The West Bengal government has announced a new language policy making Bengali mandatory for official administrative work across the state from September 1, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari informed the Assembly on Monday.
Under the new policy, all internal government correspondence, official notifications, circulars and administrative documents will be prepared in Bengali. Communication with the Union Government and other states will be conducted in both Bengali and Hindi, replacing the earlier reliance on English for official exchanges.
The announcement comes a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during the inauguration of the Shabda Sangrahashala at the National Library in Kolkata, urged the state government to strengthen the use of Bengali in governance. Shah had also written to the Chief Minister, recommending greater use of Indian languages in administration.
Reading out Shah's letter in the Assembly, Adhikari said the state government had accepted the recommendations and would implement the new language policy from September 1 after completing the necessary administrative preparations.
"From September 1, Bengali will be made mandatory and implemented across all levels of governance in West Bengal. We will correspond with the Government of India and other states in Bengali, and where required, communication will also be carried out in Hindi," Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said.
According to the policy, Bengali will be the primary language for official files, government notes, notifications and departmental communication. The Home Minister had also suggested giving priority to Bengali while filing FIRs and using Bengali in official documentation across all departments, including the Chief Minister's Office and the Department of Land and Land Reforms.
In his letter, Amit Shah stressed that governance becomes more effective and citizen-friendly when conducted in the language spoken by the people.
"Indian languages should receive their rightful place in administration, education and public life. Governance in the people's own language is more effective and accessible," Shah wrote in his letter to the Chief Minister.
