BMC will issue seven days notice from October 10 to defaulters, before acting against them
Other cities and districts in Maharashtra have started implementing the law. File pic
The deadline for implementing Marathi signboards ended a week ago (September 30), but shop owners will get another 10 days to put them up. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will issue a seven days notice from October 10, before taking action against defaulters. The shop owners’ association petition challenging the amendment in the law for the same, and requesting a stay on the action is due for hearing in the Supreme Court.
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According to the amendment in the Maharashtra Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) (Amendment) Act, 2022, all shops in the state must display Marathi signboards in Devanagari script. Other cities and districts in Maharashtra have started implementing the law, but BMC has still not started acting against defaulters.
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“We will start action from Monday. But like every other part in Maharashtra, before taking action, we will issue a notice and ask shopkeepers to put up the Marathi signboards,” said Sanjog Kabre, deputy municipal commissioner. He added that around 60 inspectors will visit at least 50 shops and establishments per day. “It means around 3,000 shops will be inspected in a day. Those who will not abide by the law will get a seven-day notice and we will start taking action thereafter,” said Kabre.
There are around 5 lakh shops in the city. It is learnt that less than 50 per cent shops have put up Marathi signboards. As per the act, the fine will be Rs 2,000 per staffer of the shop. There is a compounding provision under the act, that BMC can fine the shops and settle the matter, if they display boards in Marathi without filing court cases. The Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association (FRTWA) President, Viren Shah, has requested Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the civic chief asking them not to take coercive action as the matter is subjudice.
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