Declining standards of postal services

29 October, 2012

As it is, the official postal service has fallen into disrepute. People avoid it as far as they can. Most of the persons are in a hurry and prefer to send important letters, packets via private courier service. The internet has come in handy too.

THROUGH EMAIL people can even transfer documents to say nothing of writing letters. The mobile phones give one an opportunity to instantly offer greetings to near and dear ones in any part of the world. People have shifted to these alternatives. This has broken the backbone of the official postal service which, far from improving, is deteriorating day by day.

It is quite normal that in many areas the postmen do not deliver post in the letter-boxes set up outside most of the houses but just fling the letters anywhere around. Sometimes it is found in the garden, sometimes under a car, sometimes on the road. The complainants say that these days, people hardly use Government postal service. But Government organizations still send letters to people via the post. Some of these letters contain cheques as well. How can the postmen be so irresponsible as to fling the post here, there and every?

While this goes on unabated, people have to incur a great loss by not receiving important documents from their senders. The postmen who serve in the posh area like Civil Lines in Allahabad would not deliver the telephone bills in various houses and shops but would fling it in some other houses - presuming that the distant neighbours will extend the courtesy of delivering it to the addressee, forgetting that it is their duty to do so and not that of the neighbour.

There are many complaints from many areas of the city in this respect, but the postal authorities keep quiet over the issue, and nothing happens. Fortunately, people now have the choice to receive and pay telephone bills via the Internet too. Hence that ordeal hasn't to be undergone. But how many important letters one might still be missing because of their delivery at wrong places is any body's guess! Will the higher postal authorities ensure that in all colonies, this practice is stopped, and severe action is taken against the offenders?