Web forces Indian pigeons to join dole queue

Indian carrier pigeons will be joining the dole queue in the latest round of job cuts to hit the IT sector.

The Orissa State pigeon carrier service is making 400 of its 600 strong flight squad redundant due to increasing adoption of internet and email.

Feathers are flying as the jobless pigeons contemplate what is to become of them now there is less need for bird message relay to outlying districts of the state.

Many are blaming the lowered costs of computers as manufacturers struggle to be more competitive in the lowered economic climate.

The birds are the descendents of Belgian Homer pigeons imported in 1946 to aid communications in the flood and cyclone-prone area.

An Orissa State pigeon carrier service spokesman stated: "We are going to retrench the pigeons to save about 5.4m rupees (£78,000) we spend annually on them."

The Indo Asian News Service reported the pigeons will be handed over to the state's wildlife department.

Spokesmen are not mentioning pigeon pie to avoid further ruffling of feathers.