Goa CM Rejects Proposal to Amend Official Language Act for Konkani Roman Script

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant clarified that there is no proposal to amend the Official Language Act to include Konkani in Roman script as the official language. A section of Goans has been demanding this change. The state has allocated funds to support the development of Romi script through recurring grants to Dalgado Konknni Akademi.

Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant announced on Tuesday that there is no intention to amend the law to incorporate Konkani written in Roman script as part of the official language.

In his written response to AAP MLAs Venzy Viegas and Cruz Silva in the assembly, Sawant referred to the Official Language Act, 1987. He confirmed that Konkani, as defined by the Act, is the language written in Devanagari script, which is recognized as the official language.

A portion of the Goan community has been advocating for the recognition of Konkani written in Roman script as an official language. Sawant acknowledged the cultural significance of the Romi (Roman) script and pointed out that the government is providing recurring grants to the private institution Dalgado Konknni Akademi to support its development.

Sawant, who also oversees the Official Language Department, revealed that Rs 151.62 lakh were allocated as grants for the Goa Konkani Akademi for the financial year 2023-24. Additionally, Dalgado Konknni Akademi, which focuses on promoting Konkani in Roman script, received Rs 29.61 lakh in grants.

(With inputs from agencies.)