There have been many sentimental articles we have all been reading about the passing away of the era of the telegram. Definitely, when the old order is replaced by new things, one does feel sad. But if the new technology has a bright young substitute for it, that needs to be welcomed too.
Talking to The Pioneer this evening about the end of the telegram era, Post Master General MS Ramanujam said that people should now get used to E-Post service of the post office which is a wonderful product which bridges the digital divide as it can reach the benefits of technology to millions of people in the country who are digitally illiterate.
“The process is very simple. A person who has a message to send in a jiffy just has to walk into the post office with a piece of paper (with typed or hand written matter). This will be sent by email by the post office to the post office of the area where the message is being sent. The postal address of the receiver has to be furnished by the sender. When the email reaches the post office of the receiver’s area, a print out will be taken and enveloped and then sent through the postman to the postal address mentioned by the sender,” explained the post master general.
He described the E-Post module as a “marriage of email with post.” “It is faster than the telegram and also cheaper. It costs Rs 10 for each A-4 size paper.For corporates, who are using it on a widescale, the rate is Rs 5 per A-4 size page. MPs and MlAs use the service during election time to reach people of their constituencies.”
These charges include the print out and enveloping too. “Pictures, letters and any other matter can be sent by E-Post which needs to be made popular among the masses,” said Ramanujam. The service began about two years ago. “It is a superior substitute for the telegram,” he said. The best part is that it reaches very fast and there is no word limit like the telegram had.
“It is a great way to bring about digital inclusion,” said the post master general, concluding philosophically with lord Tennyson’s words: “The old order changeth, yielding place to new, And God fulfills himself in many ways….”