Home Department’s intervention sought to change Orissa to Odisha in Judiciary

The Law Department of the Odisha government has written a letter to the Home Department, seeking necessary action to rectify the spelling of the State from Orissa to Odisha in the Judiciary. 

In November 2011, the state’s name was changed from Orissa to Odisha. But in the judiciary, it is still being referred as Orissa. 

Drawing the attention of the Law Department, an advocate from Bhadrak district, Kulamani Behera, in his letter dated October 16, 2023, said the name of the state has been rectified from Orissa to Odisha as per the decision of the state government, but in the Judiciary Department, the spelling of the state is still being written as Orissa. 

“At present, the students of various classes and also the tourists beyond states are in confusion looking at signboards of LOKASEVA BHAWN ODISHA and High Court of Orissa. So to maintain a uniformity of spelling necessary correction in Judiciary is highly essential,” advocate Behera said in his letter.  

Taking note of advocate Behera’s letter, the Law Department has now thrown the ball to the Home Department’s court. The Law department has written a letter to the Home department seeking necessary action to rectify the spelling of the state from Orissa to Odisha in the Judiciary. 

While speaking to OTV, advocate Behera said, “How can there be two different spellings for a state? When a student asks why the state has two different names, what will be our answer? The Law Department needs to look into it. So I have brought it to the attention of the Law Minister, Chief Secretary, and Secretary.”