Odia Signboard Rule: Businesses Face Fines & Show-Cause Notices in Odisha Crackdown

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has taken a strong stance against shops and businesses that are not using Odia signboards. The government has initiated a special drive to enforce the mandatory Odia signboard rule, and violators face heavy penalties.

For the first offence, shops and businesses will be issued a show-cause notice and fined Rs 5,000. Repeat offenders will be fined Rs 25,000.

The government has already issued notices to several establishments in Bhubaneswar and Khurda. Some of these establishments have complied with the rule and updated their signboards, but six have faced legal action for non-compliance.

The Director of Odia Language, Literature, and Culture Department, Dilip Routray, expressed dissatisfaction with the implementation of the rule, despite numerous meetings and reminders with stakeholders. He said that the government has intensified the special drive to enforce the Odia signboard norm effectively.

The Odisha Shops and Commercial Establishment Act, 1956, was amended in May 2018, mandating the use of Odia language on signboards. Despite this, a significant number of registered shops and commercial establishments are yet to comply with the regulation.