MARGAO
Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao has said the time has come to review recruitment rules and make academic knowledge of Konkani compulsory for government recruitment.
Saying he will write to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant, urging him to initiate a process in this direction by taking experts into confidence, Yuri said mere knowledge of Konkani will allow outsiders to grab government jobs, depriving Niz Goemkars in the future.
Reacting to the announcement made by the Chief Minister after the Cabinet Meeting, stating that knowledge of Konkani will be made essential for Group A and Group B posts in government recruitments with some exceptions, the Leader of Opposition stated that the said provisions are already notified by the government years back and there is nothing new in the announcement.
“The government should make academic knowledge of Konkani compulsory for government recruitments which will ensure that the students learn Konkani in schools and colleges. This will help to preserve our mother tongue and also ensure jobs to Niz Goemkars," said Yuri.
He added: “We need to formulate a long-term plan to ensure our next generations study our mother tongue Konkani. Knowledge of the local language also helps in building up connectivity among government officials and people. I hope the government will consider my suggestion positively.”
Saying the New Education Policy (NEP) also emphasises on education in the mother tongue, Yuri said if the academic knowledge of Konkani is made compulsory, the decision will also strengthen the effective implementation of NEP in the State. Government needs to review the entire recruitment process with a long-term perspective," he said.
“There is a rapid change in the demography of the State. Any outsider who resides in Goa can grasp workable knowledge of Konkani for simple conversations within a span of two months as Konkani is relatively an easier language to learn. A Hindi or Marathi-speaking person can adapt to writing and speaking skills in Konkani in a short span of time without learning Konkani in schools," Yuri pointed out.
