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A shop in Kanwar Marg has a banner with the name of the shop owner hanging on it. (Image source: PTI)
Violators will be fined if they disobey the order to display the owner's name and phone number outside the store.
The BJP-ruled Ujjain Municipal Corporation has directed shopkeepers to display their names and mobile numbers outside their shops in the ancient city, after the BJP government issued a similar directive to restaurants along the Kanwar Yatra route The command.
Ujjain Mayor Mukesh Tatwal said on Saturday that first-time violators will be fined Rs 2,000 and Rs 5,000 if they violate the order for the second time.
The mayor said the order was intended to ensure safety and transparency and not target Muslim shop owners.
Ujjain, the hometown of Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, is famous for its sacred Mahakal temple, which attracts devotees from across the world, especially during the month of Savar which begins on Monday.
Tatwal said the Ujjain mayor in council had approved a proposal requiring shopkeepers to display their names on September 26, 2002, which was later approved by the Corporation House and later submitted to the state government for objections. and go through the formalities.
“All formalities have been completed. Implementation was delayed as nameplates were initially required to be of the same size and color. Now we have relaxed these terms. It is enough to show the shop owner's name and mobile number,” he told by phone PTI.
He emphasized that the measure is rooted in the MP Shop Establishment Act or Gumasta License and aims to enhance customer safety.
“Ujjain is a religious holy city. People come here with their religious beliefs. They have the right to know the shopkeepers of the services they avail. If a customer is dissatisfied or cheated, knowing the details of the shopkeepers allows them to seek redress, “The mayor said.
Ujjain will host the Simhastha (Kumbh) Mela in 2028, an important religious gathering held every 12 years.
The action mirrors the recent directive in Uttar Pradesh, where all restaurants along the Kanwar Yatra route were asked to display the names of the owners.
The Uttar Pradesh government on Friday extended the order across the state, while Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the state had already implemented similar directives.
The order was criticized by opposition parties and some members of the ruling coalition, who said it targeted Muslim businessmen.
(This article has not been edited by News18 staff and is published by PTI)
