Conducting legislative business in regional languages ‘unlikely’ in first session….!

No headway made in 4 yrs for using new languages in official matters

Jammu: Is the J&K Legislative Assembly ready for conducting business in all the 4 official languages of UT as has been mandated by the new official languages Act of 2020…?
A peep into the status of incorporating Hindi and Dogri for all official purposes including legislature indicates its least possibility, though some steps have been initiated in a small way post passage of this Act on September 26, in the Parliament.
Refurbishing works for complete make over of J&K Legislature in both capital cities apart, preparations for readying things for conduct of proceedings digitally as well as in paper work are also going on for the first session, though it all depends on the formation of government as to when this would be convened.
However, it looks unlikely that new legislators will get to ask the questions or its reply in Hindi, Dogri or even Kashmiri this time. Four years on, no headway has been made by the government all these years to gear up in this direction and the reasons for this delay are different for each language.
In the name of bringing Hindi in the corridors of Civil Secretariat it is only the name plates hung outside the office chambers of senior officials that one gets to see. Also, some efforts have also been made to give titles of important circulars/ orders or notifications in Hindi, a senior official said admitting GAD which should have been instrumental in using the newly incorporated languages in the Act in all official languages has not shown promptness in this regard.
No department has been given instructions to carry out its work in regional languages besides English and Urdu, the official said adding this delay is attributed to some genuine limitations like non availability of translating staff with GAD and other departments besides the infrastructure needed for incorporating this digitally.

As per the new Act Kashmiri , Dogri, Urdu , Hindi and English languages would be the official languages to be used for all or any purpose official purposes of the Union Territory. English which was already in use was mentioned to be continued in the way as it was used before commencement of the Act.
The Bill which was passed in 2020 essentially stated that these languages would be the official languages and therefore used for all official purposes of the Union Territory of J&K. The Bill emphatically stated that business in the Legislative Assembly will be transacted in these official languages.

Updated On 9/21/2024 3:35:48 AM