• Source:JND
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The Karnataka Legislative Assembly on Thursday passed a bill requiring Kannada displays of businesses and establishments to take up 60 per cent of the space on signboards. The government claimed in the house that businesses' licenses would be revoked for noncompliance.

The 2022 act is modified by the Kannada Language Comprehensive Development (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

The amendment provides that, among other organisations operating under the auspices of the government or local authorities, commercial, industrial, and business endeavors, trusts, counseling centers, hospitals, laboratories, amusement centers, and hotels, among others, display information in the Kannada language on name boards occupying sixty percent of the space.

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Within its statement of objects and reasons, the bill stated that information in Kannada would be displayed in the upper half of the sign board.

Kannada and Culture Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi moved the bill for consideration by the house, stating that the government is drafting regulations to carry out the law.

"In the rules, we will provide for cancellation of licences. Only when licences are cancelled will businesses and establishments feel the pinch. At the time of issuing fresh licences or renewing existing licences, we will first ensure that they have complied with the rules on using Kannada in (name) boards," Tangadagi said.

Additionally, he gave legislators assurances that the government would include regulations imposing fines for infractions, particularly those from the opposition BJP.

To assure compliance, the minister went on to say that the government would establish task forces in each district in addition to an enforcement wing made up of police officers.

According to him, Bengaluru is the only place where Kannada is not used on name boards.