Demand mounts for correction of English spellings of Cuttack and Berhampur in Odisha

Following the Odisha government’s decision to correct the English spellings of place names in seven districts and 24 locations, demands are gaining momentum for similar changes in other major cities and districts where spelling anomalies continue to persist.

After the Revenue and Disaster Management Department issued a notification announcing corrections in the English spellings of 24 locations, residents from several districts have begun pressing for rectification of additional place names. At the same time, dissatisfaction has surfaced in certain quarters over the exclusion of some prominent cities from the list.

Among the key demands is the correction of the English spelling of Cuttack from “CUTTACK” to “KATAKA”. Similarly, residents of Berhampur have urged the State government to change its English spelling from “BERHAMPUR” to “BRAHMAPUR”, stating that the revised version better reflects the Odia pronunciation.

Residents have questioned the omission of Cuttack from the list of districts proposed for spelling corrections, while locals in Berhampur have termed the existing English spelling inaccurate and unrepresentative of the city’s historical and linguistic identity.

Earlier, the State government notified changes in the English spellings of several districts and towns. These include Khurda to “KHORADHA”, Deogarh to “DEBAGARH”, Balasore to “BALESHWAR”, Keonjhar to “KENDUJHAR”, Nayagarh to “NAYAGADA”, and Kendrapara to “KENDRAPADA”.

In addition, the English spellings of places such as Aul, Rairakhol, and Athagarh are also set to be revised.

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The government has invited objections and suggestions on the proposed changes within 15 days. After examining the feedback received, a final notification will be issued to give legal effect to the revised English spellings of the place names.