Marathi signboards: Bombay HC seeks BMC response to plea seeking extension of deadline

Read Time:1 Minute, 39 Second

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to respond by July 8 to a plea by The Indian Hotel and Restaurants Association (popularly known as AHAR) seeking six-month extension to put up Marathi signboards in Devanagari script on shops and establishments in the city.
While the association sought it to be protected from coercive steps till Friday, the bench refused to grant immediate relief and said if the petitioner organisation succeeds, penalties levied against it can be refunded, subject to outcome of the petition. The association had claimed that due to various logistical problems, its members are unable to comply with the BMC notice of March 17.
A division bench of Justice R D Dhanuka and Justice MG Sewlikar was told by advocate Vishal Thadani for petitioner association that it had challenged the validity of the initial deadline of May 31 fixed by the civic body.
As per the petitioner, BMC prescribed new requirements for changing signboards under the Section 36A of Maharashtra Shops & Establishments (Regulation of Employment and Conditions of Service) Act and the amendment did not prescribe a fixed time period. However, the civic body announced a deadline of May 31 through newspaper advertisements and issued notices to establishments.
The petition claimed that failure to abide by the requirement within the deadline would attract a penalty up to Rs 5,000 and therefore it should be protected from such a fine till hearing of the plea. Advocate Dhruti Kapadia for the BMC sought time till Friday to take instructions from officials as to whether an extension can be granted to the petitioners, which the court accepted.
The petitioner’s lawyer said if the civic body is granted time to respond, they ought to be protected from coercive step till the next date of hearing, but the bench refused to do so. The HC will hear the plea next on July 8.

Lottery Box-India’s most professional lottery interactive community.dear lottery online