PANAJI
After the philately bureau was shut at the Panaji Head Post Office in Panaji on July 12 this year, the members of Goa Philately and Numismatic Society (GPNS) and Goa Civic and Consumer Action Network (GOACAN) had appealed to the government to reconsider the order and expressed the need to keep it open as it was the only philatelic bureau in Goa and attracted footfalls from domestic and foreign tourists.
GOACAN had appealed to the Department of Post New Delhi to review this decision of closure. Both GPNS and GOACAN have welcomed the decision of withdrawing the earlier order and restoring the philatelic bureau.
GPNS president Dr Ramesh Kumar pointed out that during the past year the Postal Division in Goa had done several activities in collaboration with the Goa Philately and Numismatics Society such as the release of Special COVID-19 pandemic cancellation, Special covers, Philatelic Passport on Festivals of Goa, Picture Postcards on Endemic Birds of Goa, Maxim cards of the Old Goa Church etc.
“The public and the philatelists faced hardship to get their philatelic material from PB Mumbai or Bengaluru. Now that the bureau will be open again, we are happy," he said.
Education and out-roads are important for philately which can offer knowledge on various subjects. We must work towards creating awareness about philately in the student community," opined GPNS member and retired geologist from NIO, Ajay Mudholkar, who has a priceless collection of philatelic material.
It is noteworthy that the 31 Philatelic Bureaus at the post offices in various cities in India were shut abruptly on July 12 this year by a Central government order issued on July 8.
Sunil Sharma, director (Philately) Department of Posts (Philately Division) New Delhi had communicated via a letter (July 8, 2021) that it has been decided to rationalize philatelic bureaus in the country. Based on the past performance of bureaus, it had been decided to discontinue 31 Philatelic Bureaus from July 12, 2021. The Philatelic Bureau at Panaji Head Post Office which comes under the Maharashtra Circle was one of those to be shut down.
However, after the bureaus were shut across the country, philatelists raised their concern and appealed to reconsider the shutting of the bureaus. Responding positively to these demands of reconsideration and restoration of these bureaus, the Central government has decided to withdraw the earlier order of shutting down the bureaus, and the post offices are issued notice to treat the earlier order as withdrawn and to open the bureaus.
Now, the Central government notification from the Ministry of Communications, Department of Posts (Philately Division) issued on August 5, by Sunil Sharma, director (Philately), on the rationalisation of Philatelic Bureaus, states that the issue has been re-examined by the competent authority and decided that the issue requires to be thoroughly re-examined, till then status quo ante before the discontinuation of these 31 philatelic bureaus be restored with immediate effect. Accordingly, the ibid orders issued by this division on July 8, 2021, would be treated as withdrawn with immediate effect and the situation before July 8 would be restored. A compliance report is also asked to be sent on a priority basis.
This division received representations from various corners requesting to reconsider its decision issued vide this office letter of even on dated July 8, 2021, regarding discontinuation of 31 philatelic bureaus. Hence, the order was issued to open them with immediate effect.
