Now, Maharashtra CM asks railways to recruit locals

"Locals must be given importance. Whoever is a domicile of Maharashtra must first get an employment opportunityirrespective of the language the people of Maharashtra speak or the belief they follow", Maharashtra CM Ashok Chavan said while urging Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee to keep this in mind in railway recruitment.

Playing the Maharashtrian card, Chief Minister Ashok Chavan today said people domiciled in the state should be given local employment opportunity first.

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"Locals must be given importance. Whoever is a domicile of Maharashtra must first get an employment opportunity
irrespective of the language the people of Maharashtra speak or the belief they follow", Chavan said while urging Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee to keep this in mind in railway recruitment.

However, he said his government does not support agitations based on language and region. "It is not our
policy."

His remarks come against the backdrop of MNS launching a "Marathi manoos" campaign and assault on candidates from North India appearing in railway exams in Maharashtra.

Banerjee, for her part, said railway recruitment exams will be conducted in regional languages simultaneously with
English and Hindi. In Maharashtra, the exams will be held in Marathi and in other states, these will be held in local
languages," she told reporters.