State's pro-Marathi agenda gets backing from Home ministry

Soon, all central government offices — from Income Tax to Customs — will be have display boards in Marathi. It is not the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) at work, but the state government's pro Marathi agenda.

Soon, all central government offices — from Income Tax to Customs — will be have display boards in Marathi.

HT Image

It is not the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) at work, but the state government's pro Marathi agenda.

Following repeated requests from the state government to give priority to Marathi as a state language in central government offices and undertakings, the Union Home Ministry has directed its offices in this regard.

The Department of Official Languages has issued directives to all central establishments to give prominence to Marathi in their day to day working and correspondence. This also includes making application forms, sign boards, notices available in Marathi.

Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Maken had written to Chief Minister Ashok Chavan about these directives this month.

Chavan had first written to Union Home Minister P Chidambaram asking him to look into the issue on July 5.

Chavan had pointed to the state legislature's resolution in this regard.

Chavan has been aggressively pushing the pro Marathi agenda in the state to take
the wind out of the Shiv Sena and MNS.

With civic elections in 2012, all political parties are wooing the Marathi manoos, taking cue from the results of the state assembly polls.

The MNS did well in the assembly elections solely on the Marathi manoos poll plank.

Chavan had also announced setting up of a committee to monitor the use of Marathi language in central government offices at the state legislature recently.

This is among other initiatives to give Marathi status of an official state language and spread its usage.