BENGALURU: The Kannada Development Authority (KDA) has instructed the Bengaluru Urban Deputy Commissioner’s office to ensure that shops coming under its jurisdiction sport Kannada language as well in their sign boards.
KDA president Prof S G Siddaramaiah said the DC’s office would be given 20 days to implement this and in case they failed, KDA would recommend fines against the officials. He added that BBMP officials had been given a month’s time to ensure shops and establishments coming under them compulsorily display signboards in Kannada as well. “There is a provision for BBMP to cancel the licences of shops which do not have Kannada display boards. The officials have been told to implement this,” he added. The KDA has also asked the Commerce and Industry Department officials to check whether Kannadigas are getting employment in local industries in accordance with the Sarojini Mahishi report.
The KDA which has been on a series of daily inspections at various government departments also found that the website of the Urban DC’s office did not open in the Kannada version. The Authority has constantly complained that departments should make the Kannada version of the site as the primary site, with the English version being provided as an option.
Siddaramaiah also vented his ire at DDPIs who have failed to submit a report on Kannada schools as well as the implementation of Kannada as a subject in CBSE and ICSE schools. The meeting was attended by Urban DC V Shankar who assured the KDA chief that the website issue would be rectified immediately. He added that all communication and official business was transacted in Kannada with the exception of letters written to the Union government.
Siddaramaiah congratulated Shankar for conducting judicial proceedings in Kannada. He commented that implementation of Kannada in a cosmopolitan city like Bengaluru was not tough if the Urban DC’s office, BBMP and the police department worked together. The KDA is scheduled to visit the office of the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Agricultural Sciences and the Department of Public Enterprises at MS Building on Thursday.