TIRUCHY: Nearly two weeks have passed since the deadline for implementation of the Tamil name board mandate ended but major retail chains in Tiruchy are found continuing to flout norms.
The rule framed under the Tamil Nadu Shops and Establishments Act requires all commercial establishments to prominently display their names in Tamil in a 5:3:2 ratio.
Despite the rule, many outlets continue to operate with English sign boards, citing procedural and approval delays from corporate headquarters. As of May 24, officials estimate that around 40-50% of the shops have complied with the rules.
Assistant Commissioner of the Labour Department, V Thangaraj said, “Six inspectors are deployed within the city limits to oversee the compliance of the rules and we have been sending out notices to all these establishments throughout the month. From June 1, we will start collecting fines of Rs 2,000 for noncompliance of the rules.”
Authorities however admit that the follow-up inspections have been minimal, citing limited manpower and logistical challenges in monitoring over 7,000 registered shops in the city.
“We are doing our best but this needs either voluntary compliance from traders or a robust plan from the district administration to deploy additional task forces,” said a senior official requesting anonymity. Activists have criticised the uneven enforcement of officers to monitor.
“Small traders complied immediately but big chains are exploiting the lack of accountability. Without action, the rule becomes symbolic,” a CITU member said.
"In Karnataka, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is the sole authority to fine shops as they enforce these rules directly. Here, the labour department has only six inspectors. So how can they manage citywide enforcement alone?,” asked K Ibrahim, a CPI functionary.
District collector M Pradeep Kumar was unavailable for a comment when TNIE contacted.