Maharashtra Minister and Shiv Sena leader Subhash Desai on Thursday said that introduction of the Marathi Rajbhasha Bill was necessary as the Maharashtra Official Language Act, 1964 did not make it mandatory for the local authorities to use Marathi in their official works.

"In the Maharashtra Official Languages Act, 1964, there was no mention of making the Marathi language mandatory in local bodies and state-run corporations and societies, and therefore this bill was introduced," Desai said while putting forward the bill in the assembly.