Shops to pay fine of Rs 25,000 if fail to use Odia signboards by this month-end
The Odisha government has threatened shops and businesses that violate the mandatory Odia signboard rule with severe penalties.
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Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has threatened shops and businesses that violate the mandatory Odia signboard rule with severe penalties.
The Odisha Shops and Commercial Establishment Act, 1956, was amended in May 2018, making Odia mandatory on all shop and commercial establishment signboards in the state. According to reports, 47,000 of the 52,000 registered shops and commercial establishments in Odia have put up signboards and display boards, while the rest have yet to do so.
On Thursday, it was decided that the violation will be treated as a serious offence with hefty fines during a meeting chaired by Odia Language Literature and Culture department Additional Chief Secretary Satyabrata Sahu and attended by Labour and Employee's State Insurance Department Commissioner-cum-Secretary Santhanagopalan R and District Labour Officers.
While the penalty for the first offense is Rs 5,000, the penalty can be increased to Rs 25,000 in the event of a second offense. According to official sources, there is also a provision for license cancellation.
This month, shops and businesses that have yet to install Odia signboards will be served with notices to do so within seven days. Local labor officials and municipal authorities will also conduct a drive in this regard, according to the sources.
