Koshi province: The Koshi Province government has officially endorsed the ‘Koshi Province Bill to make arrangements regarding language of government function 2081 BS’, setting the stage for the use of Limbu and Maithili languages in provincial administrative affairs from November 11. This date marks the birth anniversary of the national luminary, Phalgunanda.
According to National News Agency Nepal, this legislative move comes after the Language Commission’s 8th report highlighted Nepali as the most spoken language in the province, followed by Limbu and Maithili. The 2078 BS census revealed that over 4.9 million people reside in the province, with 11.68% speaking Maithili and 6.7% speaking Limbu.
Initially introduced as a private bill by opposition lawmakers, the legislation faced rejection from the ruling coalition but was subsequently reintroduced by the government for discussion. The coalition, led by CPN (UML)’s Hikmat Karki with support from the Nepali Congress, aims to preserve, promote, and develop all mother languages spoken within the province.
The new legislation enables the translation of official documents into Maithili and Limbu for administrative purposes, publication in the provincial gazette, and use in public services. It also authorizes local governments to use these languages for administrative tasks.
The provincial government has pledged to protect and promote other mother languages through research, academic, literary, and cultural initiatives. To support these efforts, an 11-member language expert group will be formed, ensuring at least one-third of its members are women.
Both the provincial and local governments are required to allocate budgets for the protection and promotion of official languages. Additionally, 253 employees at the 7th level will be recruited to facilitate the bill’s implementation.
Meanwhile, there is a growing demand to include the Tharu language as an official language in the province, given that 4.4% of the population speaks Tharu.