Ponda: Alarmed by the ‘illegality’ of change in names and surnames by non-Goans and adoption of Goan names and surnames, Gomantak Bhandari Samaj (GBS) has filed a complaint with sub-registrar of birth and deaths seeking strict action and has also urged the state government to notify the amendments to the Goa Change of Name and Surname Act, 1990 that were passed in the state assembly in the month of August last year.
Gomantak Bhandari Samaj in the complaint to the sub-registrar has stated that only correction in the names or surname should be allowed by the department not change of the name. Secondly people who have a history of similar surnames should be allowed to change their name only after presenting proper documents proving the same.
GBS has filed the complaint taking cognizance of the advertisement published in the newspaper wherein one Jayprakash Irappa Sutagatticar had changed his name to Prakash Irappa Naik.
GBS president Ashok Naik stated that most non-Goans are adopting Naik as surname by changing their original surname. In Goa most of the persons with the Naik surname belong to Gomantak Bhandari Samaj which comes under other backward class category and in order to take advantage of the Naik Bhandari Samaj people are frequently applying to change their surname as Naik, he said.
This needs to be stopped completely for which the government should notify the amendments in the Goa Change of Names and Surname Act 1990, which was done last year.
Despite the amendments in the Goa Change of names and surname act 1990 and also prescribing jail term of up to three months for violators to the bill, non-Goans are doing the malpractice as amendment in the bill is not yet notified. The government should notify the said bill as early as possible so as to stop the illegality of changing surname, GBS president Ashok Naik said.
Secondly whenever some person files an application for change of surname as Naik, the department should consult GBS for verifying if the person is of Goan origin or has a background of Naik surname, Naik added.
