Postal services - outside India

Postal Window Clerk was suspended for failing to assist the Customer

Sharon Young, a Sales and Service Associate at the Norristown Post Office, has been issued a Letter of Suspension following an incident with a customer who complained that Ms. Young did not assist her with filling out more than 100 customs forms for parcels the customer was mailing to Japan.
All Sales and Service Associates have received training instructions from postal management not to fill out forms for customers, and to provide the forms to the customers and ask them to step back to the front of the line when the forms are completed. The training instructions concerning international customs forms stem from regulations posted in the International Mail Manual. However, the Norristown Post Office management decided to skip over several levels of discipline and contradict Postal Handbooks and Manuals in an effort to “keep the customer happy.” The Tri County First Area Local Chief Steward for Norristown is assisting Ms. Young with grievances regarding the suspension and accompanying harassment.

Source-net

Postage Stamps in India

Postage Stamps in India

In India, stamps were first introduced in Calcutta Post Office in January 1774, when Warren Hastings allowed carnage of mail of private individuals on payment of fee through the East India Company's postal network. Small copper tickets or tokens valued at Annas 2 (1/8th of a Rupee) were generally the medium for payment of postage. Single letters up to 2-1/2 tolas (29gms) weight were charged at the rate of Annas 2 for every 100 miles (160kms). These copper tickets were reported to have been withdrawn by the Government on 14 September, 1784. Sir Rowland Hill (1795-1879) introduced the Penny Postage stamps in England on 6 May, 1840. The first postage stamps issued in India were in 1852 in the Province of Sind under the Bombay Presidency. Sir Bartle Frere, then Chief Commissioner of Sind, was asked by the Bombay Government to undertake the upkeep of the postal services of the province and also to popularise it among the public. He was a great admirer of Sir Rowland Hill and his Penny Postage Scheme. With the help of Edward Lees Coffery, then Postmaster of Karachi, Sir Bartle issued the first postage stamps on 1 July, 1852. They were embossed pieces of paper with a circular design in red, white or blue, `Scinde Dawks', as they were known, were of the denomination of 1/2 Anna. The number of stamps per sheet was probably 64, 8 rows of 8 stamps. However, the exact number is not known. They were used in the Province of Sind as well as on the Karachi-Bombay route. Though these, embossed stamps were recalled in September 1854, but the order was not apparently carried out till June 1866.
After 13 years of the use of postage stamps in England, the Government decided to extend their use in India. In 1853, the first design was prepared in the Mint at Calcutta and the stamps were struck under the guidance and supervision of Captain (later on General) Sir Henry Thuillier, then Deputy Surveyor General of India at Calcutta. The stamps were issued in July 1854. The printing of stamps in the Calcutta Mint ceased in November 1855. Thereafter they were printed at London by Thomas De La Rue & Company. The India Security Press was set up at Nasik in Maharashtra State in 1925 and the postage stamps have been printed at Nasik since then. The stamps are today printed by photogravure process. The stamps of the British period generally carry the effigy of the regnant King or Queen. India was the first country in the Commonwealth to issue airmail stamps. In 1929, a set of six airmail stamps was issued showing a De Havilland aircraft along with the King's portrait. The inaugurations of the new capital city of New Delhi, Silver Jubilee of the reign of King George V, victory in the Second World War were commemorated with the issue of pictorial stamps. India attained independence on 15 August, 1947. Thereafter Indian P&T Department embarked on a broad based policy relating to the issue of stamps. The first stamp, after Independence, was issued on 21 November, 1947 in the denomination of 3-1/2 Annas, depicting the National Flag. Since then, India has been issuing definitive as well as commemorative stamps. Six definitive series on themes relevant to the country's heritage and progress in various fields have been brought out. The Seventh Definitive Series on the theme of "Science and Technology" has commenced from 1986. Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru occupy place of pride on Indian stamps. The first set of 4 stamps paying homage to the Mahatma was issued on 15 August, 1948 and were printed by the Swiss firm, Heliss Courvoisier S.A. Commemorative stamps have been issued in honour of the Presidents of India, Prime Ministers, eminent Indian from the annals of India's stuggle for freedom as well as from the fields of literature, art, culture, education, etc. Many foreigners of international eminence have also been honoured through Indian stamps.
Special stamps highlighting India's cultural heritage, fauna and flora and various other aspects of national life have been issued from time to time. India postage stamps, during more than a century-old history, have carved a secure niche for themselves in the world of philately.

Ancient and Modern Postal System in India

Past and present Postal systems in India

COMMUNICATION HAS always been an integral part of human life. Humans have always tried to use different means and ways to send and receive messages. In this process, postal services have played a significant role. However, with the advent of new technology it is losing its relevance day by day. Ninth of October was observed as the World Post Day. India’s postal network is the largest in the world and with the changing requirements, it is changing its services. This invites us to look at how magnificently our postal system has evolved.

The first ever mention of the messaging service dates back to the ancient times. The Atharva Veda contains an elaborate description of the messaging services. Even Ramayana and Mahabharata, the greatest epics, state about the messaging services. During those days, the Kings used to organise Aswamedha Yagnas in their palace. After the completion of the Yagna, the King used to send a horse to different territories that carried the messages of the king’s might and heroism.

