Coimbatore: The ‘Rising Sun’ has been ousted from the official insignia of the Mettupalayam Municipality, the third largest township in Coimbatore district. The image of apolitical and heritage-rich Nilgiris Mountain Railway has chugged in to black out the ‘Rising Sun’ from the Municipality emblem.
The official logo of the municipality, till recently had the ‘Rising Sun’, the party symbol of Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK). “The old logo displayed the Rising Sun with its rays amidst a green ambience. However, non-DMK chairpersons over the last 13 years just avoided using the emblem. But they did not change the logo,” said Mettupalayam municipal chairman D. Satheesh Kumar of BJP party.
The new logo which comes into immediate effect, features the heritage Niligiris Mountain Railway train which starts from Mettupalayam, Bhavani river that meanders through the town and the arecanut farms that dot the verdant municipality.
The old logo was created in 1996 by the then Mettupalayam municipal commissioner who was a DMK functionary. “Thereafter the municipality was governed by an AIADMK chairman from 2001 to 2006 and by a Congress person from 2006-2011. Both did not use the logo as it featured the DMK symbol,” he said.
As the logo was politically-slanted, the Mettupalayam municipality passed a resolution in March this year to change the insignia and sent a proposal seeking permission from the municipal administration to introduce a new logo.
Considering the plea, secretary to government, K.Phanindra Reddy, in a letter dated December 18 granted approval to the municipality to use the new logo developed by the municipality.
The municipality plans to popularise the new logo on billboards. The new logo will also be printed in all public records like birth and death certificates, name change and tender notices of the municipality.
The Mettupalayam Municipality was formed in 1948, got upgraded as first grade municipality in 1978 and then as selection grade municipality in 1998.
