An Army Postal Service staffer sorting mails | Photo: http://sainiksamachar.nic.in/
Citing a CAG report, postal department says that unlike private
couriers, Speed Post is legally bound by the provision of Post Office
Act to provide best service.
New Delhi: Citing a report by the central auditor, the postal department
has made a strong pitch to the defence ministry to do away with using
private courier companies, insisting that its ‘Speed Post’ facility
makes “good business sense”.
The unusual letter comes weeks after the government decided to do away
with Army Postal Units in peace locations as part of a larger plan to
cut non-operational flab in the military. And the communiqué by A.N.
Nanda, secretary of the department of posts, cites the Comptroller and
Auditor General (CAG) as a reference point
“In a test check conducted by the CAG in order to compare the
performance/quality of Speed Post service of department of posts with
private courier agencies for delivery of mails, it was found that the
delivery through Speed Post is better than private courier,” says the
letter, referring to an audit report.
In the letter to defence secretary Sanjay Mitra, the postal department
has mentioned that unlike private couriers, the government postal system
is “legally bound by the provision” of the Post Office Act to see that
“best care is bestowed on mails”.
“It makes good business sense to use Speed Post instead of private
couriers which are not regulated by any rules or norms unlike department
of posts, which is legally bound by the provisions of the Indian Post
Office Act 1898 to see that the best care is bestowed on mails,” the
letter reads.
The postal department has asked the defence ministry to direct all
departments, public sector units and organisations reporting to it to
use Speed Post and has assured “cooperation, advice” and customised
packages for special requirements. It calls Speed Post unmatched in
terms of network and being customer friendly.
Listing the benefits of using the government postal system, the letter
says that it has “attractive discounts for high volume customers, free
pick up, internet-based tracking, cash on delivery facility and a
centralised billing system”.
Incidentally, the central point of the letter comes from a CAG report on
communications and the IT sector, dated 2015 when former defence
secretary Shashikant Sharma was heading the government auditor.
