Even as the State Government had announced to observe March 11 as Shastriya Odia Bhasa Divas every year from 2015, the decision remains in pen and paper only.
It is so conceived from the fact that the Government didn’t hold an eye-catching programme to mark the day on Friday.
Bhasa Divas is hold to encourage people to use vernacular language. But the State Government didn’t hold any eye-catching programme on the day. Only Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik posted in his Tweeter account that his Government pledged to promote Oida language.
“On Sastriya Odia Bhasha Day, we pledge to continue efforts to preserve, protect and promote Odia language and culture,” tweeted the CM.
Notably, on March 11, 2014, the Centre had issued a gazette declaring Odia as a classical language. The decision to hold the Shastriya Odisa Bhasa Divas had been taken at the meeting of 19-member committee of experts, linguists and scholars constituted by the State Government before March 11, 2915. The committee had also decided to take steps for opening of Central Institute of Classical Odia here.