Mumbai: The Maharashtra government will continue its initiative to provide practical Marathi language training to non-Marathi-speaking autorickshaw and taxi drivers, Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik said on Tuesday.
Marathi training initiative
He said drivers would be given an initial one-month period to learn Marathi, followed, if required, by an additional three months. During this period, their badges would not be cancelled, though suspension action could be taken as per the law.
Drivers who deliberately refuse to learn Marathi even after the extended period could face cancellation of their badges, he said.
Sarnaik said around 1.65 lakh auto rickshaw and taxi drivers across the state have been trained in Marathi under a special 105-day programme launched by the Transport Department as part of its social responsibility initiative.
Political controversy over language
Moreover, Sarnaik alleged that some leaders were deliberately trying to create a “Marathi-Hindi” controversy in Mumbai and Thane, allegedly with an eye on elections in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
He appealed to citizens and drivers not to believe rumours.
“No autorickshaw or taxi driver has been fined even Rs 500,” Sarnaik said, rejecting claims that drivers were being forced to pay fines of Rs 20,000 to Rs 25,000 for not having working knowledge of Marathi.
Sarnaik said Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Nirupam, the party's north Indian face, Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi, auto-rickshaw and taxi union leader Shashank Rao and others had contacted him over the issue.
Drivers seek more time
Shashank Rao, a taxi and auto-rickshaw union leader, said he has sought three months from the government for drivers to learn Marathi and the government had agreed.
"There is panic among drivers as centres to learn the Marathi language are not operational after August 15, but the issue has been resolved now," he added.
Training workshops will continue through the Konkan Marathi Sahitya Parishad and Mumbai Marathi Sahitya Sangh in Mumbai, Thane, Bhiwandi, Nalasopara, Vasai-Virar and Navi Mumbai.
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Campaign to continue
Sarnaik said the government’s Marathi language campaign, including the ‘Hinduhṛiday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray Marathi Language Campaign’, would continue.
He stressed that the government was committed to creating employment rather than taking away livelihoods and urged people not to be misled by rumours.
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