West Bengal Govt asked to justify Calcutta's renaming

West Bengal Govt asked to justify Calcutta's renaming
PRESS TRUST OF INDIA

NEW DELHI, DECEMBER 12: The Centre has asked the West Bengal Government to furnish detailed reasons to justify the proposal of the State Assembly to rename Calcutta as `Kolkata' since the Union Government is against such a change without ``very special reasons'', official sources said here on Sunday.

The Union Home Ministry, in a communication to the West Bengal Chief Secretary has asked whether the proposed change would necessitate any corresponding change in the name of the Railway station that caters to the city as also the period for which the name Calcutta has been figuring in local and revenue records.

It has also sought the historical background behind the name Calcutta. The sources said the Central Government, has laid down a procedure for change of name of villages and towns and would not allow changes unless very special reasons were furnished. The West Bengal Government had informed the Central Government last month requesting it to accord approval to rename Calcutta as `Kolkata' in alllanguages.

The state Government had also said that the West Bengal Assembly had adopted a resolution to rename the state as `Bangla' and Calcutta as `Kolkata'. The state cabinet too had in a meeting in August, this year, taken a decision in this regard. Official sources said the Central Government has made it clear that ``a change should not be made merely on grounds of local patriotism or for linguistic reasons.''