Mumbai: 2X property tax on shops without Marathi signboards from May 1. Details here
Upstox
2 min read • Updated: April 9, 2024, 5:16 PM
Summary
BMC had launched a crackdown against shops that did not have Marathi boards in November 2023. During the drive, more than 87,000 shops and establishments were checked, and it was found that 96.50% complied with the rule.
Shops without signboards in Marathi or Devanagari script will have to pay twice the property tax in Mumbai from May 1, 2024, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has announced.
The civic body said it will also cancel the licence of illuminated signboards without the Marathi language, with renewal fees ranging from ₹25,000 to ₹1.5 lakh.
The decision was taken during a review meeting called by BMC Commissioner and Administrator Bhushan Gagrani.
According to Rule 35 and Section 36 C of the Maharashtra Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Rules, 2018, as well as the Maharashtra Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment & Conditions of Service) (Amendment) Act, 2022, the nameplates of shops and establishments must be written in Marathi or Devanagari.
The Supreme Court's deadline for shops to install Marathi signboards expired on November 25, 2023.
After the deadline, BMC launched a crackdown against shops that did not have Marathi boards. During the drive, more than 87,000 shops and establishments were checked, and it was found that 96.50% complied with the rule.
Legal notices were issued to over 3,000 shops and establishments for not having Marathi boards. “Some cases, in which notices have been issued, are being heard in court, while others appear for hearing before the Deputy Commissioner (Special) for administrative method of settling the case as per the provision in the Act," the BMC said in a release.
The corporation imposed a penalty of ₹32 lakh on 343 cases, while 177 cases heard in court resulted in a fine of nearly ₹14 lakh.