New Delhi: The Maharashtra government has made it mandatory for licensed autorickshaw and taxi drivers in the state to demonstrate basic knowledge of Marathi from May 1. The transport department will soon launch a verification drive across 59 regional and sub-regional transport offices across the state.
State transport minister Pratap Sarnaik, in a statement, has said auto drivers should be able to read and write Marathi or their licenses will be cancelled.
“From May 1, coinciding with Maharashtra Day, it will be mandatory for all licensed rickshaw and taxi drivers to know Marathi. A state-wide inspection campaign will be conducted through 59 regional and sub-regional offices of the Motor Transport Department to verify if drivers can read and write the language, the statement read.
Rule already in place, minister says
Sarnaik added that the rule is already in place for the drivers to have the knowledge of the local language but many choose to ignore. He added that the transport department has received complaints from various parts of the state including Mumbai, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Nagar and Nagpur about drivers being either unwilling or unable to communicate with passengers in Marathi.
“It is everyone’s duty to learn the language of the region where they conduct business. While it is important to be proud of one’s mother tongue, it is equally vital to respect the state’s language while working there,” Sarnaik added.
What the minister said about misuse
Speaking about the implementation and possible misuse of the directive, Sarnaik warned of strict action against transport officials found guilty of issuing licenses without following the rules.
Meanwhile, drivers’ unions have said that they will challenge the order in high court saying the order will have a bearing on their livelihood.
A TOI report mentioned that there could be random checks of drivers knowledge of Marathi language by flying squads of RTOs. Moreover, camps will be set up at RTOs and drivers will be called to demonstrate their knowledge of Marathi.