Dear Comrades,
GURGAON: With staff shortage and increasing competition from
private courier services, post offices in Gurgaon are facing a tough
time.
Just 193 people not only provide postal
services to about two million people but also give postal banking
services, popular particularly among migrant laborers, and business mail
services.
Five new post offices have been set up in different parts of Gurgaon
in last five years. But no new hiring has been done. "Staff from old
post offices was transferred to the new ones. Our work efficiency has
been affected," said a senior India post employee.
"There is
acute shortage of postal staff here. Gurgaon postal division is one of
the busiest in the country. We are one of top three profit making postal
divisions. Every month we do business of about Rs 3-4 crore. Premium
services like speed post, business post, express parcel post, media post
and logistics post are popular here," said Jagdish Chander, senior
superintendent of Gurgaon division.
The role of postman has
changed drastically in recent years. "In Gurgaon, we don't get a post
card or inland letter card for months, and post boxes are hardly ever
used," said Balbir Singh, a postman. "Most of us are busy with
delivering credit cards, debit cards, cheque books, business mails,
magazines and premier products," he added.
That's not it. If you
thought that e-banking and ATMs are only popular ways of transferring
money within the country, visit a nearby post office. Thousands of
migrant workers use money remittance services like money order,
electronic money order, instant money order etc. They also use various savings schemes offered by India post.
"Even today, if you want to reach a far-flung village, India Post
offers much more reliable and economic services than any private courier
service. The lower income floating population heavily depends on us.
The send money and letters to their relatives in far off villages.
Still, there are many villages in remote corners of India where there is
no bank. But a post office will always be there," said a senior
officer.
There is a need to upgrade postal infrastructures in
Gurgaon. "All post offices need to be computerized, buildings are crying
for repair. New staff is needed. Being associated with the largest
postal network in the world makes us proud, but changing with the time
of part of survival and growth," added the officer.
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