ਰਾਜ ਭਾਸ਼ਾ ਐਕਟ 1967

 The Punjab Official Language Act, 1967

   (Punjab Act No.5 of 1967)

 Contents

  Arrangement of Sections 

1. Short title, extent and commencement
2. Definitions
3. Punjabi to be official language of the State
4. Government’s powers to notify the official purposes for which Punjabi shall be used
5. Language to be used in the Bills etc.
6. Continuances of use of English Language in State Legislature

6-A. Authorised Punjabi Translation of Central and State Act etc.

7. Right of a person to submit representation in any of the languages used in the State
8. Development of the Hindi Language
9. Repeal of Punjab Act No.28 of 1960

ACT

The Punjab Official Language Act, 1967

(Punjab Act No.5 of 1967)

 (Received the assent of the Governor of Punjab on the 29th December, 1967 and first published in the Punjab Government Gazette (Extraordinary), Legislative Supplement, Part I of the 29th December, 1967)

 

1	2	3	4
Year	No.	Short title	Whether affected by Legislation
1967	5	The Punjab Official Language Act, 1967	(1) Amended by Punjab Act 11 of 1969. (2) Amended by the Adaption of Laws Order, 1970 (3) Amended by Punjab Act No.12 of 1982,(4) Amended by Punjab Act No.25 of 2008

 

An Act to provide for the adoption of punjabi as the language to be used for all or any of the official purposes of the State of Punjab

Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Punjab in the Eighteenth Year of the Republic of India as follows:

1. Short title, extent and commencement – (1) This act may be called the Punjab Official Language Act, 1967.

(2) It extends to the whole of the State of Punjab.

(3) It shall come into force at once. 

2. Definitions – In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires-

• “Punjabi” means Punjabi in Gurmukhi script
• “State Government” means the Government of the State of Punjab.

3. Punjabi to be official language of the State – The official language of the State of Punjab shall be Punjabi.

 

*3[3.A (1) Use of Punjabi in Courts and Tribunals – In all civil courts and criminal courts, subordinate to the High Court of Punjab and Haryana, all revenue courts and rent tribunals or any other court or tribunal constituted by the State Government, work in such courts and tribunals shall be done in Punjabi.

 

Explanation: For the purpose of this section, the words ‘civil court’ and ‘criminal court’ shall have the same meaning as respectively assigned to them in the Code of Civil Procedure, 1908 and the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973.

 

(2) The concerned Administrative Departments of the State Government shall make arrangements to provide necessary infrastructure and training to the concerned staff in order to ensure the use of Punjabi in all courts and tribunals, referred to in sub-section (1), within a period of six months from the date of commencement of the Punjab Official Language (Amendment) Act, 2008.

3-B. Use of Punjabi in the offices of State Government and public sector undertakings etc. – In all offices of the State Government public sector undertaking boards and local bodies and offices of the schools colleges and universities of the State Government, all official correspondence shall be made in Punjabi”.]

 

4. Government’s Powers to notify the official purposes for which Punjabi shall be used – The State Government may, from time to time, by notification, direct that Punjabi shall be used for such official purposes of the State and from such dates as may be specified in the notification.
5. Language to be used in the Bills etc. – On and from such date as the State Government may, by notification, appoint in this behalf, the language to be used in –

• all Bills to be introduced, or amendments thereto to be moved, in (***) the Legislature of the State
• all Acts passed by the Legislature of the State
• all Ordinances promulgated by the Governor under article 213 of the Constitution and
• all Orders, Rules, Regulations and Bye-laws issued by the State Government under the Constitution or under any law made by Parliament or the Legislature of the State shall be Punjabi:

Provided that the State Government may appoint different dates in respect of any of the purposes referred to in clauses (a) to (d) above.

6. Continuance of use of English language in State Legislature – Until the State Government otherwise directs by notification under section 4, English may continue to be used, in addition to the official language of the State or Hindi for the transaction of business in the Legislature of the State.

*1[6-A. Authorised Punjabi translation of Central and State Acts, etc. – A translation in Punjabi published under the authority of the Governor in the Official Gazette of the State, on and after the date specified by notification:

• of any Central Act or of any Ordinance Promulgated by the President, with respect to any of the matters enumerated in List III of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution

*2{(aa) of any Central Act enacted before the commencement of the Constitution with respect to any of the matters enumerated in List II of the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution.

