A day after an office circular of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar for use of Hindi by its employees in official work sparked sharp reactions in political and other quarters like the Utkal Sammilani in the State, the institute’s director Dr Gitanjali Batmanabane on Saturday “clarified” that the order would not have any effect on the healthcare services at the hospital.

“The circular is an internal memo which was circulated…because this is something called Official Language Act and we are supposed to comply with it. However, healthcare services for patients will remain unaffected,” she said.

On the other hand, on the day, a team comprising BJD MPs Pinaki Misra, Anubhab Mohanty, Prasanna Acharya, Amar Patnaik, Sarojini Hembram and Sasmit Patra and MLAs Sarmishha Sethi and Susant Rout met the AIIMS Director and submitted a memorandum of the State’s ruling party demanding withdrawal of the office order.

“We are the first State to be formed on a linguistic basis; and we will not allow anybody sidelining our mother tongue, particularly by any institution that is working for the people of our State. We will insist on Odia being used since our people are familiar with it and that will make their task of availing service at the AIIMS easier,” read the memorandum.

Notably, the office circular signed by AIIMS, Bhubaneswar Deputy Director PK Ray on Thursday asked officials in the administration, academic section, finance and accounts and the heads of departments to carry out their works in Hindi under the provisions of the Official Language Rules, 1976.