Language panel sore with ISRO

Says it rarely mentions that the centre is in Nellore district ISRO has been mentioning Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota, as being 80 km north of Chennai. But it has rarely mentioned that its main satellite launch centre is in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh, says panel chief A.B.K. Prasad

NELLORE: The Andhra Pradesh Official Language Commission has taken exception to the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for not mentioning both Nellore and Andhra Pradesh while introducing its satellite launch centre at Sriharikota.

The organisation has always been mentioning Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota as being 80 km north of Chennai. But the ISRO has rarely mentioned that its main satellite launch centre is in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh.

"Though this kind of introductory style appears inconsequential to many people working in the ISRO, this has let down the sentiments of the people of Nellore district on many fronts," Official Language Commission Chairman A.B.K. Prasad told reporters on Friday.

To petition ISRO chief

Against this backdrop, the Commission would take up the matter with ISRO Chairman G. Madhavan Nair. "The commission is not against mentioning Chennai's name while introducing Sriharikota. But it wants that the ISRO mention that Sriharikota is in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh as it could retain the sense of belongingness among locals," he said.

Citing an example, he said that ISRO had mentioned either in its print version given to the media or on its website that it would launch INSAT-4C, India's latest communication satellite from Satish Dhawan Space Centre SHAR, Sriharikota about 80 km north of Chennai. "But there is no mention that it is in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh," he lamented.

Files to be sent back

Meanwhile, the district administration has decided to send back files, which were not drafted in Telugu, to the respective departments. "The move is aimed at increasing the use of Telugu," district Collector M. Ravi Chandra said. "In the next three or four months, all official transactions in Nellore district would be in Telugu only. Therefore, the moment officials at the Collectorate find any file in English, they would put a stamp saying that it had been sent back since it was not drafted in Telugu," the Collector said.

Courtesy: The Hindu