Bhubaneswar, 13 June (H.S.): The Odisha government has decided to revise the English spellings of 64 places across 26 districts, aiming to align official nomenclature with correct phonetic and linguistic usage and remove distortions that date back to the British colonial era.

Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari announced on Saturday that names of various public offices and institutions across the state will also be updated within a month as part of the exercise. The move follows a Cabinet decision approving the proposal for spelling corrections in official records.

According to the government, the initiative is intended to ensure uniformity and accuracy in the representation of Odia place names in English, many of which have historically been misspelled in administrative documents.

The state government also plans to extend the exercise beyond state-level institutions and will communicate with the Centre regarding the proposed changes. Officials indicated that adjustments in the names of central government establishments operating in Odisha are expected to be completed within a year.

To avoid inconvenience to the public, the minister clarified that all certificates, legal documents, and official records issued prior to the implementation of the directive will remain valid and will not require any modification.

Describing the decision in a historical context, Pujari said India has previously witnessed similar name corrections in several major cities. “Madras became Chennai, Bombay became Mumbai, and Bangalore was renamed Bengaluru through due legal process. We will hold discussions with the Central Government to revise the spellings of place names in Odisha before the end of this year,” he said.

The government stated that the initiative is part of a broader effort to preserve linguistic accuracy and reflect indigenous identity in official records while ensuring smooth administrative transition.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda