Goa, Daman and Diu Official Language Act, 1987

No: 5 Dated: Apr, 14 1987

Goa, Daman and Diu Official Language Act, 1987

An act to adopt the official language for official purposes of the Union territory of Goa, Daman and Diu.

BE it enacted by the Legislative Assembly of Goa, Daman and Diu in the Thirty-eighth Year of the Republic of India as follows:-

1. Short title, extent and commencement. - (1) This Act may be called the Goa, Daman and Diu Official Language Act, 1987.

(2) It extends to the whole of the Union territory of Goa, Daman and Diu.

(3) It shall come into force at once.

2. Definitions. - In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-

(a) "Administrator" means the Administrator of the Union territory of Goa, Daman and Diu appointed by the President under article 239 of the Constitution;

(b) "Government" means the Government of Goa, Daman and Diu;

(d) "notification" means a notification published in the Official Gazette;

(e) "Official Gazette" means the Official Gazette of the Government of Goa, Daman and Diu;

(f) "Union territory" means the Union territory of Goa, Daman and Diu.

3. Official language of the Union territory.- (1) With effect from such date as the Administrator may, by notification, appoint, Konkani language shall, subject to the provisions contained in sections 34 and 35 of the Government of Union Territories Act, 1963 (Central Act 20 of 1963), be the official language for all or any of the official purposes of the Union territory, and different dates may be appointed for different official purposes:

Provided that the Administrator may, by a like notification, direct that in case of the Goa District, the Marathi language, and in the case of Daman and Diu Districts, the Gujarati Language, shall also be used for all or any of the official purposes and different dates, may be appointed for different official purposes.

Provided further that nothing contained in this sub-section shall be deemed to affect the use of the Marathi and Gujarati languages in educational, social or cultural fields:

Provided further that the Government shall not, in granting aid to any educational or cultural institution, discriminate against such institution only on the ground of language;

(2) Nothing contained in sub-section (1) shall preclude any person from submitting any representation for the redress of any grievances to any officer or authority of the Union territory in any of the languages used in the Union territory.

4. Continued use of English language. – Notwithstanding anything contained in section 3, the English language shall continue to be used in addition to the languages specified in that section for all or any of the official purposes of the Union territory.

5. Laying of notification before Legislative Assembly. - Every notification issued under this Act shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is issued, before the Legislative Assembly while it is in session for a total period of fourteen days which may be comprised in one session or in two successive sessions, and if before the expiry of the session in which it is so laid or the session immediately following, the Legislative Assembly agree in making any modification in the notification or agree that the notification should not be issued, the notification shall thereafter have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect as the case may be; so, however, that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity of anything previously done under that notification.

Back to Acts & Rules