NEW DELHI: Postmen are the men in khaki who do not get much applause from the countrymen like police, also the men in khaki. But they do their work diligently, delivering the last post to the remotest areas in this critical time.
Among those who lauded the service of post office employees and delivery personnel is Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who tweeted, “Kudos to the India Post Office Network, our hardworking postmen for their stupendous efforts in assisting people during this time.”
This was retweeted by Ravi Shankar Prasad, minister of communications. “From doorstep delivery of Essentials, Financial transactions, Medical equipment, etc to ensuring food and ration for the needy.
During Lockdown India Post Office is delivering Hope, Assurance, and Happiness to citizens through its services,” Prasad’s tweet read.
According to the Ministry of Communications, in April, India Post disbursed Rs 300 million in 1.5 million transactions to the doorsteps of people all over the country. This month, the trend is likely to double.
These postmen not only sent letters and parcels but also took the responsibility of transporting cash and other essential items. According to a senior official in the postal department, about Rs 28 million crore transactions were done in about 1.8 crore post office savings bank transactions.
India Post Payment Bank’s facility enables withdrawal of money from the accounts of any scheduled banks at home. For this, there is no need for a customer’s savings account in the post office.
As per official data, in addition to people living in rural areas, around 52 lakh direct benefit transfer payments worth Rs 480 crore have been made during the period of full ban. This has given huge support to a large number of people, including pensioners.
This gigantic task could be achieved despite strict restrictions on railways and state road transport. India Post thought differently during the crisis and the postman availed the services of special parcel rail car and freight trucks to provide timely services to remote areas.
Even medical supplies were transported from Pune to Corona Test Lab in Bhutan by India Post. Some employees were infected and some died too.
Postmaster General (Mail and BD) Harpreet Singh said the credit for the achievement goes to his staff in the front line. “Those who showed passion in this era, met people, provided services to them,” he said.
According to Akhilesh Pandey, Postmaster General (Operations), Delhi Zone, 4 lakh speed posts and registered posts were distributed in Delhi only. About Rs 47 lakh were sent to more than 7 lakh people as a money order.
Not only this, more than Rs 4 lakh were sent by the Department of Posts to the prisoners lodged in three jails of Delhi (Tihar, Mandoli and Rohini).
Pandey says 80,000 speedposts and parcels were sent out of Delhi, of which 40,000 bookings contained only medical items and medicines. In total, the Delhi Postal Department distributed about 2.5 tonnes of materials.
According to the data, the postal department has supplied more than 100 tonnes of only medicines and medical supplies in April during the full ban.
More than 2 lakh postmen and Gramin Dak Sevaks pushed themselves to the task that the beneficiaries of government schemes get timely funds with the help of ‘Postal Payment Bank of India’. During this period, the department made special arrangements to transport postage within states and from one state to another.
The postmen carry gloves, hats, goggles, masks and towels. They also carry a sanitiser with a postal bag.