India celebrates National Postal Week

A Draft Correspondent | New Delhi

On 13 October, India Post - Mumbai launched a unique philately merchandise - Stamped Mask - a mask imprinted with images of postage stamps in a bid to make them more attractive as part of an initiative to showcase the significant role masks played during the COVID crisis. The day marked as Philately Day is being celebrated as part of the National Postal Week that started from 9 October 2020 and will continue till 15 October 2020. 

POST IT: The National Postal Week is celebrated to create awareness among public

The Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications, Government of India announced the celebration of National Postal Week starting with the World Post Day on 9 October 2020. World Post Day marks the anniversary of the establishment of Universal Postal Union (UPU) in 1874 in Berne. The purpose of World Post Day is to create awareness about the role and contribution of the postal sector in people's lives.

The Department of Posts (DoP) has been the backbone of India's communication and has played a crucial role in the country's socio-economic development in the last 150 years. Trading as India Post, DoP is a government-operated postal system and a subsidiary of the Ministry of Communications. 

DoP is celebrating the National Postal Week by undertaking programme and activities to create awareness among public. Each day of the week is dedicated to a particular postal service offered by the department such as Banking Day, Postal Life Insurance Day, etc. 

The schedule is as follows: 9 October 2020: World Post Day; 10 October 2020: Banking Day; 12 October 2020: PLI Day; 13 October 2020: Philately Day; 14 October 2020: Business Development Day; 15 October 2020: Mails Day

In this regard, several postal circles across the country announced and launched unique initiatives. At the press conference held on 8 October 2020, Chief Postmaster General, Maharashtra Circle, H C Agrawal spoke of the achievements of Maharashtra Postal Circle and announced the celebrations. At the meet, Postmaster General (Mails & BD) Ganesh Sawaleshwarkar, GM (Finance) Vijay Kumar and Director Postal Services (HQ) Kaiya Arora were present too.

INTERACTION: Chief Postmaster General, Maharashtra Circle H C Agrawal (centre) at a press meet

In Panaji, a special philatelic cover was released on 9 October 2020 to commemorate the 180th year of expansion of postal services in Goa. The postal department will also be releasing a permanent pictorial cancellation on the Basilica of Bom Jesus and a release of a maximum card which will be a one-day issue on the Basilica.

As part of the celebrations in Coimbatore, the postal department released a special cover highlighting the services of the postmen and honouring them for their work especially during the pandemic on 9 October 2020. Director of Western Region Postal Department C R Ramakrishnan released the cover on the occasion to highlight the risks postmen endured in delivering life-saving medicines, pensions, etc. at the doorstep of home-bound citizens.

As part of the National Postal Week celebrations, on 9 October 2020 Chief Postmaster General of Tamilnadu Circle B Selvakumar dedicated the Travancore Anchal Letter Box to the Philatelic Museum and announced the same in a press meeting.

HISTORIC: National Postal Week celebrations done by India Post Tamilnadu Circle

In Vellore, as part of the postal week celebrations, the postal department honoured four senior citizens who have savings accounts at the post office on 10 October 2020. This included the honouring of 79-year-old R Lakshmipathy, the oldest savings account holder (based on the date of opening the account) in Vellore district.

Support The Draft by sharing this story: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram