CHENNAI: The Tamil Development Department has issued a Government Order (GO) urging government employees, from the Chief Minister to junior staff, to write their initials and signature in Tamil. The new GO urged them to follow the earlier GOs issued in this regard in 1978 and 1998, and the government letter issued in 1997.
The GO was issued following Tamil Development Minister Thangam Thennarasu’s announcement in the Assembly during his reply on the demand for grants for the department. He had said government employees would be encouraged to write their initials and signature in Tamil.
The new GO said it was reiterating the previous GOs that urged government employees to have their initials and signature written in Tamil. Besides, students have been advised to use Tamil to write their initials and sign in various situations, such as when applying for school admission, marking attendance, and seeking transfer certificates from schools and colleges.
The GO added that in all orders of government departments, whenever names and initials are mentioned, they should be in Tamil. The general public too have been requested to enter their signatures and initials in Tamil in government application forms.
It further urged government departments to raise awareness on these directions by putting up posters for the public. It also said the new GO was issued since the previous two, and the government letter, on the subject were not effectively followed. However, no punishment for violators was mentioned.