Pune: In a surprising revelation, the Water Supply Department of the Municipal Corporation, responsible for a new Holkar Water Purification Centre, has been accused of displaying a blatant disregard for the Marathi language. The proposal sent to the Standing Committee for approval has raised eyebrows as it features Marathi text written in phonetic English rather than the prescribed Devanagari script.
This linguistic misstep has sparked concerns about the municipality’s commitment to upholding the law in Maharashtra, which mandates governance and shop signage in Marathi. The Water Supply Department’s indifference has not gone unnoticed, especially considering the existence of a dedicated committee within the Municipal Corporation focused on the conservation of the Marathi language.
Despite the presence of this committee, tasked with implementing various activities for Marathi conservation, the administrative level seems to be neglecting the language. The recent acceptance of a tender for the Holkar Water Purification Centre further highlights this issue, as the subject paper of the tender features Marathi text written in phonetic English instead of Devanagari script.
English usage is not uncommon in municipal proposals, particularly those presented to the Standing Committee, and is often justified as being technical in nature. However, the surprising element is the apparent oversight by officials, from clerks to commissioners, in allowing such linguistic discrepancies to persist without intervention.
The Municipal Corporation now finds itself under scrutiny, with critics questioning the commitment of its departments to the preservation and promotion of the Marathi language.
