The Sena’s ally, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) supported the demand. BJP legislator Vinod Tawde pointed out that governments of other states assign funds to conserve and propagate the local language.

“Maharashtra has kept aside only Rs 10 crore as opposed to the Karnataka government that has a yearly provision of Rs 525 crore for propagating Kannada. Kerala sets aside Rs 350 crore for Malyalam,” Tawde said.