PANAJI
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday provided answers to a query about the recognition and commemoration of prominent Konkani personalities.
Sawant confirmed that the Official Language Department does not maintain a database of eminent Konkani figures who have contributed to literature, music, films, and other fields. Additionally, the department does not keep records of their birthdays or death anniversaries.
However, the government does have plans to celebrate the birth anniversaries of significant Konkani personalities this year. Specifically the anniversaries of Manoharrai Sardesai and Ravindra Kelekar will be commemorated. The Goa Konkani Akademi is currently preparing State-level celebrations for these figures, with details still to be finalised.
In the past five years, while the Directorate of Official Language did not organise specific events, the Goa Konkani Akademi has been active in celebrating Konkani personalities. The Akademi has spent approximately Rs 5 lakh annually to mark the birth anniversary of Shennoi Goembab, Rs 25,000 for Bakibab Borkar’s birth anniversary, and Rs 29,500 for Sanjeev Verenkar’s death anniversary. Additional support includes Rs 42,000 for a seminar on Manoharrai Sardesai and Rs 90,499 for a national seminar on both Ravindra Kelekar and Manoharrai Sardesai. A program commemorating Gajanan Jog’s death anniversary also cost Rs 30,000.
Regarding a directory of eminent Konkani personalities, Sawant noted that the Goa Konkani Akademi has already published a directory with names and addresses. However, this directory is incomplete, and efforts to update and expand the information will be undertaken this year.
