A senior BBMP health inspector was placed under suspension after a group of men belonging to a pro-Kannada outfit joined the civic authorities and vandalised a board at TC Palya in KR Puram.
Vandalised name board of Starbucks
The Bruhut Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has issued notices to around 51,000 shops and other commercial establishments in all eight zones to change their nameboards, dedicating 60 percent of the space to the Kannada language.
In December, the BBMP had set a deadline of Wednesday, 28 February, mandating all shops and establishments to ensure 60 percent of the writings on nameboards must be in Kannada, or risk the suspension of their trade licences.
Even as the civic body issued notices to more than half a lakh establishments after a 40-day campaign, the traders’ associations in Bengaluru requested the BBMP not to initiate coercive action against businesses. They also sought more time to change the boards.
A senior BBMP official told South First that around 4,000, too, would be put on notice.
BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath had directed all eight zonal commissioners to ensure that businesses complied with a court order that made Kannada mandatory on 60 percent of space on signboards. The civic authority deployed health inspectors, marshals and and undertook drives to implement the order.
Zonal Commissioner (East) Snehal R told South First that almost 85 percent of businesses under her jurisdiction had changed their boards by last week. Official teams were now issuing notices to shops that were yet to comply with the order.
“We have one more day to ensure the remaining 15 percent implemented the order,” Snehal said on Tuesday, 27 February. “We will start penalising shop owners, who fail to comply with the order, according to the norms set by the Assistant Revenue Officer (ARO) Advertisement and ARO Health,” she added.
BBMP officials said they came across opposition during the 40-day drive. “We asked our men to be polite, calm, and patiently make the shop owners understand that they need to follow the law. We asked them not to force or chide or abuse the shop owners, BBMP’s Chief Health Officer Syed Sirajuddin Madini told South First.
“If they still refuse and are adamant, we directed our men to either paint the English boards with white paint or cover the boards with a piece of white cloth,” he added.
However, a senior BBMP health inspector was placed under suspension after a group of men belonging to a pro-Kannada outfit joined the civic authorities and vandalised a board at TC Palya in KR Puram.
The suspended official, Vishwanath KL, allegedly directed his men to tear down a board that did not follow the 60 percent Kannada norm, and a video of the incident was widely circulated on social media, prompting the BBMP to take action.
A health inspector from the East zone said his team came across several shops and commercial establishments functioning without trade licences. The officials have compiled a list of shops that have not applied for trade licences. They have not changed their nameboards either.
Sajjan Raj Mehta of the Chickpet Traders’ Association told South First that all the traders’ bodies were supporting the BBMP decision on the boards, and around 60 to 75 percent of establishments have already arranged for new signboards.
“There is confusion among some shop owners, especially the ones who are dealing with branded products. The nameboards of the brand products are supplied by the company with the shops’ names and they come only in English. Some shopkeepers are trying to include the Kannada name on the same board while others are clueless about what to do. Many of them have put up temporary flex-sheets with 60 percent Kannada and 40 percent English,” Mehta said.
Chief Health Officer Madini said that among the 51,000 shops that were issued notices, around 40,000 have confirmed compliance and notices would be issued nearly 4,000 by Wednesday.
“We will brief the Chief Commissioner on Wednesday. We will act according to the outcome of the meeting from 29 February,” he said.
Non-compliance with the order could result in either suspension of trade licence or a penalty or both, BBMP sources said.
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