Lok Sabha Question No. 2919 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-08-02
Subject: Shortage of Postal Staff
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: KRISHNAN NARAYANASAMY RAMACHANDRAN, ADVOCATE NARENDRA KESHAV SAWAIKAR

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF POSTS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.2919 TO BE ANSWERED ON 2 ND   AUGUST, 2017

## SHORTAGE OF POSTAL STAFF

2919.  SHRI K.N. RAMACHANDRAN: ADV. NARENDRA KESHAV SAWAIKAR:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  received  any  complaint  regarding  shortage  of staff in the postal department and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor;
- (b) whether it is a fact that large number of vacancies exist in Post Offices across the country and if so, the details thereof, State/UT-wise and the steps taken by the Government in this regard;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  asked  the  Postal  Department  to  diversify  its activities,  in  view  of  the  competitive  environment  in  the  country  to  attract  public investments and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government has received complaints about non-implementation of such measures in view of shortage of postal staff; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof along with the action taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS & MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

- (a) Department do receive complaints from general public regarding shortage of staff in various Postal Circles. Shortage of staff is due to vacancies arising on account of retirement, promotion, death and deputation. Action is taken on a regular basis to fill up these vacancies as per the recruitment rules.

- (b) Postal Circle-wise vacant posts in different grades in Post Offices are as under:

| S.No.   | Postal Circle    |   Postmasters |   Supervisors |   Postal Assistants |   Postman |   MTS |
|---------|------------------|---------------|---------------|---------------------|-----------|-------|
| 1       | Andhra Pradesh   |            60 |           144 |                 789 |       717 |   202 |
| 2       | Assam            |            18 |            71 |                 430 |       314 |   104 |
| 3       | Bihar            |            43 |           280 |                 813 |       776 |   687 |
| 4       | Chhattisgarh     |            18 |            22 |                 202 |       251 |    65 |
| 5       | Delhi            |            26 |           131 |                 612 |      1210 |   585 |
| 6       | Gujarat          |           281 |           362 |                1067 |       875 |   630 |
| 7       | Haryana          |            58 |           139 |                 485 |       275 |   187 |
| 8       | Himachal Pradesh |            17 |            52 |                 298 |        87 |    58 |
| 9       | Jammu & Kashmir  |            11 |            36 |                 232 |       194 |   165 |
| 10      | Jharkhand        |            16 |            68 |                 251 |       336 |    81 |
| 11      | Karnataka        |           115 |           196 |                 736 |       600 |   353 |
| 12      | Kerala           |           147 |           160 |                 316 |         0 |     0 |
| 13      | Madhya Pradesh   |            31 |           169 |                 395 |       613 |    89 |
| 14      | Maharashtra      |           275 |           551 |                3502 |      4435 |  1431 |
| 15      | North East       |            26 |            19 |                 135 |       272 |   158 |
| 16      | Odisha           |           487 |           156 |                 898 |       133 |   425 |
| 17      | Punjab           |            71 |           141 |                 603 |       378 |   101 |
| 18      | Rajasthan*       |            38 |            91 |                1111 |       294 |   289 |
| 19      | Tamilnadu        |           873 |          1175 |                 678 |      1564 |   548 |
| 20      | Telangana        |            62 |           107 |                 422 |       380 |   165 |
| 21      | Uttar Pradesh    |            81 |           227 |                2210 |      2239 |  1468 |
| 22      | Uttarakhand      |            33 |            42 |                 416 |       350 |   191 |
| 23      | West Bengal      |             0 |           691 |                 719 |       239 |   310 |
|         | Total            |          2787 |          5030 |               17320 |     16532 |  8292 |

*Figures as on 07.04.2017

Recruitment to fill up vacant posts is done periodically through Staff Selection Commission and at Circle level for various posts as per the provisions of the relevant recruitment rules.

(c) Government is making continuous endeavour for optimum utilization of the vast network of Department of Posts so as to deliver services at the doorstep of the public. Some of the recent diversified activities of Department of Posts include Post Office Passport Seva Kendra (POPSK), Aadhar updation and enrolment centre and India Post Payment Bank (IPPB).

(d) & (e) Diversified activities as mentioned in (c) above are being carried out with appropriate staff management.

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