Sponsored postal stamps

Indian Post should extend system of sponsorship for issuing sponsored postal stamps on commercial lines like is presently done in case of postcards and Inland letter cards. Sponsored postal stamps with some minimum stipulated number can carry advertisements or other messages desired by sponsors to be endorsed by a committee of the Department with sponsorship charge fixed per printed stamp. The system will give dual-edged enormous extra revenue earning, firstly from sponsorship and secondly by making sponsoring companies shifting from private courier companies to premier postal services provided by India Post.

To induce newness in system and for earning extra revenue through philately, India Post should traditionally issue an altogether new definitive series of postal stamps and postal stationary simultaneously in all denominations every year on the first day of new financial year which should also be date of revision of postal tariffs, if any. However, the colour of a particular denomination of a postal-stamp of definitive series should be same but with change in design on the basis of theme selected for that year. A representative of main opposition party should be traditionally included in the advisory body to decide on issues of new postal stamps to avoid any political bias in choosing personalities to be figured on postal stamps.

Subhash Chandra Agrawal,

Dariba, Chandni Chowk,

DELHI 110006