Bengaluru, Dec 13 (IANS): All commercial establishments in Bengaluru should inscribe at least 60 per cent of their signboards in Kannada by December 30, failing which a penalty will be levied, an official said on Friday.

"We have given time until December 30 to make the necessary changes. If the organisations do not comply, we will remove the violating signboards and levy a penalty," Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike Joint Commissioner Ramakrishna told IANS.

The penalty will depend on the size of the board. The civic body can levy up to Rs 10,000 in penalty and exceed in some cases, he said.

Ramakrishna said 60 per cent companies have violated the signboard rules. However, he could not tell how many multi-national companies featured in the violators' list.

The civic body official said that no company will go to court against the signboard rule and believed that the companies will honour the rule.

Earlier in the week, Bengaluru Mayor M. Goutham Kumar issued an order to suspend trade licences of commercial establishments not complying with the Kannada signboard rule.