Slow servers, manpower crunch need to be put in place too
Upgradation of postal systems across Goa was long overdue and comes as a huge relief to the thousands of citizens who are banking on their services on a daily basis. The new software promises better and faster delivery of services. All the 104 urban post offices in Goa will shut shop for the second day on September 21 to facilitate up-gradation process in a phased manner.
The intention to upgrade post offices is positive but the execution lacked planning. The timing of the upgrade is questionable. When there is a sizeable section of people which is relying on posts, there were no alternate arrangements made. Options of phased off work shutdown or upgrade on public holidays and Sundays could have been explored.
The upgrade aims to minimise manual operations besides bringing in premium services like e-payment, mobile money transfer and international money transfer. It will also help in integration of systems with the postal banking platform. Despite the huge technology drift, postal systems in India have still carried on at their own pace.
With the upgrade, there are other issues that need to be stamped out. A key issue with Goa's postal services for now is their slow servers, with officials continuously facing the ire of aggrieved citizens. Over the years, the servers have not been compatible with upgrades and have been unable to cope up with systems. Another weak link is the rural network with people often opting for city outlets to avail of services. The post master general should focus on strengthening the rural set up and introduce more services to ease pressure on urban postal offices.
Staff shortage, more specifically in cities still remains a huge challenge. While new services have been introduced by postal authorities, there has been a huge mismatch with human resource. The imbalance has hurt postal services very badly. Goa, which is under the Maharashtra circle, has many positions filled with staff from the neighbouring state who move out after a short stint, creating a vacancy.
While the world has taken giant steps in technology, postal services have been moving at a snail's pace but still trying to reach out to people. There are ‘walking post-offices' being introduced where a postman carries with him stamps to people's doorsteps. This comes along the lines of postmen being given mobile phones to complete formalities at residences. However, Goa being a known tourist destination, it should proportionately match its postal customer base. October 9 will be commemorated as World Post Day and October 9 to 14 as Postal Week. This phase would be seen as a testing time for the postal upgrade.
