An Asansol councillor on Wednesday filed a public-interest litigation (PIL) in the Calcutta High Court alleging the State government had failed to take steps on the use of Urdu for official purposes in Kolkata, Asansol and Islampur sub-division according to its order issued in 1981.

Akthar Hussain, vice-chairman and councillor of Kulti Municipality in Asansol sub-division, has urged the court to direct the State government for taking steps in that direction.

The petitioner claimed that Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had assured a delegation in February 2007 for setting up an “Urdu Language Cell” in Asansol and Islampur sub-division for the benefit of the Urdu-speaking people.

Former chief secretary Amit Kiran Deb had also asked the district magistrate of the concerned district to create an “Urdu Language Cell” in the district headquarters of South 24-Parganas and Asansol, Islampur sub-division.

Deb had asked for appointment of persons with proficiency in Urdu in the cells for writing letters, correspondence and petitions in the language.

In his PIL, Hussain said that on October 3,1981, the then Chief Secretary A K Sen had issued an order for the use of Urdu language for official purposes in kolkata, Asansol and Islampur sub-division.

According to Hussain, the order had also said that the government had decided to grant recognition to the primary and secondary Urdu-medium schools which had applied for recognition.

Sen had also ordered purchase of Urdu typewriters and to appoint Urdu typists in the sub-divisional office and block offices in Asansol and Islampur.

Hussain said the State government has been reluctant to implement its own decision in the past 27 years.