The Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) has decided to discontinue the 160-year-old telegram service from July 15.
The telegram service, which was widely in use for urgent text messaging till the 1980s, found itself irrelevant with the advent of the Internet and the mobile phone.
The smart phone technology and new messaging mediums like social networking sites have completely edged out the telegraph service.
According to reports, in a circular issued to the various telecom districts and circle offices, the BSNL, said the telegram services would be discontinued from July 15, 2013.
The circular has also directed the telecom offices to maintain the log books, service messages, delivery slips only for six months from the date of bookings.
The BSNL has instructed that surplus telegram staff members would be deployed to mobile services, landline telephony, broadband services and shifting could take place within the next three months.
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