Kolkata: The state govt has made it mandatory for all information boards, signage, plaques and public notices at govt project and scheme sites to be displayed in Bengali, with Nepali compulsory in the hill areas of Darjeeling and Kalimpong, by Nov 30.In an order issued on Friday, chief secretary Manoj Agarwal directed all departments, directorates, parastatals, development authorities, local bodies and district administrations to display information on govt works and schemes in the language understood by the local population.The govt had noticed that boards in several districts were being put up only in English.Boards and notices at project sites must carry the work’s details, scheme name, estimated cost, source of funds, commencement and completion dates, and implementing agency, along with contact details, in Bengali (Nepalese in Darjeeling and Kalimpong).Where guidelines of a central scheme require information in English or Hindi, that text may be added, but it cannot replace the Bengali or Nepali version, the order said.The govt has also proposed linking every board to a centralised online repository of works and schemes through a QR code. The initiative aims to create a state-wide, geo-tagged database that will let citizens scan the code to see sanctioned costs, funding sources, implementing agencies, timelines, location, and physical and financial progress.
