Dhanushkodi ( Rameswaram) gets back its Post office after 52 years

Dhanushkodi ( Rameswaram) gets back its Post office after 52 years

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

Its services ended after the devastating cyclone hit the land’s end in 1964

Dhanushkodi, the once flourishing trading centre which was devastated in the 1964 cyclonic storm and started regaining its lost glory with National Highways Authority of India providing a road link, has got its post office back, after more than 52 years after the storm almost wiped out the south eastern tip of the State.

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/