BHUBANESWAR: The National Commission for Linguistic Minorities has asked the State Government to initiate necessary remedial measures to ensure that the schemes for safeguarding the linguistic minorities are implemented effectively in Odisha.
The Commission has advised the State Government to set up a State-level committee under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary to monitor implementation of the scheme. A local MP, preferably belonging to the minorities, should be coopted to keep the committee inclusive and balanced. It has also asked the State Government to constitute district-level committees headed by Collectors.
The State has several linguistic minorities in different districts. According to information furnished by the State Government to the Commission, 15 per cent or more population of Kandhamal district speak Kui language. Similarly, Santhali and Hindi are spoken by 15 per cent or more in Mayurbhanj and Sundargarh districts respectively.
At the elementary level there were 78 aided madrassas, 124 block grant madrassas, 22 upgraded madrassas and 31 unaided recognised madrassas in the State. Four aided madrassas, one Government madrassa and three Urdu medium high schools have been recognised as minority educational institutions by the State Government at the secondary level.
Besides, as many as 45 applications for recognition as minority educational institutions are being considered by the State Government.
As many as 266 teachers have been appointed by the State Government for 211 madrassas.
The Commission maintained that the State Government has not furnished any information about the arrangement for translation and publication of important rules, regulations and notices in the relevant minority languages for the benefit of linguistic minorities.
The Departments concerned have been asked to furnish information on action taken on the recommendations of the Commission.