Assamese Made Compulsory Official Language For Govt Notifications, Orders In Assam: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has announced that Assamese will be the compulsory official language for all the government notifications, orders, acts across the state.

Announcing government's decision, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “Beginning this Bohag, Assamese will be the compulsory official language for all government notifications, orders, acts, etc, across Assam.  In the districts of Barak Valley and BTR, Bengali and Bodo languages shall be used respectively.”

Bohag Bihuo or Bohang Bihu in Assam is the first and one of the most important festivals as it marks the beginning of the Assamese new year and start of the new spring season.

Making the announcement, Assam CM said that Bohag is not just for humans, it is for our faunal friends too and the human-animal relationship in Assam has always been special.

In Jorhat, we have made a special bridge to help Hoolock Gibbons in crossing railway tracks safely. Such initiatives are coming up across Assam.

In a notification issued by the Assam government to make Assamese compulsory for all government notifications and orders saying:

• In exercise of the powers conferred under section 7 read with section 3 of the Assam Official Language Act, 1960 (Assam Act No. XXXIII of 1960) the Governor of Assam is pleased to make the following directions for the use of Assamese as the official language in the state of Assam and use of local languages in the Barak Valley, Hill Districts, and the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) under the Sixth Schedule areas.
• The Assamese language shall be used complusory in all the official works. Issuance of all government notifications, office memoranda, Acts, Rules, Regulations, Scheme Guidelines, Transfer and Posting Orders shall be both in English and Assamese.
• In the districts of the Barak Valley, Bengali shall be used in addition to English for the aforementioned official purposes. language (Bodo and Bengali, wherever applicable) within thirty (30) days of receipt by the department concerned.
• In the Bodoland Territorial Region, Bodo shall be used in addition to English for the aforementioned official purposes.
• All notifications orders acts rules regulations and guidelines issued by the Central government shall be published by translating into Assamese language (Bodo and Bengali wherever applicable) within thirty (30) days of receipt by the department concerned, legacy documents composing acts, rules.
• Regulations and notifications shall be translator into Assamese (Bodo and Bengali, wherever applicable) over a period of two years, in a phased manner. The translation work shall be undertaken with the assistance of language departments of the Universities.
• In the event of any ambiguity, discrepancy, or requirement of legal interpretation, the English version of such laws, notifications, rules,  regulations, ordinance shall prevail.
• The English language shall continue to be used for communication with the Government of India, Central Government offices and other state government establishments.
• All enquiry reports para-wise comments instructions affidavits and correspondence as required to be submitted before the honourable courts shall be in English language.