COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the world order like never before. The unflinching and selfless services of many frontline workers have ensured that forces of life don’t cease to strive. Postal employees constitute a shade in that spectrum of frontline workers.  

India Post is the largest Postal Network in the world with about 5 lakh strong work force engaged in 1.55 lakhs Post offices which includes 1.2 lakhs in rural areas and hilly terrains.  

In times when COVID-19 brought conventional transport infrastructure and courier services at a halt, India Post, a department of Ministry of Communication continued  functioning uninterrupted to ensure the delivery of mail and several other essentials.  

N. V Kumar, postmaster general, Panaji says “we ensured that mail was always on the move. With no trains and flights, we had to activate our road transport network. No courier was operating due to the lockdown but we could not afford to shut shop”. 

Services by Post: Recalibrated, redefined 

In the pre Covid-19 era, the large quantum of Postal Mail, contained in Mail Bags tagged with unique Bar Coded Labels were transported from one point to another by the Railway Mail Service units, with the assistance of Indian Railways Department. But to contain the chain of pandemic, in an unprecedented move, railway too suspended its services. It resulted in an undesirable accumulation of mail with the postal department.  

Jumping into action straightaway, the Department of Posts, decided to deliver the mail through special Mail Motors equipped with Global Positioning System (GPS) to track the instantaneous location of each vehicle. Layout plan of special routes of Mail Motors, interconnecting all the major Mail Hubs of the country was chalked out in a couple of days. With immediate effect, a huge mail conveyor network was established effectively.  

Mr. Rashpal, officiating Sub Record officer, Chandigarh sorting hub tells The Voices “Apart from other transportation facilities Pandemic brought railways to a halt as well. Ultimately, GPS enabled mail motors system were introduced as a remedy. They were active in night hours too.  And so was the postal staff. Superintendents, inspectors, head sorters, postal and sorting assistants, postmen, mail gua0rds and multi-tasking officials voluntarily and willfully performed the duties from 05:00 am to 11:00 pm.” Mail Sorting Hubs were made functional in shifts deploying female staff as well. 

Live saving services By Post 

Apart from banking and saving services to rural and urban diaspora offered through Post Office Savings Bank (POSB), Recurring Deposits (RD), India Post Payments Bank (IPPB), Postal department also emerged as a facilitator of numerous lifesaving services such as delivery of COVID_19 test kits, personal medicines, sanitizers, ventilators, defibrillators etc.  

Food Vans too were temporarily introduced to provide food to the less fortunate, including migrant labourers. Chandigarh Postal Division earned recognition all across the nation for the same. Postal warriors of different units and Postal Circles of the Department raised funds for the social cause, contributing out of their salaries. 

Department also served customers with 111 additional services across the nation under one common platform i.e the common service centers. Common Service Centres, a part of Digital India schemes, are physical facilities to cater Government of India e-Services to rural and remote locations where digital infrastructure is inadequate.  

Postal department was also involved in delivering cash at the doorsteps to beneficiaries such as old, handicapped, pensioners, through Aadhar enrolled Payment System (AePS). 

The crisis of recognition 

For it’s humanitarian role in the crisis, department of post won the excellence in digital governance award in Digital India awards in 2020 and Healthgiri award in 2020 for being the best logistical service provider. Many prominent citizens like the bollywood actor, Amitabh Bachchan too appreciated the hard work of postal employees during the pandemic times in a video message.  

Mr Mahavir Singh Narang, Assitant Post Master, Speed Post National Sorting Hub, Chandigarh says “We saw news channels brim with stories of the frontline workers like doctors, nurses, sweepers, policemen & journalists etc. as warriors but we never heard or read the same about the postal employees. However, it is definitely not the drive behind our efforts. The satisfaction born out of our services for humanity during the peak of pandemic is a unrivalled joy.” 

But despite the best of the precaution being extended, employees have lost life and postal employee union have been repeatedly requesting for recognition as frontline workers. In May, The National Association of Postal Employees Group C (NAPEC), have demanded for the same. 

Sivaji Vasireddy, general secretary, NAPEC, and LSG accountant, while stressing upon the consideration of request for the recognition as frontline worker, briefed about his other demands. He reportedly says “Even after continuous appeal by the service unions, the Centre is yet to act on the demand for payment of ₹ 10 lakh as ex-gratia to the kith and kin of employees who died due to Covid-19, request for immediate compassionate appointment to one ward of deceased employee due to Covid-19, cashless treatment to the employees of India Post since years,” said Mr. Vasireddy Sivaji. 

Some states have started responding to these calls and recognizing the efforts and contribution of postal employees. Karnataka recently declared postal employees as frontline workers. 

There is no doubt that the Postal workers and the postal department have been the final circulatory system that kept the heart of this nation beating, especially when everything else went into a state of shutdown due to the COVID-19 lockdown. The sacrifices and selfless service provided by the postal workers needs to be acknowledged by the society.

Pic credit: Sunil

Story edited by NK Jha