Haryana Government on Wednesday directed various departments, boards and corporations to make all official comments and correspondence only in “Hindi” language.
An order in this regard was issued from the Chief Secretary’s office to all administrative secretaries, Head of Departments, Chief Administrators and Managing Directors of Boards/ Corporation, Registrar of Universities, divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners on Wednesday.
Haryana Government has directed the authorities concerned to ensure strict compliance of the directions.
While normal correspondence with the general public would also be in Hindi, the departments has been asked to ensure clear translation of all forms and applications forms in Hindi and English and upload these on their websites for people’s inconvenience. They have also been asked to make all official comments in “Hindi” language.
However, the use of English would continue in legal matters related to the Supreme Court, Punjab and Haryana High Court and other courts, the order stated. Though the Official Language Act, 1969, provided for adoption of Hindi as the language to be used for official purposes in Haryana, the Act is yet to be implemented in letter and spirit in the government offices.
Referring to the circular issued, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal on Wednesday said that Hindi is the official language of North Indian states, but in order to encourage it, the government departments should do maximum correspondence in Hindi language so that general public would easily get information.
Manohar Lal said that where correspondence by government departments is carried out with court and other non-Hindi speaking states, English should be used alongwith Hindi language.
He said that as far as correspondence in Hindi language in government departments of Haryana is concerned, the General Administration branch of Chief Secretary’s office has issued circulars to the Administrative Secretaries from time to time. The Chief Secretary’s office has issued one such circular on Wednesday. Not only this, the Chief Secretary’s office had also issued such circulars in 1993, 1999, 2006 and 2016, the Chief Minister added.