Shops and other establishments, including five-star hotels and celebrity-owned outlets are being asked to display signboards in Marathi within a month or face a “Shiv Sena-style” response, warned deputy mayor Sanjay Ghadi on Wednesday.
Speaking to reporters after a meeting with the officials of BMC’s shops and establishments department, Ghadi said Marathi signboards in Devanagari script were mandatory as per Supreme Court directives, adding that strict action would be taken against violators, news agency PTI reported.
"Whether it is a five-star hotel or any other establishment, Marathi signboards are compulsory," Ghadi said, adding inspections must be carried out to check compliance.
He warned of a ‘Shiv Sena-style’ action, as per directions of party president and Deputy CM Eknath Shinde, if establishments fail to install prominently visible Marathi signboards.
He added that over 5,020 shops and establishments, of the total nine lakh in Mumbai, have failed to comply with the rule mandating display of Marathi signboards.
He warned that officials ignoring enforcement action would also face action.
BMC has so far issued notices to 3,774 establishments directing them to install Marathi signboards, while 3,114 establishments have been prosecuted for non-compliance. The civic body has collected penalties amounting to ₹191.48 lakh from violators.
BMC officials have already inspected nearly 1.58 million establishments across Mumbai as part of the drive. Of these, around 1.53 million establishments complied with the directive, while 5,020 establishments failed to install Marathi signboards despite receiving notices.
BMC law committee chairperson Diksha Karkar, who was present at the occasion, said the administration had been instructed to issue notices to establishments that had not yet received them and ensure compliance within a month.
Karkar added that officials had been directed to prepare a list of non-compliant establishments, submit an action-taken report within 15 days, and initiate further action after the one-month deadline.
She told officials that enforcement against large and high-profile entities would send a strong message and encourage smaller establishments to comply with the rules voluntarily.
“If officials take action against five-star hotels and major corporate offices, smaller shops and establishments will automatically follow suit,” she said during the meeting.
The enforcement drive began in November 2023 after the Maharashtra government’s order mandating Marathi signboards came into force in Mumbai.
Source: Hindustan Times
