The Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) has drawn flak for uploading on its official website segments of the Amaravati capital master plan translated into Telugu language, after lapse of the stipulated time given to farmers to raise objections, if any.
The CRDA released the master plan on December 25 and gave farmers who gave their lands time till January 25 to bring to its notice their objections if any. But the farmers cited language barrier and pleaded for a Telugu version of the master plan. Backed by a few local political leaders, they argued that the Amaravati perspective plan-2050 was nothing but magic of graphics and designs without proper information.
Hence it is imperative for the authorities to release the Telugu version for the farmers to clearly understand the nitty-gritty of the most important deal of their life.
The Telugu translation of a part of the master plan was uploaded on January 24, a day before the lapse of the time given to the land donors to understand and return to the authorities with their doubts.
“It is mere eyewash. They uploaded the Telugu version when there was no time left for farmers to raise their objections. It does not serve any purpose now. It looks like a deliberate attempt and what is available now is also not a full-fledged translation. I am sure they will do the same for the capital region concept master plan as well for which February 29 is the deadline,” said Ch. Baburao, leader of Communist Party of India (Marxist).
‘Half-hearted job’
Referring to what he called a ‘half-hearted’ job, he said the government should have engaged trained translators. “When the entire CRDA exercise is outsourced, what stops the government to outsource this important task to a professional body,” he wondered.
Mr. Baburao referred to a few private Telugu associations who got the master plan translated into Telugu language and said: “When individuals can do it why can’t the government? Don’t the farmers who have sacrificed their lands for construction of the new capital deserve something as simple as a Telugu copy of the plan?” he argued. G.V. Poornachand, secretary of Krishna District Writers’ Association, who assisted in the translation work, admits that the terminology management was a huge challenge. “Correct term must be used in translation. The master plan is replete with highly technical terminology for which it is difficult to find Telugu equivalents. Since foreigners have designed the plan, it has a lot of international jargon which is not familiar to us. So we have left most of the technical terminology untouched, trying to explain its meaning in brackets,” said Mr. Poornachand.
The government should have engaged some trained translators for the job.
Ch. Baburao
CPI(M) leader
