Berhampur: Disappointment has swept across the historic town of Paralakhemundi after glaring errors in Odia language were found on official information boards installed at important heritage and educational sites, including the Royal Palace of late Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati.
Krushna Chandra Gajapati, revered as a visionary leader and remembered as the first Prime Minister of Odisha, played a pivotal role in the creation of Odisha as a separate state on the basis of linguistic identity. The palace of Paralakhemundi, closely associated with his legacy, stands as a proud symbol of that glorious past.
However, the recent installation of an information board by the Works Department in front of the palace has triggered public resentment after the palace name was incorrectly written
in Odia.
The issue does not end there. Similar linguistic distortions have reportedly appeared on other government-installed signboards across the town. Near the historic Sri Krushna Chandra Gajapati Autonomous College, one of the oldest educational institutions of Odisha established in 1896, the board incorrectly mentions ‘Vidyalaya’ instead of ‘Mahavidyalaya’ in Odia.
Ironically, at another location near the Maharaja’s Girls’ School, the reverse mistake has occurred, where ‘Mahavidyalaya’ has been written in place of ‘Vidyalaya’.
These glaring mistakes have stirred serious questions among citizens regarding the linguistic sensitivity and responsibility of the officials involved in preparing and installing the boards. Locals feel that such careless errors not only distort the beauty of the Odia language but also undermine the dignity of historically significant places associated with the legacy of Maharaja Krushna Chandra Gajapati.
Voices from various quarters of the town have demanded that the faulty boards be removed immediately and replaced with correctly written ones in proper Odia.
When the attention of the Works Department Superintending Engineer Abhishek Sethi was drawn to the matter he expressed regret over the incident and assured that necessary steps would be taken promptly to replace the erroneous boards with accurate ones.
As Paralakhemundi proudly carries the heritage of Odisha’s linguistic movement, citizens believe that the sanctity of the language and the honour of its historic landmarks must be preserved with utmost care and respect.
