For traders in Mumbai, not putting up signboards in Marathi is going to prove costly. The Mumbai civic body has doubled the property tax for people violating the Marathi signage rule, relaxing its earlier rule that legal action would be taken against violators.
The Shiv Sena-controlled civic body also said that license of glowing signboards will be cancelled in absence of signs in Marathi or Devnagri, and their deposit confiscated. Getting a new license will cost anything between Rs 25,000 and 1 lakh.
The new rule will come into effect from May 1.
The action is meant to enforce a Supreme Court order and a condition of the Maharashtra Shops and Establishments Rules, which have been violated despite repeated extension of deadline. The last deadline set by the Supreme Court was November 25, 2023.
Three days later, the Brihanmumbai Corporation launched a drive to check compliance.
Till the end of March, 87,047 shops and establishments were inspected, of which 84,007 -- 96.5 per cent -- were found having Marathi signboards.
The civic body has issued legal notices to 3,040 shops and establishments.
Some shopkeepers expressed the opinion that the order has been issued with an eye to the election.
"Earlier I used to pay a fine. Double property tax is a strange game. Just to provoke people, nothing else!" said a shopkeeper in the city.
The Uddhav Thackeray faction of the Shiv Sena said the campaign is old and legitimate, but questioned why such an order should be issued when the Model Code of Conduct is in place.
"We launched the campaign, people also prefer having signboards in Marathi. But what is the meaning of such an announcement when the code of conduct is in force? Whose order is behind this? Only the BMC can tell," said party spokesperson Anand Dubey.
Ramakant Gupta, a local BJP leader, said they welcomed the decision.
"The law is old and is just being implemented. So what is the problem? You have 21 days so do it. There is time… the local language should be respected."
Although shopkeepers are not averse to keeping Marathi signboards, the state government rule makes it mandatory.
According to it, the font size of letters in Marathi language should be larger and it will have to be written on the signboard above any other language.