The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has announced that starting May 1, 2024, shops and establishments failing to display signboards in Marathi or Devanagari script will face a doubled property tax.
This decision was made public after a review meeting called by BMC Commissioner and Administrator Bhushan Gagrani.The BMC has also stated that it will revoke the licenses of illuminated boards that lack Marathi or Devanagari lettering.
about 96.50% shops and establishments were found to have put up nameplates written in Marathi Devanagari.
A total fine of ₹31.86 lakhs has been imposed on the related shops and establishments.
According to the authorities, the concerned shop owners will have to bear expenses between ₹25,000 to ₹1.5 lakh for the same.
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has announced that starting May 1, 2024, shops and establishments failing to display signboards in Marathi or Devanagari script will face a doubled property tax. This decision was made public after a review meeting called by BMC Commissioner and Administrator Bhushan Gagrani.The BMC has also stated that it will revoke the licenses of illuminated boards that lack Marathi or Devanagari lettering. The cost for license renewal will range from ₹25,000 to ₹1.5 lakh. This action aligns with the Supreme Court’s directive and the Maharashtra Shops and Establishments Rules.In a meeting chaired by Gagrani and Deputy Commissioner (Special) (Additional Charge) Kiran Dighavkar, it was stated that as per Rule 35 and Section 36 C of Maharashtra Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2018 and Maharashtra Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) (Amendment) Act, 2022, nameplates of establishments must be written in Marathi language or Devanagari.The Supreme Court had given a two-month deadline for shops and establishments to put up name boards in Marathi Devanagari script in bold letters. This period expired on November 25, 2023.From November 28, last year, the BMC began its crackdown on establishments that had not put up Marathi language signboards, by carrying out inspections and issuing prosecution notices.“Since then till the end of March 31, 2024, a total of 87,047 shops and establishments have been inspected by senior facilitators and teams of facilitators in the Divisional Level Shops and Establishments Department. In this, about 84,007 i.e. about 96.50% shops and establishments were found to have put up nameplates written in Marathi Devanagari. While the remaining 3,040 shops and establishments did not put up the boards as per the rules, legal notices were issued to them,” the BMC release said.A total of 1,928 cases reached the concerned court and after hearing 177 cases, the court imposed a total fine of ₹13.94 lakhs on the related shops and establishment professionals.“Similarly, out of 916 cases that came up for hearing before the municipal administration, 343 cases have been settled. A total fine of ₹31.86 lakhs has been imposed on the related shops and establishments. The administrative proceedings of hearing the remaining 573 cases are going on,” informed Dighavkar.BMC chief Gagarani has directed that strict action will now be taken against the shops and establishments that do not comply with the directives of the Supreme Court as well as the Act, despite giving repeated concessions.Shops and establishments without nameplates in the Marathi language should be charged double property tax from May 1, 2024, and appropriate administrative action should be initiated for the same.Also, licenses issued by the Licensing Department of the Municipal Corporation for illuminated boards (glow sign boards), such licenses should also be cancelled with immediate effect in the case of shops and establishments without Marathi boards and their security deposit forfeited.Commissioner Shri instructed that they should put up boards with Devanagari written in Marathi language and for that newly published boards should be registered.Meanwhile, the licenses of the glow sign boards without Marathi script will be cancelled with immediate effect, with the licensees having to file fresh registrations. According to the authorities, the concerned shop owners will have to bear expenses between ₹25,000 to ₹1.5 lakh for the same.
