Among the 17 major decisions that were approved at the state cabinet meeting, chaired by chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday, the state government has made it mandatory for shops and commercial establishments to display signboards in Odia.
According to Shops and Commercial Establishments Act, 1956 making it mandatory for all shops and commercial establishments in Odisha to display signboards in Odia, informed Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi today after the Cabinet meeting.
Though the owners of all shops and commercial establishments in the state can write the name on the signboards in any language, it should be prominent in Odia.
The violators will be penalized. While first-time offenders will have to pay a fine between Rs 1,000 and Rs 5,000, repeat offenders will have to pay between Rs 2,000 and Rs 25,000, which is a steep hike from the earlier fine amount of Rs 15 and Rs 25, respectively.
