CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu State Highways Department has clarified that Hindi-language information boards are not used on roads under its control, after yet another image of a trilingual road signboard circulated on social media.
A post on X from the government's Information Integrity Desk (IID) clarified that the road, identified as NH-744A, is not under the control of the State Highways Department. The NH-744A link road, connecting the Madurai-Dindigul (NH-44) and Madurai-Tiruchy (NH-38) national highways, is under the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI).
It also said Hindi information boards are not used on roads under its control, as reported by Daily Thanthi.
The clarification followed the image showing a signboard on the road with place names, including Vadipatti, Madurai and Alagar Kovil, written in Tamil, Hindi and English.
The clarification comes a day after the Tamil Nadu government suspended the assistant divisional engineer and assistant engineer involved in installing a Hindi signboard on the Sathankulam-Nazareth State Highway (SH-93) in Thoothukudi. Departmental action has also been initiated against them.
The signboard, installed near the Karumeni River bridge, carried the names and directions to places including Thoothukudi, Tiruchendur, Alwarthirunagari and Tirunelveli in Tamil, Hindi and English.
The clarification comes a day after the Tamil Nadu government suspended the assistant divisional engineer and assistant engineer involved in installing a Hindi signboard on the Sathankulam-Nazareth State Highway (SH-93) in Thoothukudi. Departmental action has also been initiated against them.
The signboard, installed near the Karumeni River bridge, carried the names and directions to places including Thoothukudi, Tiruchendur, Alwarthirunagari and Tirunelveli in Tamil, Hindi and English.
After the inclusion of Hindi triggered criticism and gained attention on social media, the government said the use of Hindi on a State Highways Department signboard was contrary to Tamil Nadu's two-language policy. After the government's intervention, the Hindi lettering was removed immediately.
The department's latest clarification, however, concerns the NH-744A link road shown in the viral images, which it said is not under the State Highways Department.