Belagavi: The ancient Kamalbasti that situated in the Belagavi fort and the watchtower of the public library situated in Ganapat Galli, Belagavi has got a place in the postal stamp ticket. Both the stamps will be unveiled on Wednesday in Belagavi.
The postal service was started in the 17th century in the tenure of East India company. Then the office of the Postal service was started at Mumbai and Madras in the year 1688. However, the postcards, letters only of the East India company were being delivered.
Werron Hesting who was the governor of Bengal province that time was appointed as In charge officer of the postal service of Mumbai and Bengal province. He is the officer, who opened the postal service to the general public of India in the year 1774. Post master general post was appointed for the first time. The metal tokens were started using as proof for the payment of cash for the postal service. In the early time, there were many challenges and hurdles to reach the postal service. To overcome them, all postal service were brought under one roof and one regulation in all presidencies of the country.
This movement then brought the ‘Indian postal act in the year 1837. This act was again amended in the year 1854. With this new act, the Indian postal department was given the complete powers of postal service in the country. There were no changes in this act until 2011. The ritual of giving the metal token as proof of payment was then changed into a ‘stamp’ which has a gum another side to stick on the postal card.
The postal department had printed about 2000 different stamps which imbibe the history of India, women literacy, history of the post, sports, Indian defence system etc. In a fortunate to the people of Belagavi, a museum of selected stamps has been set up at the Post office in Belagavi. This museum will also be inaugurated on Wednesday, that is today.