Mumbai: BJP Corporator Tajinder Singh Tiwana Demands Strict Action Against Shops Violating Marathi Nameboard Rules
· Free Press Journal
Mumbai, May 11: Law Committee member and BJP corporator Tajinder Singh Tiwana has raised the issue of thousands of shops, hotels and commercial establishments in Mumbai not displaying nameboards in Marathi, despite the Supreme Court's clear directions, demanding immediate strict action against those openly violating Marathi nameboard rules.
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Corporator alleges weak enforcement by civic administration
He alleged that the administration is not taking effective action and has done little apart from serving notices. He highlighted that nameboards on posh hotels and commercial buildings in Mumbai, like the Westin and Morgan Stanley, have displayed names only in English, questioning if there are different rules for such establishments and whether they are exempted from the law.
Tiwana also pointed out that even the rooftop hotels and luxurious restaurants of film stars do not follow the Marathi nameboard rules.
BMC had booked over 3,700 establishments
The FPJ had reported on May 6 that from November 28, 2023, to March 31, 2026, the BMC's Shops and Establishments department filed cases in the magistrate court against 3,774 commercial establishments for failing to display their nameboards in Marathi, and a fine of Rs 1,91,48,975 has been imposed.
The BMC's facilitators (formerly called inspectors) across 24 civic wards visited a total of 1,58,116 establishments in the three years and found 5,020 establishments not displaying nameplates as per the law.
Supreme Court order mandates Marathi nameboards
Under the Maharashtra Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 2017, and in accordance with the Supreme Court's October 2023 order, all shops and establishments in Mumbai are required to display a nameboard in Marathi Devanagari script.
It is not only the script, but also the size. The shops cannot have other scripts, such as Gujarati, Urdu or any other language, larger than Marathi, the state language.
Tiwana demands strict action against violators
Tiwana added that action is necessary against establishments like Westin and stressed that there is no place in Mumbai for those who refuse the Marathi language.
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BMC Fines 3,774 Mumbai Shops Nearly ₹2 Crore For Missing Marathi Nameboards; MNS Calls Action 'Meagre'Speaking with the FPJ earlier, an official from the BMC Shops and Establishments department said that due to a lack of staff, the inspectors (facilitators) are yet to rigorously start inspections on internal roads and inside shopping centres, and as of now visits are carried out only at shops on main roads.
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