Maharashtra's auto, cab drivers to get one year to learn Marathi, says CM Fadnavis

No action will be taken against drivers during this period for not having required knowledge of state's official language, Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis said

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday announced that the state government has decided to give auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers one year to learn functional Marathi.

No action will be taken against drivers during this period for not having the required knowledge of the state's official language, he said, days after the Transport Department headed by Shiv Sena minister Pratap Sarnaik carried out a checking drive and issued notices to the drivers who failed a Marathi test.

Representatives of auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers' organisations, led by Haji Arfat Shaikh, met him, Fadnavis told reporters, adding that they fully supported the rule that drivers should learn basic Marathi and were willing to learn it.

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However, the representatives pointed out that drivers belong to different age groups and many of them had left formal education years ago, making it difficult to learn Marathi in a short period, the chief minister said.

"They requested that they be given one year's time. The state government has accepted their demand and is giving them one year. No action will be taken during this period," Fadnavis said.

During the one-year period, Marathi classes will be organised and study material will be provided to help auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers learn functional Marathi, he said.

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"They have themselves come forward and are willing to learn. Therefore, it was necessary to give them time," the chief minister said.

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The government had announced in April that non-Marathi drivers must learn basic Marathi, and set a deadline of August 15 while organising Marathi classes for them.

On August 20, the transport department issued notices to 1,268 commercial passenger vehicle drivers - mainly auto rickshaw and taxi drivers - for not having adequate knowledge of Marathi on the first day of state-wide checking, Sarnaik had informed.

The drivers failing the Marathi test were given one month to acquire the working knowledge of the state's primary language, failing which their badges will be suspended for three months, the minister had said.