On Thursday, Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik announced that notices were issued to 1,268 commercial passenger vehicle drivers, primarily auto rickshaw and taxi operators, for lacking sufficient knowledge of Marathi. This enforcement action marks the first day of a state-wide initiative aimed at ensuring language proficiency among drivers in Maharashtra.
After announcing in May that basic proficiency in Marathi is compulsory, the state government introduced a course in Marathi for the benefit of non-Marathi drivers. Announcing the month-long drive on Wednesday, minister Sarnaik had said that the government did not intend to take away anyone’s livelihood, but wanted to ensure that the Marathi language and the state’s identity and culture were preserved. “What is meant by working knowledge is not clearly defined.
In the MMR, 604 drivers were found to be lacking working knowledge of Marathi. In the rest of the state, 4,222 drivers were tested and 664 were issued notices, the minister said. The checking drive will continue until September 30, he said. It had also set a deadline of August 15 for them to learn Marathi.
The notices were issued by the Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) across the state, and these drivers were given one month to acquire the required working knowledge of the state’s primary language, failing which their badges will be suspended for three months, the minister said. “Possessing working knowledge of Marathi is not merely a matter of following rules but is also about the convenience and safety of passengers,” the minister said. Obviously, it will fuel corruption in the RTOs,” DM Gosavi, leader of the Seva Sarathi Taxi Union, said.
