Stamps of India Collectors Companion
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AWARDS: Silver Medal with ‘Felicitations of the Jury’ at BELGICA 2001 World Stamp Exhibition
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January 8, 2004 Forthcoming Stamp Issues New Meghdoot Post Card Army Postal Service New Issues Recent & Forthcoming Events Recent Periodical Publications Surat Philatelic Association New Postal Training Center Postings and Transfers of Senior Postal Officers Stamp Scam Updates New Website Address for ATA
FORTHCOMING STAMP ISSUES
January 14
C D Deshmukh, Rs5
January 16
Nani A Palkivala, Rs5
These issues along with the First Day Cover and the information sheet, at Rs.2 each, shall be available on sale at nearly 1000 selected Post Offices including all Philatelic Bureaus and Counters in the country. NEW MEGHDOOT POST CARD
The philatelists across India need to cooperate in obtaining detailed information on the forthcoming issues of the Meghdoot post cards in view of the recent decentralization. The Department of Posts also needs to be proactive in releasing the information to the philatelists in way of announcements.
A Meghdoot post card was issued on December xx, 2003 featuring ad of AIDS in Hindi. ARMY POSTAL SERVICE NEW ISSUES
The Army Postal Service issued the following Special Covers with Special Postmarks in 2003, further to the report in issue # 127 of July 31, 2003.
Apr 1, Armed Forces Transfusion Center, Golden Jubilee
Apr 5, Maratha Light Infantry, 12th Post War Reunion
May 7, Border Roads Organization, 43rd Raising Day
May 15, 2nd Battalion Mahar Regiment, Diamond Jubilee
Jun 18, INS Talwar, Commissioning of, at St. Petersburg, Russia
Jul 15, Military College of Electronics & Mechanical Engineering Secunderabad, Golden Jubilee
Sep 1, 14th Battalion Garhwal Rifles, Silver Jubilee
Sep 5, Madras Sappers, Reunion
Oct 16, Kumaon & Naga Regiment, Millennium Reunion
Nov 5, 22nd Battalion Maratha Light Infantry, 150th anniversary
Nov 12, Skinners Horse, Bicentennial
Nov 16, 2nd Battalion Mechanized Infantry Regiment (1 Jat LI)
Dec 10, The Grenadiers, July 4th 1999 Tiger Hill, Kargil
Dec 17, Air Defence Artillery, 2nd Reunion RECENT & FORTHCOMING EVENTS
SURATPEX
Third Surat District Philatelic Exhibition was held at Jivan Bharti Mandal, Rotary Hall/Kala Bhavan, Nanpura, Surat on 22nd and 23rd December 2003. The exhibition was organised by Surat Postal Division. On 22nd December, Smt. Snehalataben Chauhan, the Mayor of Surat City, inaugurated the exhibition. The Mayor also released a special cover on Surat Rakt Dan Kendra. Shri D. K. Budki, the Post Master General of Vadodara Region, released a special stamp booklet depicting stamps issued on Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel (Only 500 booklets were released). An essay competition was also held on the first day of the exhibition. On the second day, Smt. Manju Kumar, Director Postal Services, Vadodara Region, released the special cover on Surat Nature Club. A philatelic quiz for the school children was also organised on the same day. In the evening prize distribution function was held and the prizes were distributed by Shri Ashish Gandhi, President, Sarvajanik Education Trust, Surat. A beautiful Souvenir was also released on the occasion.
There were 10 entries in the competitive class and four entries in School Collections. One Gold Gilt, one Silver and one Bronze medal were awarded to the winners. For School entry a special trophy was awarded. The Surat Philatelic Association also donated four trophies. Mr. K. K. Yadav, SSPO, Surat Division, Mr. H. C. Mehta, Nadiad and Mr. Prashant H. Pandya, Vadodara were the members of jury for the exhibition. Prizes were also distributed to the winners of Essay competition and Philatelic Quiz competition.
CALENDAR OF FORTHCOMING EVENTS
The following list of events scheduled for next few months is subject to change. We update it in every issue with the information received during the week. The organizers may be contacted for further details.
January
8-10, Karaikudi, Chettinad Philatelic Festival
9-11, Cochin, Coin & Stamps
9-12, Nagpur, MAHAPEX, State Level
23-25, Bangalore, COINEX
24-26, Shimoga, District Level
28-29, Berhampore, Murshidabad District Level
February
27-29, Tirupur, COIN-STAMPEX
For a list of events held this year, please visit
http://www.stampsofindia.com/Content/Events/a300.htm RECENT PERIODICAL PUBLICATIONS
SIPA Bulletin, Vol. 24 # 2, March April 2003, Bi-monthly
SIPA Bulletin, Vol. 24 # 3, May June 2003, Bi-monthly
Editor: G Madan Mohan Das
Publisher: South India Philatelists Association
Address: No. 41, Perumal Mudali Street, Sowcarpet, Chennai 600079
Annual Subscription including membership: Rs. 100 SURAT PHILATELIC ASSOCIATION
Surat Philatelic Association was formed in 1975 and continued with their activities for a long period but for several years in between the association became non-functional. With the efforts of Shri K. K. Yadav, Senior, Superintendent of Post Offices, Surat Division, the Surat Philatelic Association (SUPA) has been re-organized. Following are the members of Governing Council: President - Dahyabhai B. Patel, Vice President - Rajendra M. Mehta, Hon. Secretary - Suresh R. Chorawala, Joint Secretary - Sudhir M. Vyas, Treasurer - Hiren M. Zaveri.
