Bengaluru: BBMP issues notice to 18,000 shops for lack of Kannada signboards

The BBMP in Bengaluru has issued over 18,000 notices to traders for not having Kannada on 60% of their shop nameplates. Health officials conducted checks, with Mahadevpur and Bommanahalli receiving over 3,000 notices each. The mandate requires 60% Kannada on nameplates, and non-compliance may lead to license cancellation. The deadline for issuing notices is imminent, with public holidays approaching. 

To promote the use of the Kannada language, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has issued notices to more than 18,000 traders in the city for not having Kannada on 60% of their commercial shop nameplates. The directive came after a meeting led by the Chief Commissioner of BBMP, who instructed businesses across all sectors to conduct surveys and issue notices by January 15.

Over the past week, BBMP health officials have diligently carried out checks, resulting in 18,886 notices being issued to commercial traders across the city. Notably, the Mahadevpur and Bommanahalli zones have received more than 3,000 notices combined. On the other hand, the RR Nagar zone has seen a comparatively lower number, with only 324 notices issued.

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The mandate stipulates that 60% of the nameplate must be in Kannada, and failure to comply may lead to the cancellation of business licenses and subsequent closure.

BBMP Health Department Chief Health Officer, Syed Sirajuddin Madini, shared that the deadline for issuing notices is looming, with only one day left for BBMP officials to complete the task on Friday. Notably, the following Saturday, Sunday, and Monday are public holidays.

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Suralkar Vikas Kishore Chandra, Special Commissioner of BBMP Health Department, revealed that out of the 50,000 businessmen in the city, more than 18,000 have been issued notices for not using Kannada nameplates. He emphasised that failure to install Kannada nameplates could result in the cancellation of business licenses.

Here is a breakdown of the notices issued according to different zones:

- South: 2,838
- East: 2,477
- Bommanahalli: 3,881
- Dasarahalli: 1,378
- Mahadevpur: 3,442
- West: 2,718
- Yalahanka: 1,828
- RR Nagar: 324