West Bengal's name to change to Paschimbanga?

New Delhi, Jan 28: If things go right, the name of

is set to change to Paschimbanga from the Bengali New Year's Day this year. According to a

on Tuesday, the home ministry has decided to accept the

government's request to change the name and is set to send the matter to the parliamentary affairs ministry for introducing it in the Parliament.

In the Budget Session of the Parliament scheduled next month, the home ministry would introduce a bill named West Bengal (Alteration of Name) Act 2014, and the Centre would notify the same after taking th president's consent.

The proposal to change the state's name was sent in 2011

S Suresh Kumar, Joint Secretary (Centre-State), the Ministry of Home Affairs, confirmed the Centre's stand on the matter, the report added. He said the state officers have also been informed about it. According to Kumar, a step will be initiated as soon as the state government writes to the Centre on the matter. It may be mentioned here that the state government had sent the proposal to the Centre in September 2011, four months after Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress came to power.

The decision to change the name of the state has created controversy. While many have raised question over the justification of such decision since it involves huge changes at administrative levels, those in favour of it said it would help the state's ranking in important federal meetings and ensure that the state gets its issues addressed.

The name of the state capital, Calcutta, was changed to Kolkata in 2000.

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