Thane: A man shows a sticker after the Maharashtra government plans to make Marathi language compulsory for autorickshaw and taxi drivers, in Thane. (PTI Photo)

Mumbai: Maharashtra transport minister Pratap Sarnaik Monday put on hold the decision to cancel licences and permits of auto and taxi drivers from May 1 over non-compliance with the Marathi language requirement, opting instead for a phased campaign on awareness, verification and training. The Mumbai Autorickshawmen’s Union called off its May 4 protest after discussions.From May 1 to Aug 15, govt will conduct a survey across 59 RTOs to determine how many drivers are Marathi-speaking and how many are not. The exercise will also detect fake licences, bogus badges and permit-related irregularities.Non-Marathi-speaking drivers will be guided to training centres and offered tuition to acquire practical proficiency. “After giving them a reasonable chance, we will strictly enforce law,” Sarnaik said.The transport ministry has withdrawn its earlier decision of reading and writing tests in Marathi and will instead prepare a short curriculum focused on practical use.