Shri Naidu asks UD and HUPA Ministries to shore up performance by the end of this year

Minister of Urban Development and Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Shri M.Venkaiah Naidu today directed the two urban ministries to step up efforts to promote use of Hindi in official work as per the norms stipulated under the Official Language Policy. Progress in this regard in respect of the two ministries was reviewed at a meeting of the Hindi Salahkar Samiti here. Shri Naidu shared the concerns voiced by the members of the Committee over shortfall in meeting the norms for use of Hindi as Official Language. He directed the top administrative brass of both the Ministries to step up efforts to promote use of Hindi by December this year before the same is reviewed by the Committee in the next meeting.

Shri Venkaiah Naidu observed that “after extensive deliberations, the makers of the Constitution declared Hindi, the largest spoken language in the country as the Official Language and its implementation can’t be taken as a ritual. This needs to be implemented with all the seriousness. The initial resistance in some parts of the country has come to be replaced by ever increasing number of people speaking Hindi. Use of Hindi along with English needs to be promoted in the functioning of the central government while that of local language should be encouraged by the State Governments”.

Shri Venkaiah Naidu further said that four Prime Ministers of the Country including late Shri Morarji Desai, Shri Deve Gowda, Shri P.V.Narasimha Rao and Shri Narendra Modi came from non-Hindi speaking states and all of them were good in Hindi and this is a significant development in many ways. He said that Shri Modi has been using Hindi to converse with world leaders and at all international forums. Shri Naidu referred to leaders of several developed countries like Japan, France, Germany etc., likewise using their mother tongue and those countries prospering without resorting to English as a medium of learning. “Language gives primary identity to a community and a Nation and hence, various regional languages and Hindi shall be protected and promoted” said Shri Naidu. He said that simple and easily understandable words should be used instead of less known literary words for promoting the use of Hindi.

Members of Hindi Salahkar Samiti of the two urban ministries appreciated Shri Naidu for acquiring reasonable proficiency in Hindi and for extensively using Hindi in Parliamentary debates and discussions and on other occasions. In his response, Shri Naidu said that he realized the importance of Hindi and learned the same after shifting to national politics in late 80s.

Shri Venkaiah Naidu assured the members of the Committee that he will ensure that the past ritualistic approach towards use of Hindi in official work of the two ministries will be replaced by a more serious and purposeful actions.

The meeting was attended by Shri K.C.Tyagi, MP, Shri Mahesh Chandra Gupta, Dr.(Smt) Anita Arya, Shri Vibhuti Narayan Singh, Shri Sanjiv Dubey, Shri Dilip Bhai Pandya, Secretaries and other senior officials of the two urban ministries and heads of various attached and autonomous organisations.