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Tips for postal department

Kashmir Times. Dated: 3/12/2015 2:11:33 PM

Dear Editor,
1All postal-tariffs should be generally in multiples of rupees five with Speed Post tariff being universal at say rupees twenty-five (inclusive of service-tax through back calculations) for every 50-gms rise in weight abolishing differential tariff of rupees 17 for local and rupees 39 for non-local mail-articles. System will remove irrationality where at times postal-articles sent by ordinary post (local) cost more than those sent by fast and ensured Speed Post service. Revision will make attractive special commemorative stamps being used for Speed Post service. It is senseless to bear revenue-loss by allowing additional 450 gms by paying just rupees eight for local Speed Post. Rather 'Registered Post' should be merged 'Speed Post' by introducing acknowledgement-due receipt costing five rupees extra with Speed Post. A 'Speed Post' envelope of minimum tariff should also be introduced as part of postal-stationery to gradually replace unreliable ordinary mail service.
2. Considering sharp decline in use of inland-letter-cards and post-cards, sponsored Meghdoot post-card should be priced at rupee one abolishing loss-giving Inland-Letter card and ordinary post-cards altogether. Even beggars refuse to accept coins below rupee one.
3. Foreign-mail tariffs should have equal tariff-rise for every 20-gms rise in weight-slab both for Air Mail, Sea Mail and Surface Mail abolishing present cumbersome system to impose Air Surcharge on already haphazard tariff-system for Surface/Sea Mail, where at many slabs postal-articles sent by air-mail cost less if sent in parts. All foreign-mail tariffs should be in multiples of rupees twenty-five.
4. Special RTI stamp on lines of revenue-stamps should be introduced for users of RTI Act to save huge handling cost of rupees 37.45 (as per statistics of the year 2011-12) on handling of a postal-order worth rupees ten presently used as RTI fees.
5. Considering high cost in handling postal-orders, postal-orders should be new-look payable at par at all post-offices with minimum denomination of rupees 20, adding more denominations like of rupees 200 and 500.
6. 'My Stamp' concept should be made a revenue-generating permanent concept by accepting messages and advertisements from advertisers on some minimum print-quantity of postage stamps. Idea will bring back users from private courier service to postal service.
7. Stamps of all denominations of a new definitive series should be released simultaneously together with a complete set of postal stationary on a particular theme on first day of new financial year (1st April) every year which should also be date for introduction of any new postal tariff announced earlier in Union Budget presented on last day of February.
8. Commemorative stamps should be issued in just two most commonly used denominations in domestic and foreign-mail respectively.
9. Since users of different denominations of stamps are different, a stamp-sheet must have only one denomination of stamps unlike presently where a sheet at times also has stamps of two or more denominations.
10. Some highly dignified, non-controversial and non-political legendaries like Lata Mangeshkar should be given special honour by portraying them on stamps in their life-time. Selection of such legendaries should be rare with consent of all major political parties in the Parliament to avoid misuse.
11. Miniature sheets should be charged extra more than face-value of stamps because of excessive printing costs and being a collectors' item rather than for general use as postage stamps.
12. Schools and colleges should be motivated to give philatelic items and coin-sets in place of trophies etc., with philately as subject introduced in school text-books.
—Subhash Chandra Agrawal
1775 Kucha Lattushah
Dariba, Chandni Chowk, Delhi.