Siliguri mayor Gautam Deb on Thursday set a deadline of September 21 this year for business and other establishments located across the city to put up display boards in Bengali.

Mahalaya falls on September 21 this year.

“People from different communities have been living in Siliguri for years. We respect every language, but as Bengali is the official language of our state, we want all establishments in the city to put display boards in Bengali, along with other languages by September 21,” said Deb.

He was speaking at a meeting held with trade bodies and associations at the Ramkinkar Hall in Dinabandhu Mancha.

“I must appreciate people from different organisations who attended the meeting here, spontaneously supported the cause and stood by the civic body’s appeal to them,” the mayor added.

The decision to put up display boards in Bengali was taken at a meeting of the members, mayor-in-council of the Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) on March 29.

In April, it was approved in the monthly board of councillors’ meeting of the SMC.

“At the meeting, it was decided to implement the order by June this year. However, representatives of the trade bodies requested the mayor to extend the date, which made him fix the new deadline of Mahalaya,” said a source.

Amit Jain, the BJP councillor and leader of the Opposition in the civic body, who was present at the meeting, welcomed the decision.

“The Bengali language is always a priority in our state. We welcome the decision taken by the current civic board,” Jain said.