COMMUNICATIONS

POSTS AND TELEGRAPHS

Posts, telegraphs and telephones have now-a-days assumed greater importance. In 1884, Sholapur district was included in the Ahmadnagar Postal Division. The postal and such other facilities were meagre at that time. In this connection the old Gazetteer of the district has to say the following:-

"Sholapur forms part of the Ahmadnagar Postal Division. Of the forty-one post offices one is a disbursing office, one town sub-office, nineteen sub-offices, and twenty-four village offices. Of these, besides the two disbursing and town sub-offices at Sholapur, thirteen sub and twenty village offices are within British limits, two sub and four village offices are within the limits of the Sholapur and Kolhapur and Bombay Karnatak agencies, and four sub-offices are within the limits of the Sholapur and Kolhapur and Bombay Karnatak agencies, and four sub-offices arc within the limits of the Nizam's territory. Of the post offices within British limits the thirteen sub-offices are at Akluj, Barsi Road, Barsi Town, Hudgi, Jeur, Karmala, Kem, Madha, Malsiras, Mohol, Pandharpur, Sangola, and Vairag, and the twenty village offices at Angar, Ashti, Gherdi, Javla. Jinti, Kadlas, Kakramba, Kari, Karkam, Korti, Kurdu, Maloli, Natepute, Pangaon, Pangri, Rajuri, Ropla, Sonand, Tembhurni, and Velapur. Of the post offices within the limits of the Sholapur and Kolhapur and Bombay Karnatak agencies the two sub-offices are at Akalkot and Mangalwedha; and the four village offices arc at Dudhni. Maindargi, Modnimb, and Pimpalner. The four sub-offices in the Nizam's territory are at Dharashiv, Latur, Mominabad, and Parli......... Mails to and from Bombay to Sholapur are carried by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway. From the large towns of Barsi, Pandharpur and Karmala which lie off the railway line, mails are carried in tangas or pony carts, from Barsi and Pandharpur to Barsi Road station and from Karmala to Jeur station..........

Besides the railway telegraph offices at the different stations, there are two Government telegraph offices at Sholapur and Barsi." [Gazetteer of Bombay Presidency, Sholapur District, 1884, pp. 259-60.]

However, in course of time these facilities increased considerably and there is now a divisional office with its head-quarters at Sholapur. There is also a separate sub-divisional office for telephones with its head-quarters at Sholapur. The facilities increased significantly during the years 1956-1967 in the district. Offices which were formerly under the control of divisional authorities outside this district have now been brought under the control of authorities of this district. Thus, the offices situated in South Sholapur, Sangola and Mangalwedha talukas have been brought under the control of the authorities stationed at Sholapur. A Head Post Office is opened at Pandharpur for this purpose. During the year 1961-62 there were 283 post offices including 37 sub-post offices and 246 branch post offices in the district. The same were increased to 445 in 1972-73. Table No. 8 shows the growth of these facilities in the district during the years 1961-62, 1966-67, 1971-72 and 1972-73.

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