Focus is back on the name boards of shops and establishments in the public and private sector with the World Telugu Conference (WTC)-2017 set to commence in a week.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao is keen that all establishments sport their names in Telugu, the State’s official language, along with English by the time the conference starts on December 15.
K.V. Ramanachary, Advisor, Culture, and B. Venkatesham, Principal Secretary, Culture and Tourism, took it up with officials of Labour, Employment and Training to launch a drive for Telugu name boards.
Though a majority of government offices and establishments have Telugu name boards, private establishments have not been particularly paying attention to this aspect. The ensuing WTC brought non-compliance of the directive into the limelight.
The shops and establishments in the vicinity of Lal Bahadur Stadium, main venue of the conference, and other venues of events related to various literary forms will draw thousands of Telugu lovers from across the world and it will be fitting to see Telugu display boards in the main thoroughfares.
A drive should be taken up in all seriousness at least now to send a clear message across about the importance of the official language, officials of Culture and Tourism said.
Another decision expected before the commencement of WTC is making Telugu a compulsory subject from Class I to Intermediate across State, CBSE and other boards. “The CM has approved the decision and orders are likely to be issued before WTC,” sources said.
Dr. Ramanachary said an order was issued over 50 years ago that all official correspondence be in Telugu from village level to the State Secretariat, but nothing tangible was done due to the nonchalant attitude of the rulers. “At least now serious efforts can be made to promote Telugu as official language from the Secretariat itself. In erstwhile taluqs and mandals, Telugu was implemented as the official language of communication in 60 to 70 per cent of government offices but in the Secretariat, it was not even 10 per cent,” a senior official said.
