Times of India: Patiala: Thursday, 25 December 2025.
The Punjab Language Department has issued formal directions to the Department of Social Security, Women and Child Development, after it failed to provide a Punjabi translation of the Punjab Divyangjan Empowerment Scheme, 2021 notification, in breach of the Punjab State Language Act. A complaint by resident Kiran Kumari revealed that the 19-page notification was neither available in Punjabi, nor uploaded in the regional language on the department's official website.
Kiran filed an application
under the Right to Information (RTI) Act and was informed that no Punjabi
version was available, despite the scheme's direct relevance to nearly 6.5 lakh
persons with disabilities, constituting about 2.14 per cent of the state's
population according to the 2011 Census. The Divyangjan Empowerment Scheme
provides various facilities, rights and welfare measures for persons with
disabilities. However, the absence of a Punjabi translation has limited access
to critical information for many intended beneficiaries.
"For a welfare scheme meant for the needy and vulnerable sections, availability in the regional language is essential. The Supreme Court has also issued clear directives that such policies and schemes must be accessible in local languages," she said. Jaswant Singh Jafar, director of the Punjab Language Department, confirmed that the department has the authority under the Punjab State Language Act to impose penalties on departments that violate language norms. "If instructions are ignored repeatedly, the Act empowers us to impose fines on the concerned department," he stated.
Vijay Walia and Gurmeet Singh, language activists who have campaigned for Punjabi translations of central laws, resent the continued neglect. "It is deeply unfortunate that even decades-old laws and important welfare schemes are still not available in Punjabi. This denies workers and citizens their right to information," they said.
The incident has rekindled debate over the govt's commitment to implementing the Punjab State Language Act in letter and spirit, with activists demanding stricter enforcement to ensure consistent use of Punjabi in governance and public communication.
The Punjab Language Department has issued formal directions to the Department of Social Security, Women and Child Development, after it failed to provide a Punjabi translation of the Punjab Divyangjan Empowerment Scheme, 2021 notification, in breach of the Punjab State Language Act. A complaint by resident Kiran Kumari revealed that the 19-page notification was neither available in Punjabi, nor uploaded in the regional language on the department's official website.
"For a welfare scheme meant for the needy and vulnerable sections, availability in the regional language is essential. The Supreme Court has also issued clear directives that such policies and schemes must be accessible in local languages," she said. Jaswant Singh Jafar, director of the Punjab Language Department, confirmed that the department has the authority under the Punjab State Language Act to impose penalties on departments that violate language norms. "If instructions are ignored repeatedly, the Act empowers us to impose fines on the concerned department," he stated.
Vijay Walia and Gurmeet Singh, language activists who have campaigned for Punjabi translations of central laws, resent the continued neglect. "It is deeply unfortunate that even decades-old laws and important welfare schemes are still not available in Punjabi. This denies workers and citizens their right to information," they said.
The incident has rekindled debate over the govt's commitment to implementing the Punjab State Language Act in letter and spirit, with activists demanding stricter enforcement to ensure consistent use of Punjabi in governance and public communication.
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