It seems that the age-old and traditional system of Money Order is coming to an end. In the new technology era, the method of Money Order has also changed. Now it is e-money order or i-money order.

Earlier the same Money Order form filled up by the sender will go by post to the addressee. The Post Man will pay the amount to the payee and the a portion of the same signed by the latter will be  returned to the sender as proof that it has been paid. The counterfoil with the signature was a document even to be produced in the court to show that the money has been paid.

In the P and T Department earlier, salaries of many telecom employees out of the headquarters of the Division/Sub-division were paid their salary through M.O.s, in which the details of their salary, deduction etc. will be mentioned. This portion can be retained by the payee as a proof of his salary payment and details. It is with such a piece of M.O.coupon that I could help the widow/family  of a Line Inspector  get the family pension after 20 years of his death. That was the only evidence the family had, which helped to find out the office of making payment and then to the records of the deceased official. Families /relatives of government officials/military personnel etc. used to wait for the Post Man/Woman, in the first week of the month for the M.O. sent by their family member working somewhere else. The letter in brief sentences written in the back of the counterfoil will be read out many times by the family.

All these are gone now. Even if the sender fills up the M.O. in the old way, that form does not travel and reach the payee. For early receipt, it is sent by the Post Office through e-mail / i-mail to the payees’ Post office, which takes the print out and send the Postman to pay the same. Neither the message from the sender nor the address of the sender is not there in the counterfoil to be kept by the payee. The payee has to note down the same from the M.O. print out. Of course, the M.O. reaches fast.

Yes, the old traditional Money Order is almost dead without anybody knowing it. The Telegram was stopped by the Department of Telecom on 15th July last year despite strong protest from the people and staff unions. Now the M.O.is also going the same way.

Changes are inevitable in the forward march. But those who are familiar with the earlier M.O. will certainly remember the old days and the thrill of getting the M.O. (Courtesy: Hindu)