The Maharashtra Official Languages Act, 1964 Complete Act - Bare Act

[For Statement of Objects and Reasons, see Maharashtra Government Gazette, 1964, Part V Extra, page 364.]

Amended by Mah. [

This indicates the date of commencement of the Act.]

of 1996 2(3-1-1996)

An Act to provide for the adoption of languages which may be used for the official purposes of the State including purposes of the Legislature of the State.

WHEREAS, it is expedient to provide for the adoption of languages which may be used for the official purposes of the State including purposes of the Legislature of the State; It is hereby enacted in the Fifteenth Year of the Republic of India as follows:

(1) This Act may be called the Maharashtra Official Languages Act, 1964.

(2) It extends to the whole of the State of Maharashtra.

(3) This section and section 3 shall come into force on the 26th day of January 1965; and the remaining provisions of this Act shall come into force on such date as the State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint; and different dates may be appointed for different provisions of this Act or different matters referred to in those provisions.

In this Act, unless the context requires otherwise,-

(a) "appointed day" in relation to section 3 means the 26th day of January 1965;

and in relation to any other provision of this Act or any such provision in relation to any matter therein means the day on which that provision or any provision in relation to that matter comes into force;

(b) "Constitution" means the Constitution of India;

(c) "Marathi" means the Marathi language in Devnagari script, which is adopted in the State under Government Resolution in the Education and Social Welfare Department, No. TBK. 1762-G, dated 20th July, 1962.

Notwithstanding the expiration of the period of fifteen years from the commencement of the Constitution mentioned in article 210, the English language may, as from the appointed day, continue to be used, in addition to Hindi and Marathi, for transaction of business in the Legislature of the State.

Subject to the provisions of this Act, Marathi shall, as from the appointed day, be the language to be used for all official purposes referred to in article 345 of the Constitution, as respects the State of Maharashtra except such purposes as the State Government may, by rules issued from time to time in the Official Gazette, specify, and Hindi may be used as the official language for such excepted purposes.

Marathi shall, as from the appointed day, be the language to be used -

(a) in Bills introduced (or amendments thereto to be moved) in either House of the Legislature of the State;

(b) in all Acts passed by the Legislature of the State and in all Ordinances promulgated by the Governor of Maharashtra under article 213 of the Constitution.

(c) in all orders, rules, regulations and bye-laws issued by the State Government under the Constitution or under any law made by Parliament or the Legislature of the State.

[This proviso was added by Mah. 2 of 1996, s. 2.] [Provided that the State Government may use the English language for the purposes of Clauses (a) to (c), if it is satisfied that it is necessary so to do under special circumstances or for technical reasons.

(1) State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, make rules for carrying out the purposes of this Act.

(2) Every rule made under this section shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is made, before each House of the State Legislature while it is in session for a total, period of thirty days which may be comprised in one session or in two successive sessions, and if, before the expiry of the session in which it is so laid in the session immediately following, both Houses agree in making any modification in the rule or both Houses agree that the rule should not be made, the rule shall from the date of publication of a notification in the Official Gazette of such decision have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so however, that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity to anything previously done or omitted to be done under the rule.