No action will be taken against drivers during this period for not having the required knowledge of the state’s official language, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced, 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.
Also read: No need to make drivers Marathi experts, basic communication enough: Devendra Fadnavis
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Fadnavis said that representatives of auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers’ organisations, led by Haji Arfat Shaikh, met him and fully supported the rule that drivers should learn basic Marathi and were willing to learn it.
However, the representatives, the CM said, 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.
“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, as quoted by PTI. During the one-year period allocated by the government, Marathi classes will be organised and study material will be provided to help auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers learn functional Marathi.
“They have themselves come forward and are willing to learn. Therefore, it was necessary to give them time,” he added.Earlier in April, the state government had announced 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 including auto rickshaw and taxi drivers, for not having adequate knowledge of Marathi on the first day of state-wide checking, Sarnaik had informed.
