We seem to be in an era of shortages. You ask for a stamp paper of Rs. 50 and the vendor gives you either three stamp papers of smaller denomination and many stamps to be pasted on it. The reason is non-availability of stamp papers of Rs.50. Visit any notary to notarise a document and the situation is the same. You see half a dozen notarial stamps pasted on your document when only one would do. The shortage of notes and coins below Rs.10 is well known to all. Electricity bills are not received in time because of the shortage of meter readers. And the latest is the shortage of postage stamps of Rs.4 even before the season of Christmas cards has begun. You have to make do with eight stamps of 50 paise. Shortages are everywhere. And most of them are not short term, but continuing for a long time.
Rodney de Souza, Assagao
