Postal service gone to the dogs!

The abysmally poor postal service in the country often takes a toll on the public in multiple ways. The non-delivery of urgent documents and parcels adversely affects not only individual citizens, but also government departments, media agencies, and private companies. Here is a recent case in point. One urgent parcel dispatched from Rajasthan on 24th Nov. 2021 somehow reached Guwahati on 1st December. But that packet after having gathered dust for two-week at the parcel hub in Guwahati delivered in Shillong on 16 December.

This piece of information I got when I pulled up the details from the postal tracking portal some days back. I am now certain that this parcel would not have been lifted from Guwahati if I had not written the complaint letter. I had also immediately contacted and intimated the GPO, Shillong. I am always thankful to a few of the staff in Shillong GPO who are quick to resolve the petty issues. Yes, I further learned from the concerned employees of GPO, Shillong that they are also fed up with the nonchalantly callous attitude of officers/staff concerned in Guwahati.

Many reminder letters from Shillong GPO for the prompt forwarding and the clearance of the consignments often go in vain. Unlike ordinary documents, even the "speed post" letters/parcels are forwarded from the Guwahati hub only after being held up for many days or weeks. Mr. Sharma of Shillong-2 received a speed post document only after 17 days while a university student in Bangalore – Ms Luciana did not at all receive the express document sent by her mother from Shillong. Is it not very unbecoming and unprofessional? Why does the post office charge so high if the so-called “express service” is abnormally poor?

On the other hand, we now have several private players in the field which fly with zeal. They ensure excellent service. The couriers like FedEx, BlueDart, Delhivery, DTDC often put their best foot forward to cheer up their customers by trying to deliver parcels/documents on the third day. One wonders why the postal department is still moving at a snail’s pace in this age of the digital world. Who all are responsible for clipping the wings of the government postal departments? Why is the public thus left in the lurch? It seems the government postal department badly needs a “complete overhaul”. It must use all its technological tools to streamline the service with utmost urgency. This is the age of competitiveness, efficiency, and professionalism. Hope this piece of article will draw the immediate attention of the concerned authorities of both -- states and the centre.