Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday announced that auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers will get one year to learn functional Marathi. No action will be taken against drivers during this period for not knowing the state’s official language.

Driver demand

The decision came after representatives of auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers’ organisations, led by Haji Arfat Shaikh, met Fadnavis. They supported the rule requiring drivers to learn basic Marathi but said many drivers belong to different age groups and had left formal education years ago, making it difficult to learn the language in a short period. “They requested that they be given one year. The state government has accepted their demand and is giving them one year. No action will be taken during this period,” Fadnavis said.