Other States - Orissa   

Move to shift sorting offices flayed

BERHAMPUR: Intra-district postal communication in tribal-dominated Gajapati and Kandhamal districts in south Orissa would get delayed by one day or more if the plans of postal department get approved.

Plans are on to shift letter sorting offices at Paralakhemundi and Phulbani to Berhampur. Paralakhemundi and Phulbani are district headquarters of Gajapati and Kandhamal districts respectively.

According to sources the Postal Department is taking this decision to reduce expenses. But it would cause major problems for people in these districts where postal department rather than couriers are major sources of communication.

According to Paralakhemundi MLA, Trinath Sahu, shifting of letter sorting office to Berhampur would mean delay of at least three days for delivery of letters inside the district.

If a letter is posted from Mohana to Kasinagar it is now carried to Paralakhemundi, where it is sorted. Then the letter meant for Kasinagar is sent directly to the area from Paralakhemundi.

After shifting of sorting office to Berhampur, the same letter would be transported to Berhampur via the head post office at Paralakhemundi to be sorted there. Then the sorted out letters meant for Kasinagar would be sent back to Parlakhemundi to be sent to Kasinagar.

Similar would be the problem and delay for the delivery of letters of Kandhamal district if the letter sorting office at Phulbani is shifted to Berhampur.

The irony is that these sorting offices, which are being shifted to reduce cost as they run at rented houses, can be easily accommodated at the head post office buildings at Paralakhemundi and Phulbani.

These letter-sorting offices are quite old. The sorting office at Paralakhemundi was established in 1967.

The MLA of R.Udaygiri, Bharat Paika said this anti-people decision of the postal department speaks of its monopolistic attitude as legally it is the only letter carrier in the country.

According to him the tribals remaining in remote areas would be worst hit as these areas are yet to know what courier services are.

The MLAs of these districts as well as citizen forums like Hiteisini Samaj and Gajapati district citizens’ committee have written to the Ministry of Communication, not to shift postal sorting offices from Parlakhemundi and Phulbani.

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