Bal Thackeray stamp not cleared; Jyoti Basu's in July

NEW DELHI: A government panel has so far not approved the issuing of commemorative stamp on Shiv Sena patriarch Balasaheb Thackeray, Parliament was informed today.

The statement placed in the Lok Sabha by Minister of State for Communications and IT Killi Kruparani showed that 16 names out of 86 in all were "not approved" or were "placed before sub-committee meeting held on June 7, 2013 but could not be approved".

The names listed in Kruparani's reply included that of Thackeray, who died on November 17, 2012.

The commemorative stamps are approved by Philatelic Advisory Committee which meets once a year. The sub-committee has been formed to consider the proposals in case the committee is not able to meet.

The status report showed that the commemorative stamp of ghazal singer Jagjit Singh is likely to be released on February 8 and a stamp of Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Jyoti Basu is due for release on July 8 this year.

Several other names such as Amrita Shergill, Harkishan Singh Surjeet, Sarat Chandra Sinha and Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja are being considered.

The list from Maharashtra had 18 proposals, highest from a state, out of which seven were approved including that of Cricket star Sachin Tendulkar which was released on the eve of his last test match.

The other names that have not been approved by the sub-committee of Philatelic Advisory Committee included Mandali Venkata Krishna Rao of Andhra Pradesh, TP Kelu Nambiar and Stephen Padua from Kerala, Thakur Niranjan Singh, Col Ajay Narain Mushran from Madhya Pradesh.

The other names are: Vishasrao Dattajirao Chowgule, Chakradhar Swami and Pranlal Bhogilal from Maharashtra, U Soso Tham from Meghalaya, Dr Sitaram Lalas from Rajasthan, Swami Satchidananda, Dr Mathuram Santosham and Dr P Sivandhi Adityan from Tamil Nadu, Devi Prasad Rahi from Uttar Pradesh were also not approved, the status report said.