Such autorickshaw and cab drivers in Maharashtra, who do not possess working knowledge of Marathi, have received a respite on Thursday, as the state government announced that it has extended its deadline for them to learn the language by a year. Maharashtra Chief Minister (CM) Devendra Fadnavis has put the proposed policy on hold, which could have led to the cancellation of the licenses and permits of the drivers.

The decision comes amid mounting protests by the drivers, and days after the state’s Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik warned that licenses and permits of the drivers unable to speak Marathi would eventually be cancelled.

CM Fadnavis said no action would be taken against drivers over the language requirement during the additional year. He added that representatives of autorickshaw and taxi drivers’ organisations had met him and had sought more time for drivers to learn Marathi.

Greenlighting their demand, the state government decided to extend the deadline by a year.

Drivers in Mumbai protest against Marathi language directive

Nearly two days after autorickshaw drivers in Mumbai launched a 3-day-long strike on August 24 to protest against the Marathi language directive, the state government landed on the decision on Thursday.

While the drivers maintained that they were not opposed to learning Marathi, they objected to the possibility of being penalised without being provided sufficient time to fulfil the requirement.

Drivers narrate ordeal

Meanwhile, certain drivers also voiced concerns about their ability to get a hang of the language quickly. Some of them, aged between 55 and 60, who claimed to never have attended school, questioned how they could be expected to learn the language within a short period.

One of the drivers said they were persevering in efforts to communicate in broken Marathi, but were still facing the prospect of penalties. Another claimed drivers feared fines ranging from Rs 15,000 to Rs 20,000.

During the agitation, Minister Sarnaik had directed the Regional Transport Office (RTO) officials not to impose fines before the one-month notice period expires.

He had said the August 12 government resolution gave drivers a month to learn Marathi, followed by another three months if they were unable to meet the requirement. He, however, added that continued non-compliance could culminate in the cancellation of their driving licenses.

“Basic Marathi is enough,” says Govt

Sarnaik also said as many as 1.65 lakh non-Marathi cab and autorickshaw drivers had already attended Marathi classes. Meanwhile, CM Fadnavis clarified that drivers were not required to become fluent in Marathi, and the government’s expectation was limited to basic, work-related Marathi which would pave the way for them to communicate with passengers.