BJD, Cong Oppose AIIMS ''effort'' to Impose Hindi on Odia People

Bhubaneswar, Feb 21 (PTI) The ruling BJD and opposition Congress on Friday accused the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar, of imposing the Hindi language on the people of Odisha.

On the International Mother Language Day, the parties claimed that the effort of the AIIMS authorities is an insult of the Odia language.

In an office order signed by AIIMS, Bhubaneswar Deputy Director P K Ray on Thursday asked officials in the administration, academic section, finance and accounts and the heads of departments to carry out their works in Hindi under the provisions of the Official Language Rules, 1976.

"At end of every quarter starting from January details of the work done in section/department may be sent to Official Language Section in the attached proforma so that a consolidated report may be prepared and sent to the Ministry by the Administration in prescribed time," the order said.

Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Niranjan Patnaik said, "It is an assault of the Odia language. We will not tolerate such imposition of Hindi on Odisha by the Centre."

BJD Parliamentary Party leader Pinaki Mishra said, "We are the first state to be formed on linguistic basis and we will not allow anybody sidelining our mother tongue, particularly by any institution that is working for the people of our state."

"We will insist on Odia being used since our people are familiar with it and that will make their task of availing service at AIIMS easier," Mishra said adding that he will formally lodge a protest with the Ministry of Health.

The AIIMS, Bhubaneswar is one of the apex healthcare institutes set up by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojna (PMSSY). PTI

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