Maharashtra transport minister Pratap Sarnaik brings Marathi training for auto, cab drivers back on agenda | HT Exclusive

Transport minister Pratap Sarnaik has directed the RTO to set up 25 training centres across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

After chief minister Devendra Fadnavis in August intervened in the issue of non-Marathi auto/taxi drivers needing to learn Marathi and extended the deadline granted to them for this, it appeared like the dust had settled on the issue.

Maharashtra transport minister and Shiv Sena leader Pratap Sarnaik. (HT Photo)

However, transport minister and Shiv Sena leader Pratap Sarnaik has brought the issue back on his agenda, and on Tuesday met transport department officials to strategise the next phase of the ‘Maharashtra Majha! Marathi Majhi Samvad Bhasha!’ campaign.

Fadnavis’ decision to grant drivers a year to learn the language was a political one driven by the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh in early 2027. Migrant drivers from the state and the BJP’s UP leaders had opposed the scheme, and the CM acquiesced. However, Sarnaik, who appears determined to enforce the regulation, on Tuesday directed the Regional Transport Office to establish 25 Marathi training centres in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), and urged auto/taxi drivers to enroll. He also warned that while the government had provided some relief, it had not abandoned the mandatory Marathi requirement.

Experts from an interview by HT:

Why has this controversial issue been brought back?

According to permit regulations, auto-taxi drivers must possess a working knowledge of the local language. Many non-Marathi auto and taxi drivers are unable to speak Marathi despite living in the state for decades. The CM has provided a one-year extension to them; however, it should not be viewed as an opportunity to avoid learning but as extra time to prepare.

Since Fadnavis had granted a stay on action against errant drivers, how is the transport department implementing such a drive?

We are adhering to the CM’s orders and have halted punitive measures. However, he did not indicate that the compulsory Marathi mandate would not be enforced; he merely offered a one-year reprieve for drivers to learn the language. We are facilitating this training within the next four months, and it will require the drivers to attend only four days of sessions. Our initiative aligns with the directives issued by CM Fadnavis.

Who will conduct the training sessions?

The transport department, in collaboration with the Konkan Marathi Sahitya Parishad and the Mumbai Marathi Sahitya Sangh, will offer training across 180 centres with 1,800 teachers throughout Maharashtra. Twenty-five of these centres will be located in MMR. We urge auto and cab drivers to take advantage of this opportunity.

Did your first phase of training achieve anything?

Maharashtra has approximately 978,000 drivers—around 916,000 of these drive auto rickshaws and nearly 61,000 are taxi drivers. In MMR alone, there are 440,238 auto-rickshaw drivers and 43,106 taxi drivers.

In the first phase, only 165,000 drivers learned Marathi. We are urging all drivers to complete their Marathi language training in the second phase.

The CM’s stay does not imply that the regulations have been rescinded.