Bhubaneswar: Based on public feedback sought in Feb and examined by a committee chaired by writer Pratibha Ray, the Odisha govt on Wednesday published a list of over 50 places with proposed revisions to their English spellings. The revised list has been put out again for public opinion, with suggestions invited within a month.An official notification issued by Arabinda Padhee, principal secretary of the revenue and disaster management department, said the government has proposed spelling changes for 58 locations to better reflect authentic Odia pronunciation.Among district headquarters, Cuttack has been proposed to be spelled as Kataka and Bargarh as Baragada. Other suggested changes include Angul to Anugola, Balasore to Baleshwar, Deogarh to Debagada, Bhawanipatna to Bhabanipatana, Kendrapara to Kendrapada, Keonjhar to Kendujhar, Khurda to Khordha, and Nayagarh to Nayagada. The government had initiated the formal exercise on Feb 5, publishing an initial list of 24 places and inviting objections and suggestions within 15 days.That process was followed by a detailed examination by the expert committee before the expanded list was finalized for a second round of public consultation. Officials said the exercise is aimed at correcting long-standing distortions in English spellings and reinforcing Odia Asmita, citing precedents such as the renaming of Orissa to Odisha in 2011.
