Post it

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Just today morning, I was thinking about how litte people wrote letters any more or sent telegrams or even went to the Post Office. I had even heard that the Indian Post had improved their courier service (Speed Post) to match all private courier operators.

As I was wondering why the Indian Post didn’t do better in efficiency, I came across a brief in a today’s Economic Times:

Govt withdraws Indian Postal Act amendment
NEW DELHI: The government has withdrawn a proposed amendment to the Indian Postal Act that included making courier companies charge a hefty premium over post Speed Post rates from customers, thereby costing them business, a top government official said on Thursday. The department of posts (DoP) will redraft the Bill and send it for the cabinet’s consideration, said DoP secretary Radhika Doraiswamy at a function here on Thursday.

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That’s when I realised why the Indian Postal Department was never going to do well, financially. This department also follows what nearly every one else in this country does:  “Let me stop progress of other competitors and by that virtue I will do better. Who care about being efficient and doing my job well?”

And as nasty thoughts crept in, I remembered all those instances where parcels were brought opened and/or empty, letters and greetings never reached on time and the staff considered it their duty to be rude to you.

And to bring a smile back, check out P. L Deshpande’s  ‘Majhe Postatil Jeevan‘ (in marathi).