NASHIK: The state cabinet, chaired by the Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, gave a nod to the amendment in the Maharashtra Shops and Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act, 2017, making Marathi nameplates/signboards mandatory for all the shops and establishments in the state.
As informed by Deputy Commissioner of Labour V N Mali through a government press release, a notification in this regard has been issued, making the Marathi nameplates mandatory in Nashik district. The shopkeepers need to put up the signboard containing the name of their shops in the Marathi-Devanagari script.
As mentioned in the government press release, the government issued a notification on March 17, 2022, to have the nameplates of all commercial shops and establishments in the state in the Marathi language.
Mali added that shopkeepers are entitled to put up the signboards in other languages along with the Marathi language. The establishment owners must use the Marathi-Devanagari script, and the font of the name in Marathi shouldn’t be less compared to other languages. Even the shops having less than 10 workers need to abide by the rule.
Also, the owners of shops and establishments supplying or selling liquor cannot use the name of great personalities and forts/monuments on their nameplates. Mali has appealed to everyone to abide by the rule and initiate the process accordingly. The amendment shall include all kinds of establishments like grocery stores, bars, restaurants, hotels, and theatres.
Traders oppose the decision
Federation of Retail Traders’ Welfare Association (FRTWA), a state-level umbrella group of shopkeepers, has opposed the government’s amendment, stating its a violation of the petition pending in the Bombay High Court. The high court had stayed the rule in 2001, following a petition filed by the group. Shopkeepers have alleged they are suffering from a financial crunch due to the pandemic. The signboard will cost them thousands and thus, increase their expenses. This expense is not on their priority list at present, alleged the shopkeepers.
