Stamps of India Collectors Companion
The First, Free & Only Email Newsletter on Philately & Postal Services of India
AWARDS: Silver Medal with ‘Felicitations of the Jury’ at BELGICA 2001 World Stamp Exhibition
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January 29, 2004 Forthcoming Stamp Issue New Special Postmark January 26 Honor Lists Recent & Forthcoming Events Philatelic Exhibition in Nepal Pacific Explorer 2005 Recent Periodical Publications Fake Stamp Scam Updates
FORTHCOMING STAMP ISSUE
February 6
Dr. B D Garware, Rs5
This issue 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 SPECIAL POSTMARK
India Post provided a special pictorial postmark on January 24, 2004 at Bilaspur depicting Acharya Vidhyasagar Maharaj. A special cover was also issued to commemorate Jinendra Panchkalyanak Pratishtha & Tri-Gajrath Mahotsava for a newly constructed temple of first Tirthankar Bhagwan Rishabhnath. The cover depicts the Temple, the idol of Bhagwan Rishabhnath and Acharya Vidhyasagar Maharaj.
India Post provided special pictorial postmark on the Birth Centenary of Poet Kuvempu at Bangalore on December 29, 2003. A Special Cover was also issued on this occasion. JANUARY 26 HONOR LISTS
Every year January 26 is celebrated in India as the Republic Day, it was on this day in 1950 that India became a republic. January 26 is also celebrated in Australia as the Australia Day as it was on this day in 1788 that Captain Arthur Phillip took formal possession of the colony of New South Wales and became its first Governor.
Both India and Australia have a long tradition to present honors to their distinguished citizens on January 26. This year India's honor list included the name of the wife of late Arvind Pakvasa, the internationally acclaimed philatelist who specialized in Indian Princely States. And Australia's honor list included the name of late Hamilton Nelson Eustis for Service to philately; aerophilately and aviation history. Eustis died recently on December 14, 2003. RECENT & 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
28-29, Berhampore, Murshidabad District Level
February
15-16, Aurangabad, District Level
15-18, Siliguri, Region Level, MEGHDOOT
19-20, South Delhi District Level, DESPEX
23-25, Coimbatore, District Level
27-29, Tirupur, COIN-STAMPEX
For a list of events held this year, please visit
http://www.stampsofindia.com/Content/Events/a300.htm PHILATELIC EXHIBITION IN NEPAL
A philatelic exhibition highlighting the age-old bilateral ties between India and Nepal opened in Kathmandu on January 25, 2004.
Nepal's Parliamentary Standing Committee Chairman Parashunarayan Chaudhari, opened the three-day exhibition being organized by Nepal India Friendship Society to mark the 55th Republic Day of India.
'The philatelic exhibition exemplifies the unique historical relations existing between Nepal and India' Chaudhari said. 'The people-to-people ties between Nepal and India transcends political boundary. Developed and prosperous India provides vast opportunity for Nepal's economic development as well' India's Ambassador to Nepal Shyam Saran said.
The stamps on display included those issued by the Nepalese Government on Lord Ram and Sita, those on late King Tribhuvan with his two wives, Kanti and Ishwori, whom he married from Punjab in 1918.
Stamps on the Golden Jubilee of first human ascent to Mount Everest by Tenzing and Hillary, stamps on Lord Buddha, Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi, late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, those on noted Maithali poet Vidyapati, were also on display.
President of the Nepal Philatelic Society Kedar Pradhan, recalled that Indian post office stationed at the Indian Embassy premises in Kathmandu provided postal services to the Nepalese Government since 1816, two years after the historic Sugauli Treaty was signed between British India and the Nepalese Government. The service continued till 1965. Nepal started printing postage stamps in 1881, he added.
The show was very successful and attracted more than ten thousand visitors over a period of three days. PACIFIC EXPLORER 2005
The Caretaker Secretary General of the Philatelic Congress of India (PCI), Dilip Shah has appointed himself as India's National Commissioner for Pacific Explorer World Philatelic Exhibition to be held in Sydney, Australia in 2005.
It is pertinent to mention that the PCI's status as an incorporated entity is subject to ongoing judicial proceedings on account of gross violations of various laws of the land and no meetings have been held since August 2002.
For more information on this exhibition, please visit the official web site at http://www.sydney2005.com.au RECENT PERIODICAL PUBLICATIONS
G P A NEWS, Whole # 76 - November 2003, Monthly
G P A NEWS, Whole # 77 - December 2003, Monthly
Editor: H C Mehta
Publisher: Gujarat Philatelists Association
Address: 1/M National Chamber, Ashram Road, Ahmedabad -380009
Annual Subscription including membership: Rs.100, Entrance Fee Rs.100 FAKE STAMP SCAM UPDATES
The Andhra Pradesh Special Investigation Team (SIT) has taken three people into custody in connection with the multi-billion fake stamp paper scam. Those taken into custody have been identified as Dastagir M, who hails from Telgi's hometown Ghanapur in Karnataka, Ashish Chakravarthy of Kolkata and Ethiraj of Chennai. The trio is allegedly involved in various kinds of abetting and conspiring with stamp scam kingpin and main accused Telgi while operating the fake stamp paper racket in the country. The SIT, however, did not disclose when and where the three were held. Dastagir was remanded to judicial custody yesterday while the other two are still being interrogated, they said.
Based on recommendations of Special Stamp Paper Investigating Team (StampIT), the State Government of Karnataka on January 24, 2004 suspended four police officers for their alleged lapses in the investigations pertaining to fake stamp paper scam cases registered in the city. The suspended officers are Assistant Commissioner of Police Sangram Singh, City Crime Branch (CCB) Inspector Vali Basha, Sub-Inspector V A Khan and Deputy Superintendent of Police K M Muddaiah. Sources said the Home Department has issued an order placing them under suspension. After StampIT wrote to DGP T Madiyal recommending that these officers be retired compulsorily, the DGP forwarded the letter to City Police Commissioner S Mariswamy for verification and his remarks. Mariswamy has concurred with the StampIT views and recommended for suspension and departmental inquiry against Singh, Basha and Khan, who earlier worked in the City Market Police Station. In 1997, the City Market Police seized fake stamp papers and filed charge sheets against six persons. It is alleged that the police had deliberately left out Telgi's name. Muddaiah was then ACP of Central Crime Branch (CCB) and had supervised the investigation after it was transferred to CCB. Muddaiah is at present posted as Deputy SP, Doddaballapura, Bangalore Rural.
Sleuths of the Special Investigation Team (STAMPIT) on January 24, 2004 commenced a four-day interrogation of prime accused in the multi-billion fake stamp paper scam Abdul Karim Telgi, following his reported offer to expose "big sharks" in the scandal. Armed with a Special Court order, the investigation agency formally took Telgi into custody from Parappana Agrahara jail on the Bangalore outskirts and took him for customary medical examination and later questioned him. The Special Court earlier this week passed an order allowing handing over of Telgi to police custody for four days following an application filed by STAMPIT, which submitted that the prime accused needed to be interrogated following his reported offer to make a confessional statement. Telgi was quoted as saying by his former lawyer Abdul Rehman that he would disclose the names of "big sharks" in the scandal. Karnataka High Court had on January 23, 2004 upheld the Special Court's order on Telgi, who had filed a petition questioning it.
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