A recent decision of the Union Ministry of Communications to close 31 Philatelic Bureaus all over the country has come as a shock to the philatelic community of Odisha. The Philatelic Bureaus at Cuttack and Sambalpur too have been notified to be shut from July 12.
Philatelists all over the country are protesting this decision as it will be a body blow for stamp collectors. They say that while the India Post is promoting philately through exhibitions, Special Covers and Commemorative Stamps and giving scholarships to budding philatelists, the closure of the Philatelic Bureaus will be counterproductive.
The Philatelic Bureau at the Cuttack GPO is one of the oldest in the country having been set up in 1948 soon after Independence. It also houses a Postal Museum, the first of its type in the State. It is a heritage among the bureaus in India.
And what is surprising is that the Sambalpur bureau, which was set up only in 2020, is being closed within a few months.
Eastern India Philatelists’ Association (EIPA) secretary Shanti Swarup Rath says this will be a body blow for stamp collectors. He has written to the authorities for reconsidering this hasty decision.
Eminent philatelist Anil Dhir, who has also written four acclaimed books on Postal history, is of the opinion that this is an irrational decision taken in haste after the new Minister took charge. He says philately is a dying hobby and needs all the impetus and support of the Postal department. Rather than opening more bureaus to promote the hobby, closing the existing bureaus is not understood. Countries like China and Philippines have included philately in curriculum in schools, which should also be adopted in India. India had one of the richest postal history and traditions, something which should be cherished and propagated.
Shakeel Ahmed, a senior philatelist of Cuttack, is of the view that if they want to close non-productive bureaus then the Bhubaneswar and Sambalpur bureaus may be shut, but the historic and heritage Cuttack bureau, which will soon celebrate its 75th anniversary, should not be closed.
Notably, Odisha has some of the prominent philatelists of the country. Exhibits from Odisha have been awarded medals in various national and international exhibitions and more than 20 books on philately have been written and published from the State.
Kashinath Sahoo, another eminent philatelist, said the recent death of EIPA president Bijayshree Routray was a big blow for the hobbyists and now this decision is another setback.