The State government had announced in April that non-Marathi drivers must have basic proficiency in the language.
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Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday announced that the government has decided to give autorickshaw and taxi drivers one year to learn “functional Marathi”.
The Chief Minister made the announcement after a delegation of representatives of autorickshaw and taxi drivers, led by Haji Arfat Shaikh, met him.
“They requested one year’s time. The State government has accepted their demand. No action will be taken against the during this period. Marathi classes will be organised and study material will be provided to help migrant drivers learn functional Marathi. They have come forward and are willing to learn. Therefore, it was necessary to give them time,” Mr. Fadnavis said.
Facing backlash
The move comes days after the Transport Department headed by Shiv Sena Minister Pratap Sarnaik carried out a checking drive and issued notices to drivers who failed a Marathi test.
The State government faced backlash by a section of drivers, especially ahead of the 2027 Assembly election in Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Uttar Pradesh. Maharashtra hosts a large workforce from U.P. across major economic hubs like Mumbai, Pune, and Nashik.
Mr. Fadnavis said the representatives shared the concerns of drivers. “They support the decision to learn functional Marathi, but said people of different age groups are in the profession. Many of them left studies years ago. In such a short span, it is difficult for them to learn the language. They have made an elaborate plan to learn functional Marathi in one year. So, the State government will help them learn it,” he said.
The government had announced in April that non-Marathi drivers must attain basic proficiency in the State’s official language and set August 15 as the deadline. Marathi classes were then organised for the drivers in the interim period.
Meanwhile, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde lauded Maharashtra Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik for the bid to bring and implement the decision. He said that 1.60 lakh non-Marathi people learnt the language because of this initiative. He also said that 15,000 to 20,000 auto and taxi drivers were certified in Mumbai alone.
Published – August 28, 2026 02:05 am IST
