MAPUSA
Slamming a step-motherly treatment meted to State’s official language of Konkani, a united Opposition in the Goa Legislative Assembly on Wednesday exposed how various State government departments failed to implement the Official Language Act 1987 as none of the department’s websites offered Konkani as an option.
However, Chief Minister, Pramod Sawant said the government was working towards setting up of bilingual websites but, despite the opposition’s repeated demand, failed to give a firm commitment on when it will be made operational.
Raising the issue during the Question Hour, Congress MLA, Altone D’Costa informed the House that none of the government department websites provided information in Konkani indicating that the government was not serious in promoting the official language in the State.
“Although Konkani is the official language of the State, the government is paying lip service in promoting the language. Out of 113 government departments only 12 departments have websites and even these 12 do not have Konkani as an option,” D’Costa said and demanded from the government to give a timeline when the websites will be available in the official language.
Questioning the government’s lack of interest in promoting the State language, Goa Forward Party President Vijai Sardesai said that it’s a tragedy that if a person who knows only Konkani will not be able to get government information in the official language.
“Even the official language department’s website is not in Konkani. The government had formed an advisory board for effective translation from English to Konkani but that board has become defunct. When will the government revive the board?” Sardesai questioned.
Leader of Opposition, Yuri Alemao urged the government to hike grants to Goa Konkani Academi, Konkani Basha Mandal, All India Konkani Parishad and Dalgado Konkani Akademi. He also informed that the premises of the Goa Konkani Academi was in dilapidated condition and needed to be shifted.
Revolutionary Goans Party MLA Viresh Borkar said all other States in the country conduct their exams in their respective official language and it appears the Goa government was not serious of its official language even as the Aam Aadmi Party MLA, Venzy Viegas demanded that government should give a deadline for implementation of the Official Language Act.
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant informed the House the need to introduce penal action to enforce the implementation of Official Language Act 1987.
“There is no provision for penal action in the Act. It is needed or we have to make it compulsory for departments,” Sawant said.
He also assured to revive the Advisory Board formed in 2012 for effective implementation of Official Language Act.
“The government is working to have bilingual websites in all the departments. GEL has been taken on board as a designated agency. The official language department, IT department and GEL are working together to make all the government department websites available in bilingual format as early as possible,” Sawant said.
“We have taken eight Konkani translators and one Marathi translator,” he added.
