The BMC has inspected 94,903 shops and establishments across the city's 24 wards between November 2023 to July 2024. Action was taken against 3,388 establishments for failing to comply with the Maharashtra Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, specifically regarding the display of signboards in Marathi. A total fine of Rs. 1.35 crores has been collected from the violators.
In January 2022, the government amended the Act 2017, making it compulsory for establishments employing fewer than 10 workers to display name boards in Marathi too, with the font size equal to other languages on them.
The deadline set by the Supreme Court for shops to install Marathi signboards in Devanagari script expired on November 25, 2023. Around 48 officials from the license department, with two assigned to each ward, inspect shops and establishments and take action against violators.
"There are around five lakh shops and establishments across the city. As of the end of July, approximately 94,903 shops have been inspected, with 3,388 establishments failing to comply with the norms. A penalty of Rs 2,000 is imposed daily if a shop continues to violate the rule. So far, Rs 1.35 crore has been collected from shops violating the act," said an official from the civic license department. Most establishments in D Ward (Malabar Hill, Grant Road), S Ward (Vikhroli, Bhandup), G South Ward (Worli, Prabhadevi), H West Ward (Bandra, Khar), G North Ward (Dadar, Sion), and E Ward (Byculla) were found lacking Marathi signboards as per the norms.
