SRINAGAR: The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) is set to incorporate Urdu on signboards along the Srinagar-Leh National Highway (NH-1), alongside English and Hindi.
The move follows a response to a Right to Information (RTI) query, confirming that the changes will be implemented in the upcoming working season, expected to begin in March.
The RTI response from Project Beacon acknowledged that existing signboards in its area of responsibility (AoR) are currently written only in English and Hindi. However, it assured that these would be “corrected” by adding Urdu, the official language of Jammu and Kashmir, said a report..
“The signboards installed along NH-1 under this Project are currently written in English and Hindi,” the reply from the Public Information Officer (PIO) of Beacon stated. “These will be corrected to incorporate the local language, Urdu, in addition to English and Hindi.”
The decision comes in response to concerns raised by local activists and residents who noted the absence of Urdu from the signage. The RTI applicant, Syed Adil, expressed surprise at the omission, given Urdu’s official status in Jammu and Kashmir. The issue gained attention after photos of the signboards surfaced online, prompting widespread criticism and calls for adherence to language regulations.
Project Beacon confirmed that all future signboards under its jurisdiction will follow this multilingual format. The move aligns with guidelines such as IRC: 67, which stress the importance of bilingual or multilingual road signs for better accessibility and safety.
By incorporating Urdu, the BRO aims to enhance communication for local road users, ensuring signages are more inclusive and reflective of the region’s linguistic demographics.
