The Congress-Nationalist Congress Party government in Maharashtra has outdone the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and Shiv Sena on the sons of the soil issue, directing that nameplates of commercial establishments in the state should be in Marathi.

The state government issued a notification on May 31, directing that nameplates of all shops, establishments, commercial organisations, hotels, theatres and restaurants be in Marathi, an official release said.

It has been made mandatory to write the nameplate in Marathi and Devnagari as per provisions of the Maharashtra Shops and Establishments Act 1961, the release said.

Despite instructions to the concerned to write nameplates in Marathi, it has been observed that they were being written in other languages, the release added.

During the budget session of the state legislature, the state government had warned of stringent action against defaulters.

On April 24, Finance Minister Jayant Patil said -- while replying to the resolution tabled by the Opposition on jobs for sons of the soil -- that a special cell would be set up to monitor implementation of guidelines on recruitment of 80 per cent locals in jobs.