According to sources, the chief minister has agreed in principle with the suggestion and a pilot project may be rolled out in Varanasi.

 

The developments also come at a time when the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena has been opposing job opportunities for 'outsiders' in the state.

 

In a letter to the chief minister, Singh had requested the inclusion of Marathi as an optional language for secondary and higher secondary students in Uttar Pradesh. The letter also opines that it might help students in getting better jobs in Maharashtra.

 

"As you know, for the past 50 years I have been staying in Maharashtra and maintaining relationships in Uttar Pradesh, especially in Purvanchal. During this tenure of 50 years, I noticed that when students come to Maharashtra, they face a number of problems due to lack of knowledge of Marathi language. Not only this but there are many vacancies of state government or corporations that require knowledge of Marathi language," he explained.

 

It is noteworthy that in recent weeks, the use of Marathi has also become a bone of contention within Maharashtra.

 

Ahead of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation polls, prominent display of Marathi signboards on shops has been a key political issue for parties such as the Shiv Sena and its rival MNS as the parties eye the Marathi voters.

 

In March, the Maharashtra legislature passed a law which made it mandatory for all shops and establishments to display their names in Marathi on signboards. Subsequently, the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA-also comprising the NCP and Congress) administration issued a government resolution to enforce the law.

 

Last week, on June 1, the BMC said that a survey would be conducted to check if shops and establishments in the metropolis were adhering to the rule about displaying signboards in Marathi prominently, as the deadline for its implementation had ended.