Signed, sealed, delivered: Darya Khan post office facing dearth of facilities

Operations are done manually as a computerised system has not been introduced

BHAKKAR:  

The Pakistan Post building in Darya Khan tehsil has not been upgraded despite a passage of 30 years. All operations are being done manually as a computerised system has not been introduced. Meanwhile, there is a shortage of staff when dealing with the large amount of mail that passes through the post office on a daily basis.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Post Master Khan Zahid Shah reveals that the post office was first established in 1988. Apart from him, eight other employees work at the post office which includes two clerks, three postmen, one runner and one janitor.

“More than 5 million electricity and telephone bills are distributed by the post office every month,” he says. Further, more than 1,500 pensioners come to the office while around Rs9 million is distributed to them every month, he maintains.

However, a dearth of facilities has caused operations at the post office to go awry. There is not even a security guard deputed. As a result, we face difficulties in safeguarding bills and cheques, Shah adds.

Meanwhile, three postmen, Mohammad Zafar, Azizullah and Qasim have been charged with delivering mail within a 70 kilometre radius; this includes Darya Khan City, Basti Khokhar and Chak 13. The Darya Khan post office delivers mail to each corner of the country as well as outside the country. “More than 100 parcels and letters are registered on a daily basis. In a span of a month, the post office deals with 3,000 parcels and letters,” he says.

Similarly, the post office also deals with money orders; around 150 to 200 money orders pass through the post office on a monthly basis, he states. However, due to a lack of computer facilities, staff has to sort mail manually which is tedious and cumbersome, he adds.

Postman Muhammad Zafar says that he is responsible for delivering mail to half of Darya Khan. Every morning he goes to the post office to collect the day’s mail. Armed with a cycle, he typically spends majority of the day delivering people’s letters and parcels. Sometimes, his duty stretches into the evening on days where there are a lot more parcels and letters to deliver.

“The first week of every month is always hectic,” he says, “especially if I have to deliver the books ordered by Allama Iqbal Open University”. He believes that there is a need for hiring additional staff to deal with the oodles of mail that come to the post office.

The citizens of Darya Khan say that private courier services charge exorbitant rates to delivers letters and parcels. In comparison, the post office is a cheaper option which gets the job done in a fraction of the price. If they post office is further developed, a lot more people will opt to choose this instead of private companies, they add.

However, the post office in Darya Khan tehsil has not been upgraded ever since it was established, they state. They urge the authorities concerned to address the lack of a computerised system, a shortage of staff and the absence of proper security.