Maharashtra: Fresh circular issued making Marathi mandatory in central government offices

Maharashtra government has issued a circular asking the central government office to use Marathi language in its day to day work.

State government has asked to use Marathi at railway stations, airport and also during government examinations.

Though "Marathi" is the official language of State of Maharashtra under the Maharashtra Official languages Act, 1964 and Amendment Act, 2015 and its jurisdiction is whole of the state.

Also, as per Tri-language formula of the Central Government, it is mandatory to use Regional language, i.e. Marathi language along with English and Hindi in all offices and establishments of the Central Government in the state of Maharashtra and other offices of the Central Government which provides banking, telephone, post, insurance, railway, metro, mono-rail, airline, gas, petroleum, taxation, etc. services to the people in the State of Maharashtra.

As per the new circular issued on Tuesday, 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 govt offices...So we want it to be implemented strictly and we have written a letter to all central govt offices to follow the rule...Whatever services that are provided by the govt should reach the commoners without any language barrier.. apart from English and Hindi, Marathi should be used..." said Marathi Language Minister Vinod Tawde.

According to the new circular, Government of Maharashtra 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 of Maharashtra.

- 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 of Maharashtra.

- Use Marathi language and Devnagari script in all pro forma, 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 State of Maharashtra.

-  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.

"Our party supremo had issued a warning to govt establishments as well as private companies to conduct their day to day proceedings in Marathi. The new circular is only because of the continuous efforts of our party... We have aggressively followed the issue of Marathi be it this circular or Marathi name plates," said Manoj Chavhan, President of the labour wing of the party.

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.

"The law is in place since 1977.But just a few days after Raj Thackeray raised this issue the state govt has deliberately bright the circular.. this shows yet again that the state govt ia in tacit understanding with Raj..." Alleged Sanjay Nirupam, President of the Mumbai Congress.