With the passage of time, the methods adopted to send and receive massages changed. The Mauryan kings Chandragupta and Ashoka used a bizarre postal service. It was bizarre because the kings used pigeons as their message carriers. They trained the pigeons by making them familiar with different routes. Some kings even made use of the “Dak Harkaras”, the men who travel on their foot from one place to another. Their sole objective was ‘service to king’ before ‘service to self’. The Mughal emperors and the later rulers used the existing services.

Initially, the East India Company used widespread services. Later, when the Company felt the necessity to strengthen their rule over the Indian region, they introduced their own postal service. It came to known as ‘Company Dawk’ (Dawk as British pronounced Dak). This postal service helped them to spread their trade centres and military forces. In the year 1688, Company established its first post office. This marked a flight for the Indian postal service. In 1774, Warren Hastings, governor general to Bengal reorganised the services and established regular post. He also opened the postal services to public that was earlier available only to the Company employees and their relatives. This also marked the introduction of Metal tokens to pay for the postage revenue.
In 1835, British government set up a committee for the purpose of unification of the customs and postal systems of all the presidencies. This committee gave the Indian Post Office Act of 1837, the first act in context with the Indian postal services. The recommendations by the committee included uniform rates, postal routes and designing of postmarks.
The first adhesive postage stamp of India was a result of a commission in 1850. ‘Scinde Dawk’, was the first stamp of India and Asia also. Initially it was used in the Sindh province. These stamps were in three-coloured inks - white, red and blue.
With the passage of time rail mail services and sea mail services were introduced from Great Britain and China. In 1911, India was the first country to send airmail. A French pilot Henri Pequet flew with 6500 pieces of mail in a Sommer biplane from Allahabad to Naini covering a total distance of six miles.
Today, Indian postal network is the largest in the world. It also holds the world’s highest post office. Postal code area 112114 in Sikkim is at 15,500 feet above the ground level. However, the postal service is losing its relevance with the increase in usage of e-mail and short message services (SMS). Letters hold their own significance as they can be kept as a record for years. As of today, some of the oldest letters are worth crores and are a proof of history.

Disclosure of File noting under RTI Act,2005

File Noting can be disclosed under R T I act,2005
if not otherwise exempt from disclosure

No.1/20/2009-IR
Government of India
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Department of Personnel & Training
North Block, New Delhi
Dated: the 23rd June, 2009

The undersigned is directed to say that various Ministries/Departments etc.have been seeking clarification about disclosure of file noting under the Right to Information Act, 2005. It is hereby clarified that file noting can be disclosed except file noting containing information exempt from disclosure under section 8 of the Act.

2. It may be brought to notice to all concerned.

(sd) K.G. Verma
Director

Stamps and Post card on Lord Shri Jagannath temple

The Department of Posts (DoP) released a set of four special postage stamps on Temple Architecture on 15th September, 2003. These stamps on Vishal Badri Temple – Badrinath, Malikarjunaswamy Temple – Srisailam, Tripureswari Temple – Udaipur (Tripura) and Jagannath Temple – Puri are in the denomination of Rs.5/- each.

India Old Postcard Jagannath / Jagaunath Temple at Puri
Vintage Colour British Indian Picture Postcard, Jagannath / Jagaunath Hindu Temple at Puri. Lots of People gathering.
Series No: 774Faults: Lines on backBackground: The Jagannath Temple in Puri is a famous Hindu temple dedicated to Jagannath (Krishna), in the coastal town of Puri, state of Orissa, India
Price:
£2.99
€4.19
US$5.68

Do U Know? World's oldest Post Office

The World's Oldest Post Office

Sanquhar, circa 1967, including the Tollbooth, built in 1735.

