Lok Sabha Question No. 1466 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-27
Subject: Complaints regarding Postal Services
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Shankar Lalwani, Bharatiben Dhirubhai Shyal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF POSTS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1466 TO BE ANSWERED ON 27 TH   NOVEMBER, 2019

## COMPLAINTS REGARDING POSTAL SERVICES

## †1466. SHRI SHANKAR LALWANI: DR. BHARATIBEN DHIRUBHAI SHIYAL:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware that postmen are not delivering posts on time particularly in the rural areas of the country due to which people are less interested in availing the services of Indian postal department and if so, the details thereof and the reaction of the Government thereto;
- (b) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  launch  a  National  Helpline  Number  for  redressal  of grievances regarding postal services and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) the number of complaints received by the Government regarding postal services during each of  the  last  three  years  and  the  current  year  along  with  the  number  of  complaints  resolved  by  the Government during this period; and
- (d) the  steps  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  strengthen  the  delivery  system  of  postal department,  so  that  the  interest  of  the  people  in  availing  the  services  of  the  department  could  be increased?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS, LAW & JUSTICE AND ELECTRONICS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

- (a) Yes Sir, instances of postmen not delivering mail articles on time have come to the notice of the  Department, out of  which,  some  are  in  the  rural  areas  of  the  country.  No  co-relation  has  been established between the non-delivery of mail articles and people's interest in availing the services of Indian Postal Department. The fact that the combined mail traffic of the Department has grown from 609 crore mail articles in 2013-14 to 635 crores in 2017-18 cutting across urban and rural profile, is a testimony that the customers continue to avail mail services offered by the Department.

The Department has diligently taken action against the postmen where such service fault is noticed. The details of complaints received and action taken against postmen at fault in the last three years and the current year is shown below: -

| Year                         |   Complaints received against postmen |   No. of cases where action is taken against the postmen at fault |
|------------------------------|---------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------|
| 2016-17                      |                                 12176 |                                                               721 |
| 2017-18                      |                                 11383 |                                                               910 |
| 2018-19                      |                                 12467 |                                                              1028 |
| 2019-20 (up to October 2019) |                                  6736 |                                                               561 |

(b) The Government has already launched a National Helpline Number for redressal of grievances regarding  postal  services  on  01.06.2018.  The  toll-free  helpline  number  is  1800  266  6868.  Both inquiries  and  grievances  related  to  postal  services  are  entertained  on  this  number.  There  are  Call Centres working from Varanasi and Patna.

(c) The details of complaints received by the Department regarding postal services during each of the  last  three  years  and  the  current  year  along  with  the  number  of  complaints  resolved  by  the Department are as below: -

| 2016-17   | 2016-17                           | 2017-18   | 2017-18                           | 2018-19   | 2018-19                           | 2019-20 (till   | 2019-20 (till                     |
|-----------|-----------------------------------|-----------|-----------------------------------|-----------|-----------------------------------|-----------------|-----------------------------------|
| Received  | Resolved as on date i.e. 21.11.19 | Received  | Resolved as on date i.e. 21.11.19 | Received  | Resolved as on date i.e. 21.11.19 | Received        | Resolved as on date i.e. 21.11.19 |
| 23,43,355 | 23,43,355                         | 24,48,208 | 24,48,208                         | 24,77,671 | 24,77,671                         | 12,90,774       | 12,24,156                         |

(d) The following steps are taken by the Government to strengthen the delivery system of postal department: -

(i).  A  dashboard  has  been  introduced  to  measure  the  Key  Performance  Indicator  of National Sorting Hubs and Post Offices for delivery.

(ii).  Department  has  started  operationalisation  of  Nodal  Delivery  Centres  (NDCs)  in phased  manner  for  mechanized  delivery  of  Parcels  at  identified  locations  across  the country.

(iii).  Online  track  and  trace  system  for  accountable  articles  has  been  strengthened. Complete end to end status of an article can be tracked on the website of the Department of Posts (www.indiapost.gov.in).

(iv). Tracking of articles through an Android based mobile App 'Post info' has been put in place for customers.

(v).  Department  has  developed  android  based  Postman  Mobile  Application  (PMA),  for real time updation of delivery status of the article.

(vi). Quality Monitoring Cell is functioning in the Circles to monitor timely clearance of mails received at various Mail Offices.

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