ADVISORY BOARD RECOMMENDED NOTIFICATION: PADGAONKAR WASHES HIS HANDS

PANJIM: The recent notification as regards using Konkani and Marathi languages for signage pertaining to street names, besides government signboards and so on, is an effort to display the finer differences existing between the two languages, the director of official language, Mr G D Padgaonkar in hand washing gimmick, said on Friday

The notification is the outcome of one of the recommendations of the Uday Bhembre-led advisory board, constituted for proper implementation of the Official Language Act 1987, Mr Padgaonkar added.

"The notification remains to be discussed in the state legislative assembly," he said, adding that the same would come into force from December 19, 2010.

Mr Padgaonkar said that the other recommendation of the board include publishing official government gazette in Konkani and Marathi languages.

"But that is not feasible now, as we have no terminologies in our possession," he stated, adding that the directorate of official language is in the process of bringing out local self government terminology, political science terminology, legal terminology and legislative terminology, besides administrative terminology.

"Meanwhile, the directorate of official language is training clerical level staff from various government departments in Devnagari script computer typing, so that it would be very much useful to them in typing Konkani as well as Marathi material," Mr Padgaonkar informed, noting that two notifications had been issued immediately after the enactment of the Official Language Act 1987 stating that all public communication with the government in Marathi language should be replied in the same language, and same should be done for communication in Konkani language.

Presently, 60 clerical level government staff from various government departments is undergoing training in Devnagari script computer typing, with the help of software supplied by the IT Ministry of the central government, and named as Technological Development for Indian Languages Programme. The software will also be supplied to all government departments.

Replying to a question, Mr Padgaonkar said that the advisory board had members from both sides – Marathi and Konkani – besides language experts.

Incidentally, English language will also be used along with Konkani and Marathi on signage, government signboards and so on. The municipalities, village panchayats as well as various government departments will be responsible for this exercise.