KDA to act tough against shops and establishments

KDA to act tough against shops and establishments

Staff Reporter

# The existing Act recommends a maximum penalty of Rs. 250 by court
# KDA to launch signboard jatha all over the State

BANGALORE: Chairman of Kannada Development Authority (KDA) Siddalingiah has said that the Government will initiate legal measures against all those shops and business establishments, including hospitals, cinemas and organisations and persons responsible for public and private hoardings, that have not displayed Kannada signboards prominently, within 45 days from the day the recently adopted Karnataka Shops and Commercial Establishments (Amendment) Bill 2007 becomes an Act across the State. Dr. Siddalingaiah told presspersons here on Wednesday that the Government was forced to bring in amendments to the Act. The existing Act had authorised the KDA to book cases against those who failed to display the signboard in Kannada, through the Department of Labour. It had also recommended a maximum penalty of Rs. 250 by the court concerned. It was noticed that a majority of the "offenders" were only willing to pay the penalty. Either the Government or the KDA was not against displaying signboards in any scheduled language of the country. But they were keen on displaying name boards in Kannada prominently, he clarified.

The proposed Act enables the KDA to collect an on-the-spot minimum fine of Rs. 1,000 to a maximum of Rs. 3,000.

It has also given powers to the KDA and the Department of Labour to register cases against offenders. Under the proposed Act the court concerned could now impose a fine of Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 20,000 and three to six months sentence in case of first-time offenders. Second-time offenders would attract a flat penalty of Rs. 20,000 and six months to one-year jail term.

The KDA would launch a signboard jatha all over the State after the proposed Act got notified in the gazette, Dr. Siddalingaiah explained.