BBMP issues Notices Over Compliance with ‘60% Kannada’ Rule

Karnataka Hotel Owners’ Association has sought clarification from BBMP regarding the new rule.

Bengaluru: The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has initiated a drive to enforce the “60% Kannada” rule for name boards on commercial establishments in the city. As of Saturday, approximately 34,000 notices have been issued by the civic body to non-compliant businesses, officials aware of the matter said.

BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath, after a meeting with zonal commissioners to discuss the implementation of Kannada signboards across Bengaluru, has set the February 28 deadline for compliance. (HT Archives)

The deadline for changing name boards to adhere to the 60% Kannada requirement is set for February 28.

BBMP Chief Commissioner Tushar Girinath, after a meeting with zonal commissioners to discuss the implementation of Kannada signboards across Bengaluru, has set the deadline. He directed zonal commissioners to issue notices to engineers to ensure compliance. Girinath also issued a warning to mall owners, stating that disciplinary action would be taken if Kannada nameplates were not installed.

The BBMP Commissioner said, “There are 1400 km of arterial and sub-arterial roads in the city, and all the commercial shops on these roads are being surveyed. After the survey, notices will be issued to shops that do not use 60% Kannada language. Following the notice, they will be given until February 28 to implement Kannada language nameplates and submit compliance to the respective zone commissioners.”

In Bengaluru’s Bommanahalli area alone, more than 6,000 notices were reportedly sent by BBMP to shops, instructing them to change their name boards before the February 28 deadline. The civic body emphasised that strict action would be taken against owners failing to adhere to the language rule.

Meanwhile, the Karnataka Hotel Owners’ Association has sought clarification from BBMP regarding the new rule. They have raised questions about whether the rule applies solely to name boards or if menu cards must also be changed.

Following numerous protests by Karnataka Rakshana Vedike across Bengaluru, BBMP announced in December that all commercial establishments must display their names with 60% in Kannada and 40% in English. Malls in Bengaluru are also instructed to prioritise Kannada and comply with the rules set by BBMP.