Dear Comrades,
The Postal Staff College of India, Ghaziabad has organized an interaction programme with the 16 Senior Administrative Grade Officers likely to be promoted to HAG (Chief PMG) on 19.01.2011 from 1430 hours on the topic of “Staff issues in Transformation of India Post”. Com. K. V. Sridharan, General Secretary and Com. D. Theyagarajan, Secretary General FNPO were invited to have interaction on the topic for free and frank discussion to arrive at some agreed solution to the issues concerned.
This is the first time that two union representatives were invited as faculty members to the Postal Staff college and allotted 30 minutes each for oration on the topic. Com. K. V. Sridharan, General Secretary has taken 40 minutes on the following issues which were well received by the senior officers of the department. The gist of his presentation on the problems existing in Project Arrow offices and other modernization programme is furnished below for the notice of our members.
At the outset, he made it clear that the proposed changes are inevitable when the Govt decides to amend the Post office Act and makes the Post office also as one of the players in the communication market and the trade unions are not against any advancement or modernization of postal services but against any such move of privatization, corporatization etc. But many schemes are being introduced even without consultations with circle heads and they are forced to implement such decisions ignoring the realities prevailing at base levels and the feasibilities resulting failures of the schemes. Formation of Hubs for speed post articles resulted heavy delay and public criticism in delivery of speed post.
The following issues are not attended or not cared resulting failure in the object of the project arrow and this require immediate correction.
(1) Project Arrow is fine but not succeeded due to operational inefficiency in the absence of adequate staff.
(2) Staffs are compelled to furnish fictitious statistics that become a demoralizing factor.
(3) Project Arrow inspection team guided the offices to enter only the paid MOs relating to Family pension, Old Age pension etc. as MOs received for delivery just to show 100% delivery.
(4) In adequate supply of Computer peripherals, accessories and no power to the Postmaster to incur any expenditure for urgent natures. Inadequacy of printers and almost condemned servers with slow pace available in many Project Arrow offices.
(5) Inadequate personnel deployed for trouble shooting like Systems Administrators to attend the faults.
(6) Even antivirus soft wares are not provided in many circles like Orissa to the computers. There are no proper AMCs. For Generators also there is no AMC and many of them are out of order.
(7) Unscientific fixation of last receipt time. The last receipt should be before 1500 hours. No article should be kept under deposit or shown as delivered or redirected to other town SOs to ensure 100% delivery.
(8) Bar codes to Speed Post articles are sub standard. Duplication of scanning of Speed Post articles must be avoided. The power of RAM should be increased, Spare & Additional accessories must be provided to all offices.
(9) The present measurement of KPI uniform to all offices right from HSG-I to single handed offices is incorrect. This will demotivate the bigger offices where there are chances of return of articles.
(10) The provision of alternative mail route as provided in the blue book and vested with the divisional superintendents for effective conveyance of mails is not at all adhered anywhere. Only the DMSL is adhered. The provision of Citizen Charters D + 2 is not maintained.
(11) Citizen Charter’s meetings should be conducted as post office levels by divisional heads. So that the public can ventilate their pleasure and displeasure in the presence of concerned Postmasters.
(12) There are contrary in citizen’s Charter and norms fixed by the Department. For example for registration of Savings Certificate, it is 10 mts per registration as per the norms. Where as it is 7 minutes per certificate as per citizen charters. There should not be difference in norms.
(13) Now settlement of SB claims in finally vested with Postmasters. The time limit as per citizen charter & KPI disturbed the practicability in disposal of claims.
(14) PPF & Savings certificates involve more time. They should not be brought under multipurpose Savings Bank Counters. Separate counters must be there. No other work other than Savings Bank should be added in the Multi purpose Savings Bank Counters.
(15) Postmasters posted in the project arrow offices must be given with systems training so that they can trouble shoot the minor cases if it warrants avoiding dislocation.
(16) There is no security or no queue facilities in Project Arrow phase I & II offices. It resulted in unwarranted arguments to decide who the first customer is. There is no safety.
(17) The enhancement of counter working hours without realizing the difficulties to 7 hours in many places forced the PO to keep open the office beyond working hours. The physical strain of sitting continuously for 7 hours before counter in computer has not been taken note of. This inhuman decision frustrated the employees much.
(18) Entrusting the undelivered articles to PRI (P), directing the Postman to deliver even registered letter to neighbour or any one, compelling the postmen to obtain mobile number of addresses, collecting authorization letters etc, issuing chare sheets without studying the realities are resulted in setback. Mere policing will not yield desired results. Better counseling is the requirement of the day.
(19) Frequent statements, compelling the Postmaster to check e-mails 3 to 4 times, furnishing report once in a hour – All these adversely affected his supervisory’ duties and the time is being wasted only in collecting such information and forwarding them.
(20) Non updating the soft wares. The patches for Foreign Post revised rates not dispatched till today. In Delhi, no MPCM is having the facility of booking of VP articles under concessional rates for printed books.
(21) The e-mo software is now over leaded. Many paid e-mos are now shown as unpaid. The System Administrators are compelled to clear the mistakes. Before introducing the software, the capacity must be assessed properly.
(22) If LAN/WAN/Broad Band does not function, the PMs are compelled to go other offices to send reports, Accounts & MIS etc.
(23) No doubt, it is feel good outside. But inside, still old furniture etc to delivery staff and other staff. When the project is taken, it should be for all.
(24) Unnecessary calling of explanations from the Postmaster and take notice of their lapses for non extraction of Speed Post net data on account of operation errors.
(25) Practically there is no counting of unaccountable articles. Average and incorrect figures are furnished. This should be deleted from DET.
(26) Series of letters & e-mail received on SB transfer, claims & closures. Scores will be deducted in KPI. This demotivates the staff.
(27) Many local instructions are issued daily confusing the operative staff. Sequential day ending process has been changed twice in many circles.
(28) EMO software again proved as half baked with various bugs which required huge rectification. Soft wares are not able to deal such huge data. 2.5 lakhs e-mos were shown as unpaid which were booked 1 year before.
(29) Handling of plenty of soft wares and multi log in by single user causing tiresome and often failures resulting chain of distress to the PAs and supervisors.
(30) Virtually there is no help from the regional office except questioning; Remote assistance is the best way for trouble shooting.
The problems as well as improvements required in Project Arrow offices were elaborated in details during his oration. He further insisted the advance level training, involving the circle unions in decision makings by the circle heads, the loop holes in marketing like UTI, ICICI prudential, Sale of Gold coins for RML etc. unrealistic targets fixation etc were focused. Our stiff opposition on the tie up with Fedex and provide counter in PO is explained.
In fact under the given time and also the follow up interaction with our General Secretary & Secretary General FNPO by the senior offices for about an hour were properly utilized to ventilate the realities at ground level and the need for review of entire things.
After the meeting, many senior offices have appreciated our views, on many issues and the need to correct them. We thank the Principal, Postal Staff College Sri Sarkar for providing this opportunity to us.
Source: AIPEU P3 CHQ
