No Hindi signs across Metro stations, says Kannada Development Authority

BENGALURU: The Kannada Development Authority (KDA) on Tuesday mandated immediate removal of Hindi signages and stopping of announcements in Hindi across all stations of the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL).

The need to set up a Kannada cell, hiring of natives across BMRCL and ensuring that staff who directly interact with the public were familiar with the Kannada language, figured among its demands.

Briefing media along with top BMRCL officials after an inspection of Metro stations, KDA Chairman SG Siddaramaiah called for the discontinuation of the tri-language policy across BMRCL.He said the Chief Secretary had written to the Centre that BMRCL could not be considered a Public Sector Undertaking and so the usage of Hindi as per the Official Language Act was not applicable. “When you have pointed out to the Union Government that BMRCL is not a Central government PSU, where is the doubt?”  

The decision to have three languages was taken by an official in Metro in 2011 and hence the confusion, Kannada Development Authority Chairman S G Siddaramaiah said. “A letter issued from a minister in Kochi asking for the usage of Hindi in BMRCL is not binding on you,” he added.

BMRCL though was non-committal. Managing Director Pradeep Singh Kharola told KDA officials, “We hope to speak to the state government under your guidance and find a solution to this issue.”

When Kannada activist Ra Nam Chandrashekhar pointed out that announcements in Hindi continue to be made at Baiyyappanahalli, Vivekananda and Indira Nagar Metro stations, Siddaramaiah said the Metro MD had assured KDA that safety and other announcements made in Hindi would be stopped within a week.