Mumbai, Aug 12 (PTI) Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik on Wednesday said the government will not extend the August 15 deadline for non-Marathi taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers to learn Marathi.
“Marathi is the language of Maharashtra, and drivers providing public transport services here should have basic functional knowledge of the language. We have given them sufficient time to learn Marathi. From August 15, functional Marathi will be mandatory for taxi and auto-rickshaw drivers in Maharashtra,” the minister told PTI Videos.
On August 17, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde will present certificates to hundreds of auto-rickshaw drivers who have completed the Marathi training course organised by the government, he said.
“There is no need
to extend the deadline any further. Action will be taken as per the new rules,” Sarnaik said, adding, “We are not asking them to become experts in Marathi, they only need sufficient functional knowledge to communicate with passengers.” More than one lakh drivers have already completed the three-month functional Marathi training, and it shows that the drivers have understood the importance of learning the local language and are cooperating with the government, he said.
The minister also informed that the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation will provide 5,220 additional buses for Konkan routes from September ahead of the festive season. PTI SB KRK
