With reference to the news report on ‘local release’ of commemorative postage stamp on Gurajada Venkata Appa Rao, the Department of Posts clarified that the function held at the Public Library here on Sunday was not authorised by it.
According to the department guidelines any release function for a stamp should have an appropriate representative of the Department of Posts, Senior Superintendent of Posts, Visakhapatnam, K.V.L.N. Murty said in a statement here. Further, making of a replica of stamp or first day cover is prohibited by the department, he added.
The commemorative postage stamp on the Telugu litterateur Gurajada Appa Rao was released on September 21. A formal ‘lokarpan’ function would be organised by the Department in Vizianagaram or Srikakulam shortly where Union Minister of State for Communications and IT Killi Kruparani and member of Parliament from Vizianagaram Botcha Jhansi, who has proposed the postage stamp, would participate and dedicate it the people of Andhra Pradesh, the official added in his statement.
According to the department guidelines the postage stamp, which is a legally valid receipt for postage paid, can be released by either Minister for Communication or Minister of State for Communication, and in their absence by Secretary Department of Posts, Member Postal Services Board of the Chief Postmaster General concerned. Exceptions to this are made only when the President, Vice-President, Prime Minister, Speaker of the Lok Sabha or the Governor of the State consent to release the postage stamp, the statement added.
