Bhubaneswar: The Union government has not provided any assistance for promotion of Odia language after it was accorded classical status, Odia Language and Culture Minister Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi told the Assembly, Wednesday.
Making a statement as per the direction of the Speaker SN Patro, the minister said the department has not received any assistance in the ratio of 90:10.
The Speaker had Tuesday directed the minister to make a statement after Congress leader Tara Prasad Bahinipati said both the state and the central governments were neglecting the Odia language and culture.
Bahinipati said though the central government had allocated Rs 300 crore for the promotion of the Classical languages in the country, not a single rupee was allotted for the promotion of Odia language.
A major part of the money was provided for the promotion of Sanskrit language, he alleged.
Bahinipati wanted to know whether the state government has sought the assistance from the Centre and requested the Speaker to direct the minister to make a statement.
The minister said the state government has taken a number of steps for the promotion of Odia language.
The government, he said, has initiated steps to set up a centre of excellence in the name of Central Institute of Classical Odia at Bhubaneswar for research, promotion and development of infrastructure. The work for the construction of the institute is likely to be completed by the end of March.
He also said the state will have a dedicated Odia University at Satyabadi. “We have taken the decision to use Odia as a means of official language in our official works. We now have established Odia chairs at Jawahar Lal Nehru University (JNU) and Banaras Hindu University (BHU).”
The state, the minister said, has given proposal to set up two professional Odia Chairs in Central University Gujarat and Hyderabad and the proposals are now under the consideration of the Union government.
The minister said that several competitions, translations and dramas are being organised in the state through Sahitya Akademi to come out with ways to promote, conserve and propagate the ancestral rich heritage of the language.
After the minister’s statement, Congress Legislature Party leader Narasingha Mishra said the minister did not say anything on the issue raised in the House, Tuesday.
The Speaker suggested him to raise the issue again on other forum as there is no scope for discussion after the minister’s statement.
