Panaji: With fresh demands for amending the Official Language Act, 1987 gathering momentum during the ongoing legislative assembly session in Goa. Chief Minister Digamber Kamat has called for a discussion to arrive at a consensus on the issue.

"Let us sit across the table and work for a consensus to put an end to the issue," Kamat said replying to a debate on the floor of the house yesterday.

Legislators cutting across party lines expressed their viewpoint on this issue raising various demands including inclusion of Marathi and Konkani written in Roman script as official state languages.

Currently, Goa uses Konkani written in Devanagri script as its official language and although Marathi is used it does not have the status of official language.

While the suggestion to call for a special assembly session on the issue was ruled out by Kamat, he said that other stakeholders should be involved in the decision making.

"After the assembly session, we can hold a meeting and discuss the issue," Kamat said.

Goa legislative assembly session which began on August 18 will culminate on August 29.

The official language controversy saw bitter fighting within factions in the state during 1986-87,forcing the state government to enact the Official Language Act, 1987.

Last year, a group demanding Konkani in Roman script to be given official language status carried out a signature campaign and submitted it to the President.

Kamat said that a section of people felt that they were not given justice in the Act which made the state government to think on the issue.
Source : PTI