Ram Mandir stamps at Amritsar post office

Tribune News Service

GS Paul

Amritsar, April 2

The commemorative stamps featuring Ayodhya’s Ram Mandir are now available at the main post office in Amritsar. The Amritsar Postal Department’s philately wing caters to Gurdaspur, Kapurthala and Ferozepur. These stamps were unveiled by PM Narendra Modi on January 18.

A miniature sheet having a set of six postage stamps with a denomination of Rs 5 each is being offered for Rs 100. Anyone wishing to have the ‘First Cover’ needs to shell out Rs 50 extra.

Though stamps are priced at Rs 150 on the website of the Department of Posts, one has to to pay Rs 50 extra for delivery charges.

Ironically, two e-commerce sites were selling the stamps at Rs 455. With a note of caution to philatelists and general public, Satinder Lehari, Postmaster General, Amritsar, said these stamps could now be purchased in Amritsar.

“There is no need to buy these stamps from private sites. We have ample stock with us,” he said.

Amritsar-based philatelist Neeraj Jain, who procured these stamps, said devotees’ faith and emotions should not be “commercialised”.

“The stamps having a commercial value of Rs 30 are being offered at a premium by the Department of Posts. If the department has published 10 crore stamps, it will earn over Rs 100 crore by just selling these stamps,” he said. Lehari said these stamps had been given special treatment. “These stamps have been printed with water and sand procured from Ram Janmabhoomi. They also have fragrance of sandalwood. Parts of the miniature sheet are gold foiled,” he said.

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