Celso Fernandes has been elected as president of the new working committee of Dalgado Konknni Akademi. Celso polled 127 votes out of the 130 in the elections.
The elections were held as per the constitution of the Akademi on February 26, 2023.
Earlier, Afonso Braganza, Fr Alfred Vas, Daniel F de Souza, Fr Myron Jeson Barreto, William Fernandes and Savio Pinto had filed for the post of members of the working committee.
As there were only six members who filed nominations, they were declared elected unopposed as members of the working committee.
On the same day, the presiding officer, Adv Pritam Lotlikar, administered the oath of office to the seven newly elected members, including the president.
In the first meeting of the new working committee held on March 6, 2023, the President, Celso Fernandes, designated William Fernandes as the Vice-President, Fr Myron Jeson Barreto as the Secretary and Afonso Braganza as the Treasurer.
The President, together with the working committee, unanimously nominated four members, namely Tomazinho Cardozo, Premanand A Lotlikar, Vincy Quadros and Teotonio Costa representing the associations.
In fulfilment of the constitutional requirements, two women namely Dr Glenis Mendonca and Sonia Gomes representing North and South Goa, respectively, were nominated.
The Akademi was established in 1988 with Fr Freddy J D Costa as its first president, followed by Fr Antimo Gomes in 1989 and then Tomazinho Cardoso in 2004.
The Dalgado Konknni Akademi works for the purpose of protecting and promoting Konkani language in Roman Script. Its aim is to support a number of writers of Konkani in Roman script to publish their books.
The Akademi also strives to establish, organise and recognise schools, other educational institutions and activities for the promotion and development of Konkani language, literature and culture.
It promotes research of the past and present literary production in Konkani language and in all other living forms of Konkani language, literature and culture.
It also holds and organizes seminars, conferences, workshops, exhibitions, lectures and competitions of different types and fosters other appropriate means for the study and development of Konkani language, literature and culture.