Phanindra Pradhan
Sambalpur, Jan 16: The first Philatelic Bureau of Western Odisha was opened on the premises of Sambalpur Head Post Office on Saturday. The Sambalpur Philatelic Bureau, which is the 75th Philatelic Bureau of India, was inaugurated by Sambalpur Lok Sabha Member, Nitesh Ganga Deb in the presence of Postmaster General, Sambalpur Region, Sambalpur, Lalitendu Pradhan.
Philatelists and stamp collectors interested in Indian postage stamps can purchase their requirements from this bureau in the counter or by post placing order with the bureau care of the Postmaster, Sambalpur Head Post Office. Facilities like collection of current issues of Indian postage stamps, opening of Philatelic Deposit Accounts, printing of My-stamps, collection of newly released Special Covers, collection of First Day Covers (which are issued with every commemorative stamps), Collector’s Pack (year-wise) and Miniature/Souvenir Sheets will be available in the Sambalpur Philatelic Bureau.
The Sambalpur Philatelic Bureau will cater the needs of philatelists of ten districts coming under the Sambalpur Postal Region. The Sambalpur Postal Region consists of ten revenue districts including Sambalpur, Bargarh, Deogarh, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda, Balangir, Sonepur, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal and Angul. The regional headquarter of this region is at Sambalpur.
The first Philatelic Bureau in Odisha opened at Cuttack on August 15, 1948. Following which, the second Philatelic Bureau started functioning at Bhubaneswar on October 9, 2001. Sambalpur became the third Philatelic Bureau in Odisha.
In Sambalpur, the post office has been functioning since 1824. Thereafter, it was elevated in the year 1854. The present building where the Sambalpur Head Post Office is functioning was built in the year 1900 and still continues there providing services to the customers. The Ministry of Communications, Department of Posts has declared the Sambalpur Head Post Office building as one of the heritage buildings and first in Odisha Postal history.
