People travelling from Bangalore International Airport will soon be able to pick up most commonly used phrases in Kannada.
Following directions from the Kannada Development Authority (KDA), the Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) is implementing learn ‘Word a Day’ concept at passenger terminal.
As part of the initiative, brochures with basic Kannada words and their translation will be distributed to travellers to help them pick up commonly used phrases. “We had expressed concerns over issues regarding use of local language and culture at the airport and made 11 recommendations to the BIAL. They have implemented most of them and are in the process of implementing others,” KDA chairman Mukhyamantri Chandru said on Tuesday.
Chandru said the BIAL has constituted a four-member Kannada Promotion Committee headed by General Manager-Landside Services to focus on implementing the KDA recommendations. On November 1, BIAL is celebrating Kannada Rajyotsava organising a Kannada book exhibition.
“The exhibition will be open for a month and depending on the response, it will be continued.”
He said the measures taken by the BIAL to promote local language and culture at the airport are:
Meet and Greet staff, taxi, parking and other customer interface staff to use word ‘Namaskara’ with folded hands while greeting the customers.
Food and beverages outlets to include Kannada on their signboards. All announcements to be made in Kannada, English and Hindi.