Kolkata: Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim announced that the civic body will specify the font size for Bengali to be displayed at the top of signboards, hoardings and signage. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) has set 30 September as the compliance deadline for all business, commercial, institutional and other establishments in the city.
A recent order issued by the Municipal Secretary stated that Bengali must appear in a “prominent size” alongside any other language, in the interest of linguistic inclusivity.
BJP councillor Sajal Ghosh, at the monthly meeting of the KMC, on Wednesday, welcomed the notification from the civic body and proposed a specific font size for Bengali.
The Mayor immediately accepted the proposal and said that a fresh notification will be issued in this regard.
“We have no inhibitions for any other language in signboards, but it must be in Bengali too. We will come out with a notification with a specific font size so that it is properly visible,” said Hakim.
He added that in Maharashtra, the local language is prominently displayed in the buses.
The directive was first introduced in 2024, shortly after the Centre recognised Bengali as a classical language. Shop owners, restaurants and commercial establishments were then instructed to incorporate Bengali alongside other languages.