The Maharashtra government has issued a circular asking the central government offices to use Marathi language in its day-to-day work.
The state government has directed the use of Marathi at railway stations, airport and also during government examinations.
Though Marathi is the official language in Maharashtra under the Maharashtra Official Languages Act, 1964 and Amendment Act, 2015, its use is not rampant.
Also, as per tri-language formula of the central government, it is mandatory to use regional language - Marathi along with English and Hindi in the case of Maharashtra - in all offices and establishments of the central government in the state. It applies to other offices of the central government which provide banking, telephone, post, insurance, railway, metro, mono rail, airline, gas, petroleum, taxation and similar services to the people in the western state.
As per the new circular issued on Tuesday, the Maharashtra government says that it has been brought to their notice that excluding the state government offices, the central government offices in the state are not using Marathi language effectively along with English and Hindi.
"There is already a rule in place but it is not followed in several central government offices. So we want it to be implemented strictly and we have written a letter to all central government offices to follow the rule. Whatever services that are provided by the government should reach the commoners without any language barrier. Apart from English and Hindi, Marathi should be used," said Marathi Language Minister Vinod Tawde.
The Maharashtra government's fresh circular has issued the following instructions:
- Use Marathi language in all correspondences, communications and in oral and written transactions and interaction with the people in the state.
- Use Marathi in all the instructions, public notices, notice boards, indicators and name plates to be displayed for the information of the general public in the state.
- Use Marathi language and Devnagri script in all proforma, forms, application forms, reservation forms, passenger tickets, all bank and post slips and all public related documents.
- Use the Marathi language in arrival and departure indicators and time table of the railway trains, metro, mono-rail and flights, train name boards, coach or bogie numbers, name of stations terminals, ports and air ports, notice and instruction boards and public announcements systems in the state.
- Offices should incorporate regional language in the service rules of its officers and employees and make provisions in recruitment rules about the mandatory qualification of Marathi language.
- Use Marathi along with English and Hindi languages in all written and oral examinations, which are conducted at the time of appointment of the various posts in all above mentioned offices.
Recently during a public rally in Thane, MNS supremo Raj Thackeray had also issued a warning to banks asking them to transact in Marathi. The party is calling the new circular as a moral victory.
But, the timing of the circular has raised suspicion among a few. Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam has called this yet another attempt by the state govt to promote Raj Thackeray.