The Department of Post, under the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, is scaling down its traditional service of postcards. It is printing about 2 crore fewer postcards this fiscal compared to 2013-14. The department printed 10.44 crore postcards in 2012-13, but for the current fiscal it has printed 8.13 crore.

The department, in an RTI response to S.C. Agarwal, revealed that it is spending Rs 7.18 for printing one postcard, while selling it for just 50 paise from post offices. Same is the case with an inland letter, which is available at Rs 2.50, but costs Rs 7.18 to produce.

The move follows the department's realisation that postcards are gradually getting outdated in this age of instant messaging. Two of its traditional services, postcards and inland, are incurring heavy losses. The department scrapped its 163-year-old telegram service in July last year, as it was incurring heavy losses. According to the department, it suffered a loss of Rs 6.99 per postcard in 2010-11 and Rs 6.85 per unit in 2011-12. In the financial year 2012-13, the department incurred a loss of Rs 6.68 per unit. As many as 9.56 crore postcards were printed in that year and the total loss was Rs 9.47 crore.

In 2013-14, however, the government increased the number of postcards to 10.44 crore. But this year, the department has printed 8.13 crore postcards.

As per the RTI response, the postal department incurred the maximum loss on mailing registered newspapers at just 25 paise, when the service cost it Rs 10.59.

"Times have changed. Only sponsored 'Meghdoot' postcards, which carry advertisements, should be continued. The use of postcards has come down, so the subsidy bill should not be imposed on taxpayers," said Agarwal.