Maharashtra Navnirman Sena president Raj Thackeray met Chief Minister Ashok Chavan on Monday for policy facilitation about issuing taxi licences in Mumbai and opening Marathi medium schools in the State.
In a letter handed over to the Chief Minister , Mr. Thackeray said the conditions laid down for the auction of 4,000 taxi licences were unfavourable to the unemployed and economically weaker Marathi population.
It has referred to the advertisement in a local newspaper issued by the State Transport Department. The advertisement quoted Rs.1 lakh fees per taxi licence. It said that a company or organisation wishing to participate in the auction of licences should quote for at least 1,000 licences. “Doesn't this notice favour only those capitalist companies which can invest Rs. 10 crore,” the letter asked. The party suggested that this process of auction be immediately halted and the rates to be quoted per licence be brought down to Rs.25,000 from Rs.1 lakh.
“Kindly give priority to Marathi unemployed youth, women's self-help groups, ex-armed forces personnel and cooperative societies,” it stated.
It also referred to denial of permission to Marathi-medium schools in the State. “English has functional utility, but there is difference between ‘teaching English' and ‘teaching in English.' The death of a language leads to the death of a culture.”
It stated that the proportion of Marathi-speaking population in the State is only 68.8 per cent according to the 2001 census.
