Dhanbad's head post office is getting ready for an addition this month.

The address near Court Road will open a shoppe selling an array of useful items starting from envelopes, gum, staplers, white sheets, carbon sheets, stamps, post cards, booklets and inland letters to mobile phones. The phones will be available at throwaway prices of Rs 1,922 each.

A 200sqft area with a counter has already been allocated on the ground floor of the post office, which will house the Post Shoppe. Other products like solar-powered lanterns, gangajal will be also sold there. Employees of the post office will be in charge of the kiosk.

"We may launch the shoppe between November 26-28 which will be the second one in state after Ranchi where a Post Shoppe is already operating at the general post office," senior superintendent of the Dhanbad post office N. Sarkar told The Telegraph.

While philatelic books, thematic stamp packs and stamp sheets will be India Post's own offerings, for mobile phones, solar lanterns and gangajal, it has tied up with different commercial firms at the Jharkhand postal circle level<>.

"We have joined hands with Penta Bharat Mobile Phone of BSNL, Tillumal Chawla and Sons and Shyam Global Enterprises for selling phones, gangajal and LED bulb-fitted solar lanterns, respectively," said Sarkar, adding that they would charge commission from the respective companies.

While gangajal will be available at the rate of Rs 10 for 110ml, Rs 18 for 230ml and Rs 22 for 330ml, the solar-poweredlanterns will cost Rs 1,650 and Rs 2,650.

Sarkar added that the products would be sold under retail services of India Post.

"If the plan is successful, we may consider launching similar shoppes at nine sub post offices," he added.