Karnataka government-appointed study committee has visited Andhra Pradesh to examine the legal and administrative framework required to grant Tulu the status of an additional official language in the state.

The seven-member committee, headed by Kannada and Culture Department Director K M Gayathri and accompanied by Karnataka Tulu Sahitya Academy president Taranath Gatti Kapikad, toured Amaravati and NTR district on January 19 and 20.

The visit was aimed to understand the processes adopted by Andhra Pradesh after declaring Urdu as an additional official language.

Sharing the details with PTI from his camp in Hyderabad, Kapikad said during the first day, the delegation met Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary Vijay Anand at the Secretariat.

Anand informed the committee that granting official language status to Urdu had contributed positively to its development without affecting Telugu. He described Karnataka’s initiative to recognise Tulu as an additional official language as a progressive and commendable step.

The committee also visited the Speaker’s office of the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly and interacted with officials from multiple departments to gather procedural details. Meetings were held with senior officials of the Minority Welfare Department, the Andhra Pradesh Urdu Academy, and the Urdu Language Development Board to understand post-notification implementation, including usage in governance and public services.

On the second day, the delegation met the zonal commissioner of Amaravati Municipal Corporation, officials at a local police station, representatives of Urdu- and English-medium schools, the chairman of the Andhra Pradesh Telugu Language Development Authority, and NTR district Collector G Lakshmeesha.

Telugu Language Development Authority chairman Trivikram Rao told the committee that recognising Urdu as an additional official language had not hampered Telugu language growth in any manner.

During the interactions, Kapikad briefed Andhra Pradesh officials on the historical, literary and cultural significance of the Tulu language.

The committee is expected to submit its report to the Karnataka government shortly, he added.