The Chief Postmaster General, Karnataka Circle, has termed the Bharatiya Janata Party’s allegation that the Congress was using postmen for door delivery of its election pamphlets in the Bangalore South Lok Sabha constituency as erroneous and misleading.
He has said that Direct Post (direct mailing), under which the pamphlets were distributed, was a popular service of India Post.
In a statement released here on Saturday, the official said that apart from political parties, corporates and institutions were widely using it as a direct communication tool. The details of the product could be seen on www.indiapost.gov.in. Promotion of Direct Post as a part of the business development activity by the department was a routine affair. As soon as the Lok Sabha elections were announced, all political parties were informed of the facility.
As reported in the media, many candidates across the board had availed themselves of the service Direct Post letters are entirely franked mails and candidates make a payment for them at the prescribed rate of Rs. 1.50 (for local) and Rs. 2 for inter-city per piece. Receipts were issued by the post office for the payment. The Chief Electoral Officer had been informed of the service as well.
V. Ponnuraj, Special Officer, Elections, clarified on Saturday that the Chief Postmaster General had informed the Chief Electoral Office saying that the delivery of pamphlets was a commercial activity and was legal.
BJP spokesman S. Suresh Kumar in a memorandum to the CEO on Friday had alleged that the Congress candidate was using postmen to deliver campaign material.
