Mangaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Sunday said that State government would set up a Konkani study chair at Mangaluru University and promised required financial support from the government in this regard.

The Chief Minister was responding to an appeal made by Dr. P. Dayananda Pai, president of the Bengaluru Konkani Samaj, at the award ceremony of the Karnataka Sahitya Academy. 

Rs. 1 crore for the study chair

Pai said at least Rs. One crore was needed to set up an academic chair for research and development for the language – Konkani, at the university. He said the Konkani community would raise upto Rs 50 lakh and requested the chief minister to contribute an equal sum.

Siddaramaiah said the financial assistance requested for the Konkani study chair would be provided in the next financial year. He appreciated the community’s efforts in preserving Konkani though there is no script for the language.