More than 20 doctors and over a dozen police and security force personnel died while battling the COVID-19 pandemic in West Bengal till the second week of August. In an attempt to honour frontline warriors, the Department of Posts will release a special cover on the COVID-19 warriors of West Bengal on the 74th Independence Day.
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“By issuing a special cover and cancellation on the theme ‘COVID fighters Brave Hearts of Bengal’, the Department of Posts recognises the great service rendered in the fight against COVID-19 by multiple agencies. This will remain as a record for future generations,” Mervin Alexander, Chief Post Master General of West Bengal Circle said.
Mr. Alexander added that along with personnel from the health sector, the police, civil administration and postal staff have been fully involved with the delivery of letters, parcels and money at the doorstep of citizens during the pandemic. The West Bengal government has launched an insurance scheme of ₹10 lakh for frontline medical staff, including jobs for family members who have died due to the viral infection.
Stamps on terracotta temples
Earlier this month, India Post issued a set of seven commemorative postage stamps and a miniature sheet on the ‘Terracotta Temples of India’. The temples on which the stamps have been issued are — Indralath temple, Ranipur Jharia , Odisha; Nebiya Khera temple, Bhadwara, Uttar Pradesh; Lakshman temple, Sirpur, Chhattisgarh; Madan Mohan temple, Bishnupur, West Bengal; Jor Bangla temple, Bishnupur; Shyam Rai temple, Bishnupur; and Lalji temple, Kalna, West Bengal.
Among the seven terracotta temples, four are in West Bengal under the jurisdiction of the Archaeological Survey of India, Kolkata Circle. “What makes the terracotta temples in Bengal unique is that each of the temples is decorated with terracotta plaques which depict religious and social scenes dating to the late medieval era,” Subha Majumdar, Superintending Archaeologist, ASI, Kolkata Circle, said.