September 06/26/GTNS Bhubaneswar The Odisha government has intensified its drive to standardise the English spellings of places across the state, directing district Collectors to ensure that government offices and institutions use the officially revised spellings on signboards and nameplates.
The move is aimed at bringing English representations of place names closer to their original Odia pronunciation and ensuring uniformity in government communication and public-facing establishments.
Additional Chief Secretary to Government, Revenue & Disaster Management Department, Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, has written to all Collectors directing them to conduct a comprehensive review of the nameplates and signboards of government offices and institutions in their respective districts.
The latest direction comes as the government pushes ahead with the implementation of its decision to revise English spellings of several place names. The exercise is intended to remove inconsistencies between traditional English spellings and the way the names are pronounced in Odia.
A Gazette notification issued by the Odisha government on June 22, 2026, had prescribed the adoption of the revised spellings. Government offices and institutions were required to update their signboards within one month, while private and non-government institutions were given six months for implementation.
However, the government has found that old spellings continue to appear on some government signboards and nameplates. The latest instruction is therefore focused on ensuring that the decision is implemented uniformly at the district level.
Under the revised nomenclature, Angul is to be written as “Anugola”, Balasore as “Baleshwar”, Kendrapara as “Kendrapada” and Cuttack as “KATAKA”. Similarly, Jeypore is to be replaced by “Jayapur” and Soro by “Sora”.
Collectors have been asked to personally monitor the implementation in government offices, institutions and other establishments under their jurisdiction. They are expected to identify locations where the old spellings are still displayed and ensure that the approved versions are substituted.
The government has also emphasised that uniform nomenclature is important for maintaining consistency across official records, correspondence, notifications, websites, online portals, advertisements and public signboards. Earlier directions had also called for the revised spellings to be adopted across government communication.
The latest directive is not an isolated administrative exercise. It follows a broader effort by the Revenue & Disaster Management Department to correct English spellings that do not adequately reflect authentic Odia pronunciation. Earlier this year, Dr. Padhee had also asked Collectors to examine proposed corrections to place names and submit recommendations, with the objective of protecting Odisha’s linguistic and cultural identity.
The government has made the latest implementation exercise a priority and asked Collectors to submit compliance reports within one week, indicating the status of the revised spellings in government establishments in their districts.
District administrations have also been advised to encourage private and non-government institutions to adopt the revised spellings within the prescribed six-month period.
The spelling changes are expected to gradually create a common standard for the English usage of Odisha’s place names. For residents, government employees and visitors, the changes may become increasingly visible as old signboards are replaced and official documents begin reflecting the revised nomenclature.
The exercise also represents a wider attempt to align official English usage with Odisha’s linguistic heritage. By standardising the spellings across offices, records and public information systems, the government is seeking to eliminate discrepancies and establish a consistent system for the English representation of place names across the state.
For district administrations, the immediate task is clear: complete the review, replace outdated government signboards and submit the compliance status within the stipulated seven-day period.