A range of consumer concerns relating to postal services in Goa were raised at the recent Dak Adalat organised by the Office of the Postmaster General, Goa Region, with severe staff shortages at major post offices flagged as a key factor affecting service delivery.
GOACAN Co-ordinator Roland Martins raised the issue during a meeting with Ramesh Patil, Director of Postal Services, Goa Region, highlighting that the main post offices in Panaji, Mapusa and Margao are operating with inadequate staff, leading to delays and inconvenience to consumers.
The consumer forum also alleged lapses in mail delivery, stating that some newly recruited postmen from Maharashtra were not delivering ordinary mail, nor returning undelivered letters to senders.
GOACAN further pointed out that regular inspections of post offices are not being carried out, while complaint books are either not properly maintained or not made available to consumers at several of the State’s nearly 150 branch post offices.
Raising infrastructure concerns, the organisation said smaller post offices are being shut down or merged with larger ones in the name of rationalisation, citing Aquem in Margao and Ribandar, which now operate from the premises of the Velha Goa post office.
It also highlighted that Panaji currently has only one functional post office, unlike earlier, when facilities existed at the Old Secretariat and Panaji Market. The shortage, it said, has caused hardship, especially for senior citizens, and called for a dedicated postal counter in the city to cater to government offices, banks and businesses.
GOACAN noted that no resurvey has been undertaken in recent years despite rapid urban growth, resulting in increased workload on existing postmen without a corresponding rise in manpower.
The forum also flagged that Post Forums, intended as platforms for consumer feedback, are not being effectively utilised. Patil assured that the concerns would be addressed and said quarterly meetings of Post Forums would be revived in the 2026-27 financial year.