THE TOWN of Sanquhar in Dumfriesshire is like many small towns dotted around Scotland. It is old - in this case dating back to the 8th century - and is long past its heyday. It has a wealth of history, including a striking castle ruin, and lies amid exquisite scenery. A quiet and unremarkable little place nowadays, its glory lies in the past.
Unremarkable, that is, unless you take the time to explore. Try looking beyond Sanquhar's pretty town centre with its shops, tearoom and cash machines to a building on the town's High Street. It can boast something truly remarkable. For if you send a postcard from Sanquhar Post Office you will have sent it from the oldest post office in the world.It is one of those little-known facts that makes you stop and wonder - why here? Of all the millions of post offices in towns and villages throughout the world, why is the oldest in a quiet picturesque town nestling in Scotland's Nith Valley? There is no true answer, it wasn’t planned and like so many odd facts and figures, just happened that way. It does, however, owe its existence to a long-gone society, in which the local aristocracy held enormous influence and the strategic location of towns like Sanquhar (pronounced SANK-er) was a matter of great importance.Sanquhar people are proud of their town's history. The post office has been operating continuously since 1712, eight years longer than its closest rival, in the Swedish capital Stockholm. The third oldest, in Santiago, Chile, opened a full 60 years after the office in Sanquhar.The Sanquhar post office had long been accepted as the oldest in Britain and was thought to date from 1763, but research carried out around 15 years ago by postal historian James Mackay revealed it has been operating since 1712 - making it the oldest in the world.Ken Thompson, who has owned and operated the post office for the last 16 years, says: "We are looking at a different history, a different perspective on life, one that does not exist today."At the time the post office started, the Crowns of England and Scotland had not long been united. There was considerable activity in the border areas of both lands and one of the most important and influential families of the day was the Crichton family, who owned Sanquhar Castle.In 1712 a service known as the Nithsdale cross-post was established with mail-runners on horseback delivering messages among the landed gentry on both sides of the Scottish-English border. According to Thomson, it was effectively a "spy network", and where better for its hub to be located than in Sanquhar, home of the influential Crichtons and handily placed between the larger towns of Dumfries and Cumnock."It was the earliest form of post and it was confined to the aristocracy," says Thompson. "This house was originally a place where coaches halted and fresh horses were available and it was set up to receive mail. It belonged to the Crichton family and was nothing like we imagine a post office today. Nor was it the first of its kind but it’s the oldest one to have survived. We have stayed the course, we have been here from the beginning."

The Crichtons fell out of favour in the late 18th century and the dominant landowners in the area became the Buccleuch family of Thornhill. By that time, however, a postal service was becoming an established part of life and, as Thompson says: "No-one paid much notice to this building but as one of its lives as a post office was waning and dying, its other life as a post office was growing."When Scotland's national bard Robert Burns was alive in the latter part of the 18th century he was great friends with the owner of Sanquhar post office, and the fireplace in the living room of the building was constructed from elm trees grown by Burns at his farm at Ellisland Farm, near Dumfries.Sanquhar post office's historical importance is recognised by the Royal Mail. Thompson is the only postmaster in Britain allowed to stamp a date when a letter is posted or a card sent. The frank reads "Sanquhar, Dumfriesshire 1712".

World Post Offices- some amazing facts

World’s Smallest Post Office

The World's Smallest Postal Service (WSPS) is a teeny tiny transcription service and roaming post office based in the San Francisco Bay Area and also available online.
Lea Redmond is the Postmaster, setting up her tiny mobile office in cafes and shops where passers-by can write a letter and have it turned into a "world's smallest letter." The letter is transcribed on a miniature desk in the tiniest of script, sealed with a miniscule wax seal with the sender's initial pressed into it, packaged up with a magnifying glass in a glassine envelope, and finished off with a large wax seal (see above). It is a double delight: for both the sender and the recipient, and the WSPS is very happy to provide this important service to the world.

World's first underwater Post Office

Scallop mail ... divers make use of the the world's first underwater post office off the coast of Hideaway Island in Vanuatu on Monday. Photo: AFP
Vanuatu has unveiled what it claims to be the world's first underwater post office, providing jobs for four dive-accredited postal workers operating in shifts.
But it isn't as silly as you might think - provided you buy special waterproof postcards available from shops on terra firma in Port Vila.
Then you scuba dive three metres down to have your postcards embossed with a waterproof stamp, specially created by Vanuatu Post to celebrate the 83-island archipelago's status as a marine paradise.
The fibreglass post office is surrounded by beds of coral and shoals of multicoloured fish in a marine sanctuary off Hideaway Island on the oustkirts of Port Vila.
It is all aimed at drawing attention to the diversity of Vanuatu's underwater world, and easily accessible dive sites.
"The landscape beneath the waters mirrors that found above: mountainous terrain with plunging cliffs, grottoes and overhangs, huge caves and intricate interconnecting underwater tunnels formed by frozen lava - and life abundant over all," Vanuatu Tourism says.
"Sea fans, soft corals and acropora gardens, plate corals and sponges and thousands of curious fish are there for all to see.
"Then there are wrecks! Planes, an old square rigger sailing ship, a destroyer and of course the mightiest shipwreck in the world, the SS President Coolidge. Come with us on a voyage of discovery as you explore the world below Vanuatu's seas."

World’s Highest Post Office

The Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai may no longer be the tallest building in mainland China but it can still boast having the highest post office in the world. It lost its vertical status to the 101-storey Shanghai World Financial Center which was completed last year. Jin Mao, completed in 1998 and 1,381 feet tall, is an integral part of the ever changing Shanghai skyline. It is located in Pudong across the Huangpu River from the Bund and next door to the World Financial Center. The building houses offices and the swanky Shanghai Grand Hyatt Hotel on floors 53-87, which lays claim to the world’s longest laundry chute. An indoor observation deck is located on the 88th floor. It’s no coincidence that eight is an auspicious number in China. It’s well worth a visit to the observation deck which has sweeping, panoramic views of Shanghai. A good time to go is early morning before smog shrouds the city or at dusk, when you can stay until dark, write and mail those postcards you’ve been meaning to send and watch the city light up.
It’s open 8:30 a.m.-10 p.m. and costs RMB 50, about $6. To get there take the metro to the Lujiazui stop.