Odisha Govt Offers Incentives For Shops Displaying Signboards In Odia

After Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu now language war erupts in Odisha. The tug of war about signboard language is already heating up in Odisha just like other states. Trade bodies and shop keepers representing commercial establishments are now on the frontlines of Odia language imposition tussle. The labour and ESI department in Odisha have swung into action issuing over 1606 show cause notices to commercial establishments for not displaying their outlets name in Odia language boldly. This has been confirmed by Labour Minister Ganesh Ram Singh Khuntia’s in the Assembly this week. Out of 1606 served show cause notices, 100 owners have been issued show cause notices for repeating the violations with Jharsuguda and Khurda district taking the lead followed by Balasore in Odisha. From Odisha state’s point of view, giving importance to Odia language isn’t just about words, it’s about keeping Odisha’s identity and history alive. The government’s immediate objectives are two-fold: introducing amendments to reinforce states’ commitment to Odia language preservation, two promote pride in Odia language and culture just like other states have done to preserve their local languages. To push compliance, the state government’s Labour and ESI departments are organizing rallies to raise awareness of this issue. As an incentive for compliance, the Odisha government has offered a 5% discount on trade license renewals for shops and commercial establishments that follow the rule using Odia script.