Govt likely to introduce personalised postage stamps
Canada had introduced a scheme, termed Picture Postage, under which citizens can have their photographs printed on stamps. Bosses also get appraised
By Omkar Sapre, TNN |
PUNE: Here's some good news for those who can’t get enough of themselves. The department of posts is mulling the possibility of introducing personalised postage stamps bearing photographs of people at standard domestic postal rates.
While the proposal has been pending with the department for some time now, officials are discussing ways to implement the scheme, encouraged by the success of a similar offering in Canada. But issues, such as keeping out certain categories of people, have been delaying the department’s green signal for the scheme. The move would not only help fill the department’s coffers, but also make postal services popular and help it fight competition from the courier industry.
Postal authorities in Canada had introduced a scheme, termed Picture Postage, under which citizens can have their photographs printed on postal stamps. Such stamps are valued at standard domestic postal rates and citizens can use them to send letters all over the world.
The move was confirmed to ET by Postal Services Board member (O&M) K Noorjehan.
“The department was currently grappling with finer points on the issue. We are discussing how to implement the scheme in India. Some issues have been raised like if the service is launched and a criminal asks for a stamp with his photo...then it would neither be ethical to bring out a stamp in his name nor be ethical to deny him the service as he is also an Indian citizen.
So, we are discussing how to implement it, whether we can exclude certain people from it and other such issues. We have not yet given an approval to the scheme,” K Noorjehan told ET.
Interestingly, the West Bengal postal circle had come close to carrying out a similar experiment when it introduced themes from the Panchatantra in December 2001. The DoP had chosen seven such themes and stamps were issued with photographs of customers.
The West Bengal circle sold 1,400 sheets of 6 to 8 stamps each at the rate of Rs 54-62. Ms Noorjehan, however, maintained that the DoP had never published any stamp with the picture of a living person.
Issuing personalised stamps may help the postal department to contain declining revenues. Postal reciepts (sale of stamps, envelopes, MOs, etc) was Rs 1,550.08 crore till October 2006, which went up to Rs 1,678.88 crore by October 2007, a rise of 8.31%. However revenue from the sale of stamps dropped by 5.5% to Rs 402.72 crore during the same period.
Senior DoP officials agree that personalised stamps can increase revenue with marginal investment since the process of printing the stamps would be the same. Currently, the postal department has to print the stamps, transport them to post offices and collect money when the stamps are sold, with no surety about when the stamps would be sold, they added.
But in case of personalised stamps, money could be realised in advance. Importantly, it will also help the postal department to compete with the courier. People, for instance, can send wedding invitations with the stamps bearing photographs of the couple. There can be many other uses, added another postal officer.
While the proposal has been pending with the department for some time now, officials are discussing ways to implement the scheme, encouraged by the success of a similar offering in Canada. But issues, such as keeping out certain categories of people, have been delaying the department’s green signal for the scheme. The move would not only help fill the department’s coffers, but also make postal services popular and help it fight competition from the courier industry.
Postal authorities in Canada had introduced a scheme, termed Picture Postage, under which citizens can have their photographs printed on postal stamps. Such stamps are valued at standard domestic postal rates and citizens can use them to send letters all over the world.
The move was confirmed to ET by Postal Services Board member (O&M) K Noorjehan.
“The department was currently grappling with finer points on the issue. We are discussing how to implement the scheme in India. Some issues have been raised like if the service is launched and a criminal asks for a stamp with his photo...then it would neither be ethical to bring out a stamp in his name nor be ethical to deny him the service as he is also an Indian citizen.
So, we are discussing how to implement it, whether we can exclude certain people from it and other such issues. We have not yet given an approval to the scheme,” K Noorjehan told ET.
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Interestingly, the West Bengal postal circle had come close to carrying out a similar experiment when it introduced themes from the Panchatantra in December 2001. The DoP had chosen seven such themes and stamps were issued with photographs of customers.
The West Bengal circle sold 1,400 sheets of 6 to 8 stamps each at the rate of Rs 54-62. Ms Noorjehan, however, maintained that the DoP had never published any stamp with the picture of a living person.
Issuing personalised stamps may help the postal department to contain declining revenues. Postal reciepts (sale of stamps, envelopes, MOs, etc) was Rs 1,550.08 crore till October 2006, which went up to Rs 1,678.88 crore by October 2007, a rise of 8.31%. However revenue from the sale of stamps dropped by 5.5% to Rs 402.72 crore during the same period.
Senior DoP officials agree that personalised stamps can increase revenue with marginal investment since the process of printing the stamps would be the same. Currently, the postal department has to print the stamps, transport them to post offices and collect money when the stamps are sold, with no surety about when the stamps would be sold, they added.
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But in case of personalised stamps, money could be realised in advance. Importantly, it will also help the postal department to compete with the courier. People, for instance, can send wedding invitations with the stamps bearing photographs of the couple. There can be many other uses, added another postal officer.
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