Marathi must for all commercial passenger vehicle drivers: Maha minister

Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has announced that all commercial passenger vehicle drivers in Maharashtra must have a working knowledge of Marathi, with strict actions planned for non-compliance.

Drivers of all commercial passenger vehicles in Maharashtra must have a working knowledge of Marathi, Maharashtra transport minister Pratap Sarnaik said on Monday, while warning of strict action against those who refuse to learn the language.

Sarnaik said demands of autorickshaw and taxi unions to give non-Marathi drivers a fixed time to learn the language were reasonable and are being considered, he said.

The minister's comments have come amid appeals from various quarters to defer the government's plan to make Marathi compulsory for autorickshaw and taxi drivers from May 1.

Speaking at a meeting held at Mantralaya, the minister said the state government is firm on the language requirement, as drivers regularly interact with passengers and should be able to communicate in basic Marathi.

Drivers of all commercial passenger vehicles in the state must have a working knowledge of Marathi, he said, without specifying the categories of vehicles.

Transport commissioner Rajesh Narvekar, labour leaders Shashank Rao and Haji Arafat Shaikh, and Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam, along with representatives of autorickshaw and taxi unions, were present at the meeting, an official release issued here said.

Sarnaik said while Maharashtra is a progressive state and employment generation is a key priority of the government, having a basic knowledge of Marathi is a minimum expectation while doing business in the state and dealing with the public.

"As the state language, Marathi must be respected, and non-Marathi drivers should learn it," he said.

The minister said the government is taking steps to teach drivers basic Marathi needed for day-to-day communication, and organisations such as the Mumbai Marathi Sahitya Sangh and Konkan Marathi Sahitya Parishad, along with writers, have supported the initiative.

Autorickshaw and taxi unions have also agreed to cooperate, he added.

He further said that a meeting of 59 regional and deputy regional transport officers has been scheduled at the Transport Commissionerate on Tuesday to discuss the issue in detail and take appropriate decisions.

The government is also planning to introduce a short course on functional Marathi for drivers and will conduct awareness campaigns to help them learn the language, he added.