Thoothukudi: The Tamil Nadu government has warned that strict action will be taken against officials who act against the bilingual policy.
A new signboard was installed two days ago on the state highway (SH-93) from Sathankulam to Nazareth in Thoothukudi district.
It listed the names of places such as Tirunelveli, Alwarthirunagari, Thoothukudi, and Tiruchendur, indicating how many kilometers away they are and in which direction one should travel.
Initially, the names of the towns were written in Tamil, then in Hindi, and third in English. The inclusion of Hindi on the signboard sparked a major controversy.
This signboard went viral on social media. Leaders including DMK chief M.K. Stalin and PMK chief Anbumani, along with Tamil activists, expressed their condemnation.
Following this, the Hindi names on that signboard were hurriedly covered with stickers the night before last.
In this connection, State Highways Department Assistant Divisional Engineer Bhoominathan and Assistant Engineer Muthulakshmi have been placed under immediate suspension.
Regarding this incident, a statement issued by the Tamil Nadu government said: On the newly installed signboard on the Sathankulam-Nazareth state highway (SH-93), place names had been written in Hindi as well as in Tamil and English. As soon as this was noticed, the Hindi letters were immediately removed.
The Assistant Divisional Engineer and Assistant Engineer of the Highways Department, who were responsible for the inclusion of Hindi on the State Highways Department’s signboard in violation of the Tamil Nadu government’s bilingual policy, have been immediately placed under temporary suspension.
Departmental action is also being taken. Strict action will be taken against government officials who act against the Tamil Nadu government’s bilingual policy. This was stated in the report.
