Maha govt to set up Bhasha Bhavan for conservation of Marathi

Mumbai: Maharashtra Cabinet on Wednesday approved setting up of a language centre here for development and conservation of Marathi, the state`s official language.

The new building of Bhasha Bhavan would be set up at Dhobi Talao, in place of the old open theatre, and would house offices of the directorates of cultural affairs and language and the Marathi development institute. "It was observed that many states have set up Bhasha Bhavans for development, conservation and protection of their languages. However, no such structure exists in Maharashtra," an official said. The decision to set up the Bhasha Bhavan, whose building cost would be around Rs 80 crore, was taken at a Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan. The state government has also decided to implement a scheme aimed at improving soil health. The scheme, valid for five years, would help improve micro nutrients in soil to ensure better crop yield. The Cabinet was also informed that the water level in reservoirs in the state has gone up to 34 per cent and that sowing operations have been completed in 73 per cent farm land. The Bhasha Bhavan would also house the offices of Sindhi, Urdu and Gujarati academies, an official release issued here this evening said. The Bhasha Bhavan would also house a mini-theatre and an auditorium, the release said. PTI