Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis granted drivers a one-year grace period for Marathi language skills.
The reprieve came days after the transport department, headed by Shiv Sena minister Pratap Sarnaik, launched statewide inspections and issued notices to more than 4,000 drivers who failed Marathi proficiency tests. The government had initially announced the Marathi language requirement in April, with non-Marathi-speaking drivers expected to acquire basic language skills by August 15. Because many belonged to different age groups and had left formal education years ago, fadnavis said drivers supported the government’s objective of ensuring that commercial passenger vehicle operators could communicate with commuters in basic Marathi, but needed more time.
Fadnavis said no punitive action would be taken against drivers during the one-year period and announced that the government would organise Marathi classes and provide study material to help them learn commonly used phrases needed for daily interactions with passengers. The chief minister announced the decision after meeting representatives of auto and taxi associations led by BJP transport union leader Haji Arfat Shaikh. MUMBAI: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis ’s decision to give auto and taxi drivers a one-year grace period to acquire working knowledge of Marathi has eased immediate tensions over the state’s language compliance drive, but may also expose differences within the ruling Mahayuti alliance. RTOs, literary organisations and transport authorities subsequently conducted training programmes across the state.
“The Shinde Sena seems to have introduced the Marathi diktat to take on the Sena (UBT) and MNS on their Marathi manoos plank.
Political observers said the Shinde-led Sena’s push for Marathi proficiency among auto and taxi drivers appears aimed at reclaiming the Marathi manoos space from Shiv Sena (UBT) and the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. So there is competition between the two Senas to woo Marathi voters, and this is being done through auto and taxi drivers,” a political observer said. The issue assumes significance after Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray set aside their long-standing differences during the BMC polls and sought to consolidate the Marathi vote. Their coming together helped dent the Shinde Sena in the BMC polls.