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It's retirement time for this old hand

Staff Reporter

PTI to phase out only operational `TP' in State

— Photo: Lingaraj Panda

DAYS NUMBERED: The only vintage tele-printer machine operational in Orissa is to be put out of service in a few days.

BERHAMPUR: The only operational vintage Tele-Printer (TP) machines in Orissa still ticking loud at the Berhampur Press Trust Of India (PTI) office would be out of service within next few months.

Telegraph offices in the State replaced these machines with electronic TP machines decades back. Also no other PTI office in the State uses these vintage machines popularly known as `Hindustan TP' any more.

Journalists of the new generation can never identify with these huge and loud TP machines.

Mint condition

But the PTI office here has preserved these vintage machines in pristine form, which one-day formed the core of their old communication network. Recently the PTI authorities decided to replace these vintage machines with computers and printers. The replacement would be done in a month or two.

New generation

The engineer-in-charge of PTI Berhampur, S.K Behera's love for these vintage machines have kept them operational and intact although they were phased out from their other offices. The loud clatter of these machines has been the identity of this office since long although the PTI subscribers in the city use electronic printers to get the news.

Chandra Rao Patnaik, the news editor of the local edition of The Sambad still remembers these vintage machines, which were technical marvels when he started his career at news desk. "Then the noise caused by these machines meant work was on at news desk although it was often kept away from the desk to avoid the loud clatter," he said.

Old bonds

In this age of computers, due to non-availability of spare parts, it has become a difficult job to maintain these vintage machines. Mr Behera's obsession with these machines made him preserve these vintage pieces related to history of communication in the country in operational state. PTI sources said they are going to replace these machines, as it is high time for the old technology to give way for new generation communication tools. "But human sentiments are such that they always cling on to the old and veteran journalists can never forget these vintage machines ." said Mr. Rao Patnaik.

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