Commemorative Stamp Released
Inspector-General of Police, West Zone, Pramod Kumar (left), receiving the commemorative stamp on National Police Academy from Mervin Alexander, Director of Postal Services, Western Region, at an introduction function held at the City Police office on Tuesday. City Police Commissioner K.C. Mahali (right) is also in the picture.The Director of Postal Services, Western Region, Mervin Alexander on Tuesday introduced a postal stamp released to commemorate the completion of 60 years of National Police Academy, Hyderabad, to the police officers serving in Western Tamil Nadu. Deputy Inspector Generals of Police P. Sivanandi (Coimbatore range) and K. Vannia Perumal (Salem), Superintendents of Police Avinash Kumar (Erode), G. Karthikeyan (Coimbatore), A.G. Babu (the Nilgiris), Vidya D. Kulkarni (Namakkal), N.M. Mayilvahanan (Salem), Najmul Hoda (Dharmapuri) and Anisha Hussain (Krishnagiri), and Deputy Commissioners of Police S. Rajendran (Law and Order), K. Shanmugavel (Crime and Traffic) and P. Nagarajan (Headquarters) took part.
Mr. Alexander said that the stamp was released on November 27, 2008 and because of the terror attacks in Mumbai, the release of the stamp failed to reach the public and hence, the decision to introduce it to police officers in Western Tamil Nadu. The National Police Academy started in 1948 was completing 60 years. Mr. Alexander said that the Department of Posts used to release commemorative stamps on special requests.
The Philately Advisory Committee used to receive a large number of representations seeking commemorative stamps but the committee would accord sanction only for a few requests based on merit. Unlike other ordinary stamps, commemorative stamps would be never reprinted.
Recalling the commemorative stamps brought out in honour of security agencies, Mr. Alexander said that in 1982 a stamp was brought out on police patrol,1990 for Border Security Force, 2004 on Central Reserve Police Force, 1989 on Pigeon Post of Orissa Police and 2005 on Kolkatta Police Commissionerate, in 2007 in honour of Randhir Prasad Varma, an IPS officer who won the highest award Ashok Chakra and in 1972 on Interpol.
The NPA commemorative stamp is a se-tenant one wherein in two stamps printed side by side would give a complete picture of the theme. Inspector-General of Police, West Zone, Pramod Kumar recalling his training period at the academy said that it had produced top brass attached to almost all the internal security agencies of the country. He said that the academy served the purpose of building confidence in trainee officers to make them face challenges.
Commissioner of Police, Coimbatore city, K.C. Mahali said that the days at the academy were memorable for the officers in terms of discipline starting right from hair cut on entry and the rigorous training. Mr. Karthikeyan and Mr. Avinash Kumar shared their experiences at the academy.Mr. Alexander later told reporters that the commemorative stamp was available at the head post offices in every district. To a query, he said that the postal headquarters would be intimated of the 150 years of Tamil Nadu Police and if there was a proposal seeking commemorative stamp, further steps would be taken, he said.
