New Delhi:
As Chief Minister Ashok Chavan furiously back-peddles to try and limit damage caused by his government's announcement yesterday on rules for taxi drivers, it turns out that the state government's claim on the original law is also not quite accurate.
In the wake of a storm on Wednesday, the Maharashtra government had said that its decision to give taxi permits to only those who spoke, read and wrote Marathi and had been in the state for 15 years, only revived what was originally in the motor vehicles Act of the state.
But the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Act of 1989 only requires applicants for taxi permits to have a topographical knowledge of the area of operation and working knowledge of Marathi and any one of the languages commonly spoken there.
It says: "A metal badge shall be issued to every person who has been granted an authorisation to drive a public service subject to the condition that he satisfies the authority about his topographical knowledge of the area of operation and working knowledge of Marathi and any one of the languages commonly spoken there".
In the wake of a storm on Wednesday, the Maharashtra government had said that its decision to give taxi permits to only those who spoke, read and wrote Marathi and had been in the state for 15 years, only revived what was originally in the motor vehicles Act of the state.
But the Maharashtra Motor Vehicles Act of 1989 only requires applicants for taxi permits to have a topographical knowledge of the area of operation and working knowledge of Marathi and any one of the languages commonly spoken there.
It says: "A metal badge shall be issued to every person who has been granted an authorisation to drive a public service subject to the condition that he satisfies the authority about his topographical knowledge of the area of operation and working knowledge of Marathi and any one of the languages commonly spoken there".
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