SENA, CONGRESS ARGUE OVER MARATHI TEST FOR AUTO DRIVERS

MUMBAI: The Shiv Sena and the Congress are at loggerheads over the process to allot new autor ickshaw permits. The bone of contention: Transport authori ties have made it mandatory for applicants to pass a Marathi lan guage test to be eligible to get the permit.

City Congress leaders alleged transport officials are asking applicants tough ques tions, while transport minister Diwakar Raote said they are testing their basic knowledge of the language.

In a letter to chief minis ter Devendra Fadanvis, city Congress president Sanjay Nirupam alleged that by asking tough questions, RTO officials are denying poor non-mahar ashtrian drivers the chance to get autorickshaw permits. “The government should first give permits to autorickshaw driv ers and then they should start Marathi language classes for them,” he said.

He also said the Nagpur bench of the Bombay high court has restrained the trans port department from declar ing the results of the Marath language test for autorickshaw drivers.

“Even the Constitution does not allow the government to dif ferentiate among individuals in the name of language,” he said.

While addressing the media after paying a visit to ongo ing tests being conducted at Andheri RTO, Raote said they are just testing applicants basic knowledge.

“Marathi is a state lan guage...they [auto drivers] should at least be able to read and speak Marathi, as traf fic boards in the state are in Marathi and most passengers speak the language,” said Raote. He said the drivers who did not appear for the test will be given a chance to appear for it on March 7.

Raote also said around 80% drivers have passed the Marathi language test and many of them were also issued a letter of intent.