Bengali must on signboards by Sept 30: KMC to traders
Times of India | 7 September 2025
Kolkata: The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has sent directives to the city's business and commercial establishments, again, to include Bengali on the signboards, hoardings, and signage to promote linguistic authority and ensure inclusivity.
In a circular issued by municipal commissioner Dhaval Jain on Aug 30, it was stated that all commercial establishments should comply with the order by Sept 30.
"It is hereby reiterated that all such signage must have Bengali displayed at the top in a prominent size in addition to other languages, if any, in the public interest," the circular reads.
KMC had sent the first guidelines to the city's business and trading community on Dec 30, 2024, asking them to include Bengali on signboards.
According to a KMC official, fresh notices are being sent out to traders and owners of commercial establishments across the city, asking them to ensure signboards are written in Bengali, along with other languages of their choice. Any deviation from this order would invite "unwanted trouble" for them, the official said.
Sources said a recent instruction from the civic brass had asked the KMC trade licence department to send notices to traders, reminding them that putting up Bengali signboards had been made mandatory and all of them should abide by the rule.
Mayor Firhad Hakim came down heavily on a section of traders and owners of commercial establishments for delaying in putting up Bengali signboards despite receiving notices from the civic body at a session at the KMC House in early Aug. "Despite receiving notices from the KMC trade licence department, many commercial establishments are yet to put up signboards written in Bengali. There is no objection to having signboards written in other languages, but we have made it mandatory to use Bengali in signboards," Hakim said.
"We will need to send fresh notices to traders and owners of all commercial establishments, reminding them of their duties and fix a deadline. If they fail to comply with the order, we will take appropriate action," said a civic official.
Hakim pointed out that there were many central govt offices, where people went to avail of various services but found no trace of Bengali signboards. "They also should have signboards written in Bengali so that people can read them. We will write to central govt agencies, such as railway, port, and income tax, for having signboards written in Bengali," Hakim said.