Correspondence Address of the SUPA: Mr. Suresh R. Chorawala, Secretary, Surat Philatelic Association, 8/2354, Moti Chhipwad, Gopipura, Surat - 395 001 NEW POSTAL TRAINING CENTER
India Post's sixth Postal Training Centre (PTC) at Guwahati was inaugurated on October 29, 2003 to facilitate training activities in the North East region. The other PTC are at Saharanpur, Darbhanga, Mysore, Madurai, and Vadodara. POSTINGS AND TRANSFERS OF SENIOR POSTAL OFFICERS
The following postal officers were promoted and posted with effect from December 19, 2003:
A Ghosh Dastidar from the Post Master General (Foreign Mails) Mumbai in Maharashtra Circle to the Chief Post Master General of North East Circle,
Meera Datta from the Post Master General of South Karnataka Region in Karnataka Circle to the Chief Post Master General of Haryana Circle,
S K Das from the Post Master General (Mail Movement) Kolkata Region in West Bengal Circle to the Chief Post Master General of Assam Circle,
Indira Krishna Kumar from the Post Master General of North Region in Tamilnadu Circle to the Chief Post Master General of Himachal Pradesh Circle,
Raghav Lal from Deputy Director General (International Relations) at the Postal Directorate New Delhi to the Chief Post Master General of Uttar Pradesh Circle,
M V Narayanan from the Chief Post Master General of Uttaranchal Circle to the Chief Post Master General of Madhya Pradesh Circle,
S Samant from Deputy Director General (P) at the Postal Directorate New Delhi to the Chief Post Master General of Jammu & Kashmir Circle,
Kulbir Singh from being on leave to the Post Master General of Gorakhpur Region in Uttar Pradesh Circle,
The following postal officers were transferred and posted with effect from December 19, 2003:
P K Chatterjea from the Chief Post Master General of North East Circle to the Chief Post Master General of West Bengal Circle,
V T Sheth from the Post Master General of Goa Region in Maharashtra Circle to the Post Master General (Foreign Mails) Mumbai in Maharashtra Circle,
Manjula Prasher from the Post Master General of Punjab Circle to Deputy Director General (P) at the Postal Directorate New Delhi,
Sunita Trivedi from being on leave to the Chief Post Master General of Uttaranchal Circle,
M S Bali from being on leave to the General Manager at Business Development Directorate New Delhi
Anjali Devashar from the General Manager at Business Development Directorate, New Delhi to Deputy Director General (International Relations) at the Postal Directorate New Delhi,
K L Khanna from the Post Master General of Bareilly Region in Uttar Pradesh Circle to the Post Master General of Punjab Circle,
K P Sethy from the Post Master General designate of Gorakhpur Region in Uttar Pradesh Circle to the Post Master General (Mail Movement) Kolkata Region in West Bengal Circle,
O S Veerval from the Post Master General designate of Rajkot Region in Gujarat Circle to the Post Master General of Bareilly Region in Uttar Pradesh Circle. FAKE STAMP SCAM UPDATES
Maharashtra Governor Mohammad Fazal told "Those making puppets to dance to their tune have been arrested (in connection with the multi-billion fake stamp scam). The puppeteers have so far remained beyond the police net," in an informal chat, at Raj Bhavan in Nagpur on January 7, 2003
On January 5, 2003 a Bench of the Supreme Court of India comprising Chief Justice V N Khare, S B Sinha and Justice S H Kapadia sought reply from the respondents - central government, all States, Union Territories, NCT of Delhi and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the Public Interest Litigations filed by advocate Ajay Aggarwal and four others, who also sought that CBI probe into the scam be monitored by the apex Court.
Faced with allegations of links with stamp scam kingpin Abdul Karim Telgi, Karnataka small scale industries minister R Roshan Baig resigned on January 4, 2004. His resignation comes a day before the commencement of the state legislature session. It is learnt that Baig had given his resignation letter to the CM before the latter went abroad for a holiday on December 29.
A key operative in the fake stamp scam Raez Quadri was arrested by Andhra Pradesh police in Hyderabad on January 2, 2004and remanded to police custody till January 8. Quadri, who runs a transport business, was one of the main accused in the fake stamp paper case unearthed in the city in 1999 and was arrested in the same year along with 42 others by Begum Bazar police. He was subsequently released on bail. The SIT, constituted by Andhra Pradesh government in September last, re-opened the case and has been on the lookout for Quadri and five others who were believed to have played a key role in distribution of fake stamp papers in the state.
The four persons, assistant police commissioner Mohammed Javed of the anti corruption bureau, sub inspector Vijay Kamble of MRA Marg police station, stamp supervisor Subhash Patil and stamp vendor Shrikant Rane, were arrested by the SIT on January 2, 2004 at Mumbai for their role in the fake stamp scam. They have been remanded to police custody till January 8.
"Mohammed Sayeed is the kingpin. I have told everything to the police," Telgi told reporters as he was whisked away after being produced in a Bangalore court on December 30, 2003. When asked about Sayeed, Special Investigation Team (STAMPIT) chief, R Sri Kumar, said he was arrested in Kolkata on April 28, 2002. Sayeed is also wanted in stamp scam cases registered in Pune. He is in the custody of the Mumbai police. Sri Kumar said Sayeed, now in his 50s, entered the fake stamp paper business earlier than Telgi.
The SIT filed charge sheet running into more than 2,500 pages against nine accused on December 29, 2003 in the court at Pune. The accused include the Telgu Desham Party MLA C Krishna Yadav, Assistant Commissioner of Police Gokul B Patil, Senior Inspector crime branch Mumbai Datta Dhal, police Inspectors Vashist Andale and Prabhabkar Kakade and four other persons.
Dr Rehan Baig, brother of Karnataka Minister Roshan Baig surrendered on December 20, 2003, and was remanded to judicial custody till January 19, 2004 by the Ninth Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Chandrasekhar Hippargi at Bangalore.
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