Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik announces drivers will get a chance to learn Marathi before facing action under new motor vehicle rules. Initiative targets auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers.
The government would not immediately cancel permits or licenses of drivers who do not know Marathi, Sarnaik assured, stressing that the aim was not to deprive them of their livelihood but to ensure those providing passenger transport services in Maharashtra possess a working knowledge of the language.
Nearly six lakh auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers operating in Maharashtra, in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), will be brought under a Marathi-language learning initiative, he said at a press conference here.
“There are around 9.16 lakh auto-rickshaws and 61,657 taxis in Maharashtra. A large number of them operate in the MMR. We have decided to continue the initiative and make efforts to teach Marathi to those who do not know the language,” Sarnaik said.
The minister informed that more than 1.65 lakh persons from across the country participated in the Marathi-learning initiative launched by the state a few months back.
“After this initiative, 1,65,601 drivers from across the state have come forward,” Sarnaik said, adding that the Marathi Language Department would work with the Transport Department and other officials to take the initiative forward.
“We will not deny anyone a permit, license or badge. First, we will give them notice and an opportunity to learn Marathi. If they do not learn Marathi within the stipulated period, action will be taken as per the rules,” Sarnaik said.
The process would involve a 30-day notice and, if the driver continues to remain non-compliant, further action could be taken under the rules, including suspension or cancellation of the relevant authorisation, he stated.
The objective was not to deprive drivers of their livelihood but to ensure that those providing passenger transport services in Maharashtra have a working knowledge of Marathi, he maintained.
“The responsibility is to teach Marathi. We want people to learn the language, and therefore we have decided to continue this project,” Sarnaik added.
The government would discuss the detailed procedure with officials and formulate a programme, including a longer-term training exercise, he said.
“Marathi is a matter of language and culture. It is also connected with the identity of Maharashtra. Those who live and do business in Maharashtra should make an effort to speak Marathi,” he said.
Referring to Maharashtra’s border areas, Sarnaik said linguistic exchanges were common, with people living along the borders often speaking the languages of neighbouring states.
Marathi-speaking people in border areas learn languages such as Kannada and Gujarati, while people from neighbouring states also learn Marathi, he noted.
Around 1.25 lakh auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers have completed a functional Marathi proficiency training programme under a 105-day campaign launched by the Maharashtra government jointly with local outfits, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Monday.
Transport Minister Sarnaik launched the campaign following a survey indicating communication gaps among non-Marathi drivers, despite 1989 rules requiring basic Marathi proficiency for driving licences. More than 1,65,600 transport workers registered during the three-and-a-half-month initiative.
Marathi Language Minister Uday Samant said future phases of the campaign aim to elevate drivers from functional to literary Marathi.
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