In Maharashtra, you need to speak Marathi to get new auto permit

New DelhiIn a copntroversial move theBJPShiv Sena government in Maharashtra has decided thatauto rickshaw permits in future will be issued to only thosewho can speak Marathi languageTransport Minister Diwakar Raote a Shiv Sena member inDevendra Fadnavis Ministry today said the government haddecided to issue quite a large number of autorickshaw permitsand the only conditions for applicants is that they shouldspeak Marathi and should be residents of respecive localitiesfor 15 yearsAfter November 1 permit for new auto rickshaw will be given only to those applicants who can speak Marathi said Maharashtra Transport Minister Diwakar RaoteRepresentational PicOpposition Congress and NCP were quick to slam thedecision accusing Sena and BJP of whipping up thesonsofthesoil sentiment for making gains in Mumbai civicpolls due in early 2017As a Diwali gift to the people the government will issue1 lakh fresh auto permits in the Mumbai MetropolitanRegion which includes parts of adjoining districts and 25per cent of the existing number of autos in other parts of theState Raote told reportersIn 1997 the then government had stopped issuing freshauto permits But in the last 15 years the population of thestate has increased rapidly and we think at least one lakhfresh permits need to be issued in MMR region alone he saidThe only conditions the applicant must be able to fulfilare he should speak Marathi and be a resident ofrespective locality for at least 15 years he addedThe Minister made it clear those who do not fulfil thesetwo conditions would not be issued permits Criticising the Marathi string attached to decisionCongress and NCP leaders said BJP and Shiv Sena were onceagain raking up Marathi Manoos sons of the soil issue inview of coming Mumbai civic elections slated in early 2017Congress said the maximum a government can do is toensure an autodriver knows the topography of the cityMumbai is a cosmopolitan city where people of all faithsand other states stay In such an environment there cannot beany discrimination in the name of language The government canensure a driver knows the topography of the city but cannotdiscriminate Mumbai Congress President Sanjay Nirupam saidNCP leader Sachin Ahir said the decision makes it seemthat those running the government are extremistsThey are simply raking up Marathi manoos issue ahead ofMumbai civic body elections When I was Transport Minister weonly expected people to know various languages includingMarathi but never imposed rules on them It seems thisgovernment is being run by extremists he saidThe Mumbai Auto Rickshawmenrsquos Union had some months back demanded issuance of one lakh new auto rickshaw permits for the city ldquoWe want the state government to release at least one lakh new permits in Mumbairdquo Shashank Rao the unionrsquos leader had said in March 2015Union members alleged that there has been a negligible increase in the number of autos across the city due to nonissuance of new permits and nonrenewal of the expired ones They claimed that about 20000 dead permits could be renewedCheck illegal autosBesides demanding new permits the union also raked up the issue of 30000odd illegal autos operating in the Eastern and Western suburbsSources from the Transport department claimed these unauthorised autos generally ply short distances mostly from railway stations to nearby residential colonies or business centres The union even complained against operators of private jeeps cars and buses mostly hired by call centres of poaching passengers from the Eastern and Western Express HighwaysThese vehicles union members said charge anywhere between Rs 10 and Rs 20 depending on distance and usually operate from Dahisar Borivli Goregaon Andheri Bandra Powai Vikhroli and other areas where offices are locatedldquoThe government is not taking adequate action against these vehicles operating illegallyrdquo Rao said To drive their points home the union has planned a morcha outside the Transport departmentrsquos office in Bandra on April 7Postgraduate applicantsInterestingly a large number ofpostgraduates had applied for autorickshaw permits in last year Out of 175 lakh applications received a good 4500 of them were postgraduates and graduatesWith inputs from reporters