Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today urged the Centre to include Sambalpuri/Kosali and Ho language in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution.
"I would request you once again to consider the proposal expeditiously to fulfill a long standing demand of people speaking these languages," Patnaik wrote to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.
Stating that he had made similar request earlier in 2014 through a letter, Patnaik said a complete proposal based on the recommendation of an expert committee had been sent to the Centre.
Sambalpuri/Kosali is the mother tongue of more than 7.5 million people in Western Odisha and spoken for many centuries, Patnaik pointed out adding that it is used as a medium of teaching in non-formal schools now.
Similarly, Ho language is the mother tongue of one million tribal people living in many districts on the borders of Odisha and Jharkhand, Patnaik wrote in the letter.