(aaa) of any Central Act passed under Article 252 of the Constitution.}

• of any State Act or of any Ordinance promulgated by the Governor, or
• of any order, rule, regulation or bye-law issued by the State Government under the constitution or under any law made by Parliament or the Legislature of the State, shall be deemed to be an authoritative text thereof in Punjabi.]

7. Right of a person to submit representation in any of the languages used in the State – Nothing in this Act shall be deemed to debar any person to submit a representation for the redress of any grievance to any officer or authority of the State in any of the languages, including Hindi used in the State.
8. Development of Hindi Language – Without prejudice to the provisions of this Act, the State Government shall take suitable steps to develop the Hindi Language in the State.

*3[“8.A. Power to inspect – The Director, Languages, Punjab or any of his officers, authorized by him, may inspect any office of the State Government, public sector undertaking, board or corporation, and office of any school, college or university of the State Government, to ensure the implementation of the provisions of sections 3 and 3-B of this Act. The officer or official having custody of the records of the aforesaid offices, shall make such record available to the said Director or officer for inspection.

8.B. (1) State Level Empowered Committee – There shall be constituted a State Level Empowered Committee to review and ensure the implementation of the provisions of this Act at the State level.

(2) The State Level Empowered Committee shall consist of the following persons, namely:

• the Education Minister, Punjab :                       Chairperson
• the Media Advisor to Chief Minister,

Punjab or any person, to be nominated

by the Chief Minister                                  :                       Member

• Advocate General, Punjab or his

representative                                               :                       Member

• the Secretary to Government of Punjab,

Department of School Education              :                       Member

• the Secretary to Government of

Punjab, Department of Higher Education:                       Member

• the Legal Remembrancer and Secretary

to Government of Punjab                            :                       Member

• two representatives of Sahit Sabhas to

be nominated by the Government             :                       Members

• three renowned persons, associated with

Punjabi Press, to be nominated by the

State Government                                        :                       Members

• four representatives of the public, to be

nominated by the State Government and:                                    Members

• the Director, Languages Punjab :                       Convener

 

(3) The State Level Empowered Committee may give such directions to the District Level Empowered Committee for implementing the provisions of this Act, as it may deem appropriate.

(4) The State Level Empowered Committee shall meet at least once in six months.

 

8-C. (1) District Level Empowered Committee – There shall be constituted a District Level Empowered Committee to review and ensure the implementation of the provisions of this Act at the District level.

 

(2) The District Level Empowered Committee shall consist of the following, namely:

(i)        A Minister or Member of the Legislative

Assembly of the district, to be nominated

by the Chief Minister                                  :                       Chairman

(ii)       the Deputy Commissioner                          :                       Vice-Chairman

(iii)     the District Education Officer                    :                       Member

(iv)      two representatives of Punjabi

Sahityakars in the district, to be

nominated by the State Government         :                       Members

(v)       three persons, associated with Punjabi

Press to be nominated by the State

Government                                                  :                       Members

(vi)      the District Public Relations Officer         :                       Member

(vii)    two representatives of the public,

to be nominated by the State Government:                      Members

(viii)   the District Attorney and                            :                       Member

(ix)      the District Language Officer                     :                       Convener

 

(3) The District Level Empowered Committee shall review the implementation of the provisions of this Act, in all offices of the State Government, public sector undertakings boards and local bodies and offices of the schools, colleges and universities of the State Government at the District level, and shall send a report to the State Level Empowered Committee.

 

• The District Level Empowered Committee shall comply with the directions given by the State Level Empowered Committee with regard to the implementation of the provisions of this Act and shall report back about the compliance of such directions.
• The District Level Empowered Committee shall meet at least once in two months.

 

8-D (1) Punishment – It any officer or official of the aforesaid offices is found guilty of persistently violating the provisions of this Act or the notification issued thereunder, he shall be liable for disciplinary action under the Punjab Civil Services (Punishment and Appeal) Rules, 1970.

(2) Action against the guilty officer or official, referred to in sub-section (1), shall be taken by the concerned competent authority, on the basis of the recommendation made by the Director, Languages Punjab:

 

Provided that before taking any disciplinary action, the officer or official concerned, shall be afforded an opportunity of being heard”.]

 

9. Repeal of Punjab Act No.28 of 1960 – The Punjab Official Languages Act, 1960 hereby repealed.

 

____________________________________________________________________

 

*1.       Inserted by Punjab Act No.11 of 1969

*2.       Inserted by Punjab Act No.12 of 1982

*3.       Inserted by Punjab Act No.27 of 2008