MUMBAI: The BMC inspected as many 3,269 shops and establishments across the city’s 24 wards on Tuesday and initiated action against 176 for not complying with rules in the Maharashtra Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act about displaying names in Marathi.
“We have issued inspection reports to these 176 establishments under section 35 and 36A of the amended Act of 2022 and will move court.Section 29 allows for a maximum penalty of Rs 2,000 per employee and a maximum fine of Rs 1 lakh per establishment. However, the penalty will be decided by the courts. The provisions of the Act also allow for levying a penalty of Rs 2,000 per day, if they continue to fail to adhere to the rules,” said aBMC official.
The N ward (Ghatkopar, Vidyavihar) accounted for as many as 18 establishments that got notices, while the S ward (Vikhroli, Bhandup) had 14 establishments.
The BMC action came following a Supreme Court order on September 25, giving establishments two months to adhere to rules about signboards. An amendment last year to the shops law made it mandatory for establishments employing fewer than 10 workers to display name boards in Marathi too, with the font size equal to other languages on them.
Viren Shah, president of the Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association (FRTWA), said: “The customers are not interested in whether the name boards are in English or Marathi. But we will abide by the law.”
The BMC had issued notices to all shops and establishments in Mumbai and suburbs to display Marathi signboards by May 31.
“We have issued inspection reports to these 176 establishments under section 35 and 36A of the amended Act of 2022 and will move court.Section 29 allows for a maximum penalty of Rs 2,000 per employee and a maximum fine of Rs 1 lakh per establishment. However, the penalty will be decided by the courts. The provisions of the Act also allow for levying a penalty of Rs 2,000 per day, if they continue to fail to adhere to the rules,” said aBMC official.
The N ward (Ghatkopar, Vidyavihar) accounted for as many as 18 establishments that got notices, while the S ward (Vikhroli, Bhandup) had 14 establishments.
The BMC action came following a Supreme Court order on September 25, giving establishments two months to adhere to rules about signboards. An amendment last year to the shops law made it mandatory for establishments employing fewer than 10 workers to display name boards in Marathi too, with the font size equal to other languages on them.
Viren Shah, president of the Federation of Retail Traders Welfare Association (FRTWA), said: “The customers are not interested in whether the name boards are in English or Marathi. But we will abide by the law.”
The BMC had issued notices to all shops and establishments in Mumbai and suburbs to display Marathi signboards by May 31.