Residents frequent post offices in search of stamps

Over the past month, many customers have been forced to visit post offices quite a few times to buy stamps and envelopes or have had to opt for speed post as there is a severe shortage of stamps in the city.

S.R. Karuppannan, a retired IAS officer, said he had visited the Besant Nagar post office twice over the past few days to purchase stamps. “They had run out of stock in the Rs. 3 and Rs. 5 denominations. I finally booked speed posts to send letters,” he said.

Customers like him are thus using many more stamps of smaller denominations or booking registered/speed posts to mail letters. Some post offices are using electronic franking machines, usually meant for bulk posts, to tide over the shortage. Stamps meant for periodicals sent through book post are also used for other letters to manage the situation.

Admitting that there was a severe shortage of stamps and envelopes, officials of the postal department said customers have been asked to affix available stamps of lower denominations. “We receive only 10 per cent of the required number of stamps. Envelopes worth Rs. 5 are in short supply. We manage with Rs. 1 and Rs. 3 stamps,” said an official.

Mervin Alexander, postmaster general (Chennai City Region), said the problem was due to short supply from the India Security Press, located in Nasik and Hyderabad, which manufactures materials for the department.

“We received 50 lakh stamps for the entire State. We distributed one lakh stamps to all the head post offices. We have represented to the headquarters and expect to receive more stock soon,” he said.