Postal department orders inquiry into Laban PO affairs
SHILLONG: If the Director Postal Services (HQ), NE Circle, Som Kamei is to be believed, the postal woes in Shillong and the State at large is set to end in the next couple of days.
According to Kamei, the Core Banking System (CBS) team is working very hard to settle the issue. “The internet link failure and slow service experienced by our valuable customers at GPO and other post offices is a countrywide phenomenon. The Ministry is aware and the issue will be resolved within a day or two,” he said.
The Senior Superintendent of Post (SSP), Shillong GPO, Alice K Vizo has, in the recent past, while reasoning on the pathetic internet link condition at the GPO downplayed the issue, but now is under flak not only from her customers, but ironically from her own employees.
The postal employees of Meghalaya who are observing a weeklong morning demonstration starting from this Monday in front of the GPO are facing undue criticism from the affected customers due to internet link failure resulting in incomplete transactions.
The link failure at the ground floor of the GPO has crossed all limits with scenes of yelling customers at counter assistants and sorry sight of senior citizens and others, leaving counters for want of link.
The current low bandwidth is resulting in machine hangover and therefore instant counter transactions are getting adversely affected. Kamei reasoned that Sify is responsible for providing network integration, which in turn is dependent on the BSNL.
“This is not only happening in Meghalaya but all over the country. I can tell you that one server has already been replaced last night and on the given technical requirements others will also be fixed,” he assured.
He also added that the Postal department in the country is dependent on the Dedicated Server Hosting in Chennai.
Many aggrieved customers, who are facing the brunt every day, said that at a time when the Prime Minister is pushing for Digital India, the post offices in Meghalaya implementing CBS are using low bandwidth connectivity.
Kamei assured that they are leaving no stone unturned to give customers full satisfaction while acknowledging that compared to states like Tripura, Meghalaya has more complaints. He also informed that among the 63 post offices in Meghalaya, 17 are already under CBS.
With two days to go into the new financial year and the recent interest rates slashed by the NDA government at the Centre, customers are availing every opportunity to invest/re-invest their money in order to retain the existing interest rates which are going to take a dent from April 1 but round the clock link failure is preventing them from saving themselves (Cont on P-7) Postal woes…
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from the ensuing rate cut.
Kamei, however, said that customers can avail ‘backdated postal schemes’ from those post offices which are not under CBS while admitting the hardships and inability of customers to invest due to link failure.
Some customers have also complained about the old dot matrix printer that is used at counter no. 5 at the GPO. The condition of this printer is such that it does not even last for the entire day, say those who come and leave time and again while updating their passbooks.
Assistant Director (Staff/Vigilance), Z Hmar who is the temporary SSP (in-charge) at GPO informed that order is already placed with the circle office and the same will be replaced within a week.
Meanwhile, customers of Laban Post Office have alleged that a particular clerk is preventing them from investing in NSC, KVP and other postal schemes for lack of proforma certificates. Customers alleged that whenever they have tried to invest in these schemes, the clerk blamed the GPO for not sending proforma certificates that can be issued to customers.
But there are many who alleged that the clerk does not want to issue them because these have to be manually filled up, whereas they are asked to invest in those schemes which are issued in printed format.
“It is the duty of the clerk to inform the Sub Postmaster who has to maintain an indent and send it to the division office for new procurement of certificates,” said Kamei taking strong exception to these serious allegations by customers while ordering an immediate departmental inquiry.
Customers of Rilbong post office also complained that they are denied forms for opening savings account or availing postal schemes citing ‘no stock’ of late by the postal clerks.