The Hindu 17.08.2010
Remove monogram from personal vehicles: Mayor
Staff Reporter
| S.K. Nataraj cracks the whip on status symbol |
Councillors, mostly first timers, use it flaunt status
Circular receives mixed response
Bangalore: Mayor S.K. Nataraj on Monday cracked the whip on councillors using the Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike’s monogram on their personal vehicles and asked them to remove it immediately.
It had become common for councillors, especially the first timers, to use BBMP’s monogram to flaunt their status.
“These days, almost all the councillors have put up a board claiming to be members of the BBMP Council along with the monogram,” Mr. Nataraj told The Hindu.
“Only the Mayor, Deputy Mayor, Ruling Party Leader, Opposition Party Leaders and Chairpersons of the Standing Committees are entitled to use the monogram on their vehicles,” he said.
The Mayor’s circular has received a mixed response. Gangabyraiah, BJP Councillor from Dr. Rajkumar Ward, supported the diktat.
“It was not like this earlier. Councillors did not [misuse] the monogram,” he said. However, a councillor, who didn’t want to be named, said the Mayor had no authority, under the Karnataka Municipal Corporations Act, to issue such orders.
“They should come through the Commissioner or be discussed in the Council,” he said.
He pointed out that the BBMP did not have a standard monogram or logo. “As per the Act, the civic authority must have two monograms — one for the Mayor and another for councillors. Though three years have passed since BBMP’s formation, no one has raised this issue,” he added.
