PANAJI
The Philatelic Bureau at Panaji Head Post office is shut from Monday, July 12. Expressing concern over the decision, members from the Goa Philately and Numismatics Society (GPNS) have stated that it is sad that Goa will be deprived of its only Philatelic Bureau in the capital city Panaji. The Goa Civil and Consumer Action Network (GOACAN) had also appealed to the Department of Post New Delhi to review this decision of closure.
“We have been raising the point that the Philatelic Bureau in Goa must be strengthened by increasing the subscription base among consumers in the major towns of Panaji, Mapusa, Margao, Ponda and Vasco so that the same becomes financially stable,” states Roland Martins, coordinator, GOACAN.
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 past performance of bureaus, it has 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, GPNS president Dr Ramesh Kumar points out that during the past year the Postal Division in Goa has done several activities in collaboration with the Goa Philately and Numismatics Society such as 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. Dr Ramesh Kumar shares, “The public and the philatelist will be put to lots of hardship to get their philatelic material such as stamps, special covers and first day covers etc from PB Mumbai or Bengaluru.”
