Maha auto, taxi drivers to be trained in Marathi: Fadnavis Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Friday that the state government will provide free training in Marathi for autorickshaw and taxi drivers who lack proficiency in the language. Fadnavis emphasized that while promoting Marathi is essential for the state’s cultural identity, the government will not enforce a language on anyone. Speaking at a public event in Nagpur, he stated, “The government’s role is to ensure that drivers who do not know Marathi receive training. Forcing any language is not right, but we will support them in learning the language without causing injustice.” The initiative follows a directive from Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik, who revealed that two literary organizations—the Mumbai Marathi Sahitya Sangh and the Konkan Marathi Sahitya Parishad—have agreed to collaborate on the training program. Sarnaik announced that a curriculum for functional Marathi instruction will be developed soon. The Konkan Marathi Sahitya Parishad plans to conduct in-person classes through its 72 branches, while the Mumbai Marathi Sahitya Sangh will offer online lessons led by volunteer teachers. The training will be free of charge, with the goal of improving communication between drivers and passengers. Sarnaik also outlined a statewide verification drive set to begin on May 1, Maharashtra Day, to assess drivers’ knowledge of Marathi. Drivers failing to meet the standard risk losing their licenses and badges. This measure comes after complaints from passengers in Mumbai, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, and Nagpur about drivers’ inability to communicate in Marathi. However, the plan has faced strong opposition from drivers’ unions, particularly in Mumbai.#devendra_fadnavis #pratap_sarnaik #mumbai_marathi_sahitya_sangh #konkan_marathi_sahitya_parishad #maharashtra_motor_vehicles_rules
