AIPEU, Group-C, CHQ appraises Department to drop the idea of opening of CSCs in Post Offices

Ref: P/4-5/Postal Operation                                                    Dated – 26.06.2020

To

The Secretary

Department of Posts

Dak Bhawan, New Delhi - 110001

Sub: - Delivery of Citizen Centric Services from Post Offices through Common Service Centre (CSC) - regarding.

Ref: -   Directorate letter No.3.-1/2019 Plg, dated- 08.05.2020 addressed to all CPMsG.

Sir,

As per instructions given to all CPMsG vide letter under reference, the Directorate is planning to increase the number of Common Service Centres to 6000 Post Offices up to norm based LSG level across the nation.

It is needless to reiterate that as many as 111 services will be provided to the citizens through these proposed CSCs including Aadhaar Enrollement and Updation, Passport Sewa etc which are being provided now. Among other important services, CSCs will provide Mobile Updates, Demographic Updates, PAN Card, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, PM Aawas Yojana, PM Fasal Bima Yojana, PDS, Ayusman Bharat Yojana, Birth / Death Certificate, Jiban Praman, IRCTC Ticket Booking, Election/Labour/Pension/Employment related services, Several State Govt. Services, Tours and Travel Services like Flight and Bus Ticket, Mobile and DTH recharge, FASTag related services and several educational services.

We have the bitter experience of handling the Aadhaar Enrollment and Updation, Passport Sewa etc. which are being provided now without additional staff. In addition, there is pressure of IPPB Account opening, AePS transactions, Jansuraksha Schemes and routine targets for POSB and PLI / RPLI. As aware, now the ‘B’ Class and LSG Offices are almost running single handed and most of the HSG-II and HSG-I Offices including HOs are running with acute shortage of staff. Even it is too difficult to run the Aadhaar Centres effectively for which our officials are being threatened and charge-sheeted for not achieving the desired goals. Thus, with addition of hundreds of services more, the Post Offices will be converted into crowded shopping malls rendering ineffective service delivery far below the satisfaction of the members of public.

Further, the decision to extend opening of CSCs to 6000 Post offices is taken at a time when COVID-19 pandemic is increasing in an alarming rate day by day and the post offices across the nation have seriously failed to maintain social distancing and periodical sanitization partly due to administrative lacuna and partly due to cramped accommodation of the PO buildings with shortage of public / counter space. We have already sacrificed the available space for Aadhaar Centres, Post Office Passport Sewa Kendra, IPPB Ltd and several Nodal Delivery Centres for parcels, NSH, BPCs, BNPL Centres etc. in bigger offices for which our own important branches like Mail Branch, SOSB, SBCOs etc. are running in sheds and verandas in very pitiable conditions. Our own officials are also treated differently in a sub-standard manner than the officials working in POPSK and IPPB Ltd.

As understood, running of CSCs will demand special hands in each identified post office which is not possible to spare except Head Offices / GPOs which are having satisfactory staff strength since we have already sacrificed several hands as SA, BE, PLI Group Leader, staff working in CBS and PLI CPCs, Aadhaar Centres, POPSK and on deputation to IPPB. The whole work of IPPB has been put on shoulders of Postal Staff and staff engaged in IPPB are sitting idle in AC chambers and doing nothing.

It is therefore requested to kindly drop the idea of opening of CSCs in Post offices which will be very troublesome for staff.

With regards,

Yours sincerely,

(R. N. Parashar)

General Secretary