Mumbai: On Day 2, BMC takes action against 161 establishments for not displaying Marathi signboards

BMC headquarters. File Pic

The Mumbai civic body on Wednesday took legal action against 161 shops and establishments for not displaying their signboards in the Marathi (Devanagari) script in bold letters in violation of a Supreme Court directive and provisions of the Maharashtra legislation on the issue, reported news agency PTI.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said in a release that the teams of civic officers from the Shops and Establishments Department inspected 3,575 shops and establishments across the megalopolis and found signboards of 161 shops and establishments violating the apex court directive and rules about Marathi signboards, reported PTI.

On the first day of the drive on Tuesday, the BMC teams had inspected 3,269 shops and establishments, and took action against 176 of them for the violations, reported PTI.

In two days starting Tuesday, the civic administration inspected a total of 6,844 shops and took action against 337 establishments for violating the signboard rule, reported PTI.

The civic body has constituted teams of facilitators in all the 24 civic wards and they have been given powers to take legal action against the violators, reported PTI.

As per Rule 35 and Section 36C of the Maharashtra Shops and Establishments (Regulation of employment and conditions of service) Rules, 2018, and the Maharashtra Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) (Amendment) Act, 2022, respectively, the signboards of establishments must be in Marathi Devanagari script in bold letters, the BMC has said, reported PTI.

The Supreme Court earlier gave shopkeepers a two-month deadline (which ended on November 25) to install Marathi signboards, reported PTI.

Besides prosecuting the violators, a penalty of Rs 2,000 per day may be imposed on shopkeepers and establishments continuously flouting the rule, a civic official said, reported PTI.

The Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) on November 22 displayed banners in Mumbai hinting at an aggressive protest if the Supreme Court 'deadline' for putting up signboards of shops and hotels in Marathi (Devnagari script) is not adhered to.

Thackeray had earlier stressed on having the signboards of shops and other establishments in the regional language (Marathi in Maharashtra).

(With inputs from PTI)