The BMC is mulling over postponing the deadline for changing shop signboards to Marathi, following repeated appeals from shopkeepers. This comes after traders and retailer associations on Tuesday welcomed the new chief minister and sought more time, citing shortage of signboard artists. “We are getting requests from retailer associations to give an extension for the signboard, so we are thinking over that,” said Ashish Sharma, additional municipal commissioner.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation decided to implement the Marathi signboard policy and brought out a circular in the first week of April, after the state government amended the Shop and Establishment Act in March 2022 which mandated that signboards on all shops and establishments must have names written in Marathi, that too larger than that in other languages.