GTA to expand Nepali language use in Govt boards and signboards

DARJEELING,: After already having started the use of Nepali language by the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) on orders and notices issued by them, they now plan to use it in government boards while also asking shopkeepers to use Nepali language on their signboards.

The announcement was made by the GTA chief executive Anit Thapa on Saturday during a program of Nepali Bhasa Manyata and Bhasa Sewa Samman Puraskar at Gorkha Ranga Manch here today.

“We will first be sending a notification to the different municipalities in the GTA area and they will see to it that Nepali language is used in signboards along with English language. It will be made compulsory in the entire GTA region,” said Thapa speaking to reporters after the program.

The usage of Nepali language could be first seen being done by the GTA from August 22 this year when they had issued an order in both Nepali and English languages. The order had been issued by the GTA’s Women and Child Development Department on that day.

Adding to this, GTA Information and Cultural Department Sabashad Anos Thapa said, “This would be done step wise and it will take some time until it is fully implemented as we first have to issue orders and send it to the concerned places.”

He said that the order of using Nepali as the official language of the GTA had been passed in the past by a different board but had not been implemented properly.

“In the first term of the GTA during Bimal Gurung’s term it had been decided to use Nepali as a compulsory language in the GTA area but due to some technical reasons it could not be done. We feel that within a year or so it will be used as an official language,” he said while also maintaining that the GTA will also approach companies who put up advertisement hoardings in the hills to use Nepali language along with English language.

Darjeeling Municipality chairman Dipen Thakuri said, “We will start issuing orders from Monday onwards and ask shopkeepers to also use Nepali language along with English language in their sign boards.”

On Bhasa Diwas, different organizations had come forward with the demand of the usage of Nepali language in offices and signboards.

Today, B.N. Yonzon was awarded the Bhasa Sewa Samman Purashkar and a cash prize of Rs 50,000 for his effort in his fight for the Constitutional recognition of Nepali language.