Bhubaneswar, Sept. 16: A large number of people today came together to demand constitution of a language commission to monitor enforcement of the Odisha Official Language Act, 1954.

Former Assembly Speaker Sarat Kar, former chief secretary Sahadeb Sahoo, former director-general of police S.N. Tiwari, former judge Hruday Ballav Das, social activist Rabi Das and former BJD MP Baishnab Charan Parida among others came together at Lohia Academy here to take up the cause of Odia language.

They alleged that the state government was not serious about implementing the act and still not conducting official business in Odia. They said the provision - those who seek answers from the government in English will be given replies in English and those who want answers from the government in Odia will be given the replies in Odia - had turned out to be a stumbling block in implementing the act.

"With very few exceptions, all government communication should be made in Odia," said a protester.

Convenor of the Bhasa Surakshya Sammilani, an organisation working for the growth and protection of the Odia language, Parida said: "Only a language commission can supervise whether all official work is being done in Odia. The language commission should be given the status of a quasi-judicial body. It should also be entrusted with the power to punish officials if they fail to conduct official work in Odia."

He said that now the government had formed a language division under a joint secretary-level officer to oversee the implementation of the act. The chief secretary will supervise the officer's work. "However, this system cannot work. An officer cannot force others to do their work in Odia. Only a language commission will able to do this effectively," he said.

The demonstrators also demanded that all the public figures from Odisha address public meetings in the Odia. This may put chief minister Naveen Patnaik, whose Odia remains suspect, in an awkward situation. They also demanded all the business transactions during the ensuing monsoon session of the Assembly be done only in Odia.