Bhubaneswar: The Revenue & Disaster Management Department has instructed all Collectors to guarantee the standardized and consistent application of revised English spellings for place names that align with their Odia pronunciation throughout government offices and institutions in their districts.

On Sunday, Dr. Arabinda Kumar Padhee, the Additional Chief Secretary to the Government’s Revenue & Disaster Management Department, communicated to all Collectors the need for a thorough evaluation of the nameplates and signboards of government facilities. He emphasized that these offices should uniformly adopt the spellings sanctioned by the government.

According to a Gazette Notification released by the Odisha Government on June 22, 2026, government offices were mandated to implement the new spellings on their signboards within a month, while a six-month period was allocated for private and non-government institutions. This initiative has already seen successful implementation in various districts.

Under the newly adopted spellings, Angul is now to be referred to as “Anugola”, Balasore as “Baleshwar”, Kendrapara as “Kendrapada”, and Cuttack as “Kataka”. These updated spellings are gradually being incorporated into government establishments.

However, the state government has noted that some offices continue to utilize the old English spellings on their signage. Collectors have been instructed to ensure that outdated spellings such as “Jeypore” and “Soro” are replaced with the approved versions “Jayapur” and “Sora”, respectively.

The Department has highlighted the importance of consistency and uniformity in official place names to effectively implement the State Cabinet’s decision. The ongoing use of previous spellings on government signboards could lead to discrepancies in official nomenclature and undermine the initiative’s objectives.

As a result, Collectors are tasked with personally assessing the implementation status at all government offices, institutions, and establishments within their districts, ensuring that the revised English spellings are utilized on all official signage and nameplates.

Additionally, Collectors are encouraged to assist and motivate private and non-government entities to adopt the new spellings within the designated timeline for broader compliance.

The Department has prioritized the execution of this decision, directing all Collectors to take appropriate measures and submit a compliance report within one week, detailing the implementation status in their areas.