The department of posts is scouting for sites in the city to open additional post offices that will serve the growing population along the IT corridor. However, the lack of spaceis proving a challenge.
The Palavakkam post office is a classic example. A project to upgrade it to a delivery post office has been held up for long due to the lack of a site.
The department plans to relocate post offices or open new ones instead of merging them. Residents of Semmenchery, for instance, have demanded a new post office in place of the current franchise outlet.
There are nearly 20 post offices spread over Rajiv Gandhi Salai (OMR) and East Coast Road (ECR). On an average, post offices along ECR see daily mail traffic of nearly 1,300, while those on OMR send and deliver over 6,300 mails every day. The department recently opened an office at Thazhambur, along OMR.
“We survey the demand frequently as the areas around DLF garden city and Siruseri are fast developing,” said an official.
Post offices in north Chennai too have to be relocated for want of space. The facility in Minjur was recently shifted.
The Anna Nagar Western Extension will shift to a swanky own building in December. A facility in Mandaveli is awaiting inauguration.
Mervin Alexander, postmaster general, Chennai city region, said: “Of the 553 post offices in our region, 463 are in rented buildings. We face major challenges in acquiring suitable sites for rent and demarcating jurisdiction to deliver mails when facilities have to be relocated or expanded.”
