Dhanushkodi ( Rameswaram) gets back its Post office after 52 years - Read More
As per records, Danushkodi was a small town with a population of 3,197 people in 1961 and was a thriving export centre with various merchandise such as eggs, vegetables, cotton clothes, brass vessels being traded with Sri Lanka
The town had a post office in the General Post Office (GPO) cadre
dealing with foreign postal articles, mainly from Sri Lanka, before the
storm hit the town.
After the pilgrim centre was declared a ‘ghost town’, the department wound up the service.
Suggestion
Charles Lobo, Chief Post Master General, Tamil Nadu, who was recently
transferred to Karnataka, during a visit to the town a few months ago,
suggested that a branch post office be opened for the local fishermen,
who travelled all the way to Rameswaram island to avail themselves of
postal and banking services.
Meanwhile, the local fishermen leader Chellathurai also made a
representation on behalf of the people, after which the Department of
Posts decided to relocate the now defunct Rameswaram east post office at
Natarajapuram to the town, Assistant Superintendent of Posts S. Vijaya
Gomathi said.
Inauguration
On Wednesday, Superintendent of Posts N. J. Udaya Singh inaugurated the
post office in the presence of Gurusamy, a nonagenarian, who had served
as post man in the post office in the 1950s.
For the time being, the branch post office would function in the panchayat union middle school at Kambipadu, Mr. Singh said.
The branch post office would serve people living in Mukundarayar
Chathiram, Kambipadu, Old Harbour and Kothandaramar Temple areas, he
said adding, the department proposed to construct a permanent building
at the place where the old post office functioned.
The department would make available all postal products and encourage local people to open savings account.
Girl students below the age of 10 years would be encouraged to open Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana account, he added.
The post office would also cater to tourists visiting the town.
This is the second major initiative of Mr. Lobo.
Recognising the historical significance of St John de Britto shrine at
Oriyur, better known as Oriyur Church, he had ordered the release of a
special cover of the shrine with permanent pictorial cancellation of the
Portuguese Jesuit missionary, affectionately called as Arul Anandar.
Source : http://www.thehindu.com/