K’taka govt. issues circular mandating Kannada usage across all government departments
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has issued a circular making it mandatory to use Kannada extensively in the administration of all government departments. Chief Secretary Dr. Shalini Rajneesh warned that disciplinary action will be taken against officials who fail to comply with these directions.
The circular, issued on Wednesday, instructs all departments to respond in Kannada to applications and letters received in Kannada. It also mandates that nameplates of government offices be displayed in Kannada. Furthermore, all legislative proceedings, official correspondence, notices, and documentation must be carried out in the state’s official language.
Government orders related to appointments, transfers, and leave approvals should also be issued in Kannada. Dr. Rajneesh emphasized that even forms, record books, and templates provided in English must be filled out in Kannada wherever applicable.
Internal communication such as meeting notices, agendas, brief notes, file notes, and proceedings should be prepared in Kannada to effectively implement the government's language policy. The only exceptions to this directive are official correspondence with the Central Government, courts, and other states.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah observed that earlier instructions regarding Kannada usage were not being followed properly. He directed that any government file that lacks notes or correspondence in Kannada should be returned for proper revision and clarification.
He stressed that it is the responsibility of every officer and employee to implement the state’s language policy across all levels of governance.
The circular applies to all officers and staff in government departments, corporations, boards, local bodies, universities, and aided institutions. Strict adherence to these instructions is expected across the board.
Meanwhile, the move has been welcomed by the Kannada Development Authority. Its President, Dr. Purushottam Bilimale, praised Dr. Shalini Rajneesh for taking strong steps to enforce Kannada usage. In a letter written on Wednesday, he stated that the warning of disciplinary action has already had a significant and positive impact.
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Power tariffs under BESCOM to rise from May 1
Bengaluru (PTI): Power bills for consumers under the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM) will go up from May 1, following an order issued by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) on Friday.
The hike comes after KERC allowed the BESCOM to recover a revenue deficit of Rs 2,068 crore incurred in 2024-25, from the consumers.
As a result, for every unit of electricity consumed in 2024-25, the customers will be charged an additional 56 paise, it said.
"BESCOM shall calculate, for each of the active consumers of FY2024-25 the amount to be recovered based on their actual energy consumption during FY2024-25. Such amount shall be recovered during FY 2026-27 in equal monthly instalments, to be called as 'FY25 True up Charges', commencing from the first meter reading date falling on or after 1 May 2026 and concluding with the reading date ending on 30 April 2027," the order said.
"It is further ordered that BESCOM shall maintain a separate head of account, allocated for the purpose, to record the adjustment of the said amount to ensure full recovery of the deficit," it added.
Similarly Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (CESC) has also recorded a revenue deficit of Rs 121.71 crore and can collect an additional 15 paisa per unit for consumption in 2024-25, official sources said.
