The Department of Posts is celebrating National Postal Week between October 9 and October 13. It observed October 11 as Philately Day, for which a programme was organised at the GPO where Sanjiv Ranjan, postmaster general, Kolkata region launched the Permanent Pictorial cancellation programme themed on Durga Puja and important landmarks of Kolkata. A Pictorial Cancellation is a postmark, which shows a replica/ photo/ design or a picture highlighting a tourist, religious, historical or an important place or thing. Thus Pictorial Cancellations give wide publicity mainly to places of tourist interest and they are provided at the post offices which are located near such places of tourist attraction. As per available information, Pictorial Cancellations of permanent nature were first provided some time in 1951. Picture postcards were also launched on Wednesday
Soumyajit Dey