Mumbai, April 28 -- Amid rising tensions over the proposed mandatory use of Marathi for auto-rickshaw and taxi drivers across Maharashtra, Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik has clarified the government's position, signalling a more balanced and phased approach to implementation.
The clarification follows the earlier announcement that Marathi would be made compulsory from May 1, which had triggered strong reactions from driver unions.
In protest, several unions had issued a strike notice for May 4, raising concerns over potential disruption to public transport services in the state.
In response, the minister convened a high-level meeting with officials of the Regional Transport Office (RTO), where key decisions were taken to ease tensions...