India, June 15 -- The first phase of the BMC drive to enforce Marathi signboards across the city concluded on Saturday. Data accessed by HT showed that 1,124 establishments were found to be non-compliant.

The drive, launched on May 14 following directions from deputy mayor Sanjay Ghadi, saw officials inspect 35,428 shops and establishments across Mumbai. It forms part of the BMC's effort to ensure that Marathi (Devanagari script) appears first and in a larger font than other languages on commercial signboards. Ghadi had earlier warned of "Shiv Sena-like action" against establishments that failed to comply within the stipulated deadline.

Diksha Karkar, chairperson of the BMC's Law, Revenue and General Purpose Committee, said that the sec...