Chennai News: The Chennai Corporation is planning to launch a campaign to suspend the trade licences of shops that do not display name boards in Tamil. This initiative comes as the state government intensifies its enforcement of existing regulations regarding the use of the Tamil language for shop signage. A meeting of senior state officials is scheduled for this week to discuss the implementation of these statutory provisions.
Under the Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies Rules 2023, the Chennai Corporation is empowered to revoke or suspend trade licences for non-compliance. Each year, approximately 70,000 shops in the city obtain trade licences from the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC).
According to The Hindu report, licences are issued to shops in all 15 zones of Chennai, provided that the traders declare their commitment to displaying name boards in Tamil, with English and a third language in smaller font sizes, following a ratio of 5:3:2. This week, the GCC is expected to verify compliance with this requirement. If violations are found, the Corporation will notify the trade licence holders in writing, giving them seven days to explain why their licence should not be revoked or suspended. After reviewing the responses and allowing the traders to present their case, the civic body may choose to either revoke or suspend the licence. Notably, a suspended licence can be reinstated once the necessary conditions are met.
In addition, the state government plans to promote the naming of residential apartments and commercial complexes in Tamil. Noting the lack of Tamil name boards in cities like Chennai, Coimbatore, Trichy and Madurai, officials have instructed urban local bodies to take initiatives to encourage the use of Tamil signage. Councillors in Chennai have already called for greater promotion of Tamil name boards, with Ward 35 Councillor S. Jeevan stated that many businesses in the Central Business District do not comply with this requirement.