Less than 5% (2,719) out of 72,794 shops inspected by the BMC are not complying with the Marathi signboard rule, said a civic official. In the last one and half months, the BMC fanned out across the city's 24 wards to check if the establishments have put up boards displaying their names in Marathi in Devanagari script.
The shops were sent inspection notices in accordance with the sections 35 and 36A of the amended Maharashtra Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act between November 28, 2023 and January 10, 2024. A maximum penalty of Rs2,000 per employee and a maximum fine of Rs1 lakh per establishment can be charged under section 29.
The fine amount will be decided by the court. The BMC clarified that a penalty of Rs2,000 will be slapped everyday on the shop if they violate the rule continuously.
Action comes after 2 month deadline set by SC
The action comes after the two-month deadline set by the Supreme Court for the shops to install Marathi signboards in Devanagari script expired on November 25. In January 2022, the government amended the aforementioned Act, making it compulsory for establishments to display signboards in Marathi with the font size equal to other languages on them. The apex court had restrained the civic body from taking coercive action against non-compliant shops in September 2022. It had given the directive while hearing a petition filed by the Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association which had challenged the constitutionality of the amendment.
