Bengaluru: The bill requiring the use of Kannada on business signboards was tabled by the Karnataka government on Tuesday. The Kannada Language Comprehensive Development (Amendment) Bill, 2024, is a bill that aims to make changes to the current 2022 Act. Kannada must take up 60% of the space on signboards, with placement in the upper half of the name board, per the bill’s statement of objects and reasons.
The amendment covers a wide range of industries and sectors, including trusts, counseling services, hospitals, laboratories, amusement parks, and business, industrial, and commercial establishments. It requires these organizations to post 60% of their signage in Kannada, pending government or local authority approval and sanction.
The bill also suggests amending it to designate the secretary of the Kannada Development Authority as the convener of the “State Level Committee” and the director of the Directorate of Kannada and Culture as a member. The committee will function as the enforcing body in charge of putting the official language into practice.
Previously, on January 5, the Karnataka Cabinet approved an ordinance aimed at amending the Kannada Language Comprehensive Development Act to enforce the 60% usage of Kannada on signboards. However, Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot returned the ordinance, advising the government to pursue its passage through the Assembly instead of resorting to an ordinance.
The decision to propose the ordinance followed violent demonstrations by pro-Kannada groups targeting businesses in Bengaluru for allegedly neglecting the state language. On December 27, a fringe language group vandalised numerous business establishments across the city, demanding 60% Kannada usage on signboards.
In response, the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) initiated a drive to enforce the “60% Kannada” rule for name boards on commercial establishments. As of Saturday, approximately 34,000 notices have been issued to non-compliant businesses, with a deadline set for February 28 for compliance. In the Bommanahalli area alone, reportedly more than 6,000 notices were sent to shops, instructing them to adhere to the requirement before the deadline.
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