NT Reporter
Panaji
Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Thursday said that while Konkani has achieved significant milestones, much remains to be done for further development and progression of the language.
Speaking at a special function at Goa University, commemorating the 34th anniversary of Konkani’s recognition as a Constitutional language, Sawant lamented that the language has not advanced as much as it should have over the past three decades.
He said that although Konkani is included in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution, used in Parliament and accessible on Google, more dedicated effort is required in the literary field.
The Chief Minister also urged the youth to overcome the myth that English alone leads to success, emphasising that proficiency in Konkani provides clarity of thought and concepts. He said that the Directorate of Official Language has translated 15 Acts into Konkani and is now issuing government notifications in the language.
In line with promoting the language, Sawant announced that the government will soon make the Konkani Vaishwik Bhavan (Konkani World Centre) in Goa a reality. However, he said that while the government will assist with the infrastructure, the responsibility for driving its core initiatives lies with literary figures associated with the language.
The event, which also featured presentation of the Goa Konkani Akademi’s literary and language service awards, was attended by Secretary for Education Prasad Lolyekar and Goa Konkani Akademi Chairman Purnanand Chari.
