National
Federation of Postal Employees
1st Floor North Avenue Post Office Building, New
Delhi-110 001
Phone:
011.23092771 e-mail:
nfpehq@gmail.com
Mob:
9718686800/9319917295 website: http://www.nfpe.blogspot.com
No.
PF-Covid-19/2020 Dated:
24th March-2020
To
The Secretary,
Department of Posts,
Dak Bhawan,
New Delhi-110001
SUB: PREVENTIVE
MEASURES TO CONTAIN THE SPREAD OF COVID-19 CLOSURE OF POST
OFFICES AND RMS OFFICES
Respected Sir,
With deep concern, we
are presenting the facts to the kind knowledge of the Department to re-consider
the decisions already taken in connection with functioning of Post office
through out the country in the name of age old 'essential service' slogan,
there by inviting greater troubles and life risk on the days to come, not only
to the employees, but also to the common public, which is against National
interest at this crucial juncture.
To your knowledge, the
response of various Indian states to COVID-19 will differ as the poorest states
have the weakest capacity to deliver health services. As per the expert reports
of Health Ministry, after the largest single-day increase in the number of
novel coronavirus cases in India, it has never been clearer that the pandemic
is upon us and the next few weeks are going to throw up a scenario that many
still find hard to imagine.
It took India forty
days to reach the first 50 cases, five more days to reach 100 cases, three more
days to reach 150 cases and then just two more days to reach 200 cases. From
here on, the juggernaut is going to roll fast. The number of confirmed cases in
India is now doubling in five days or less, down from six days earlier this
month. This puts India in line with trajectories of countries across the world
— in the United States, cases are now doubling every two days.
Italy discovered its
first case 10 days after South Korea. For another 20 days it had less than 10
cases, even as South Korea’s case count began to rise steadily. But then in a
span of one frightening week, Italy’s case count multiplied a
hundredfold. India needs to try to move its own growth curve away
from the Italy trajectory, and fast, with strict implementation of the social
distancing measures it has already announced, if not even stricter lockdowns.
At this rate of
growth, and assuming the 3.4 per cent fatality rate relative to confirmed cases
calculated by the World Health Organization, India is headed for nearly a
million confirmed cases by the end of May and over 30,000 deaths. These are
conservative estimates. A team of bio-statisticians used predictive modelling
and estimated that the number could be even higher, reaching nearly a million
cases by 15 May instead.
Realising the
situation, when the Country itself announcing complete lock outs for social
distancing, when almost all the States announced curfew and complete
blocking of towns and districts and announcing 144 Act , not to allow even five
people to gather in a single place, when public/private transport
systems, including the most essential department Railways completely closing
down, it is pathetic that the Post offices are running , gathering the public
in large in a single place , spreading with Corona virus in large form, against
the Nation's interest.
There is no relevancy
in running the Post offices, when there is complete close down and arresting of
movement. We cannot book, receive or transmit any mail. Except for
withdrawal of money from Savings account, there is no need of P.O.s to open for
public, for that HPOs at HQ may function with skeleton staff.
We do not understand,
what is the relevancy of our Department to continue to be named as 'Essential
Service', when almost there is no personal mails from any public and
everything termed as business ; named as Business Directorate ; Parcel
Directorate etc and fixing targets for procuring business and acting as agents
to even petty shop owners for any sales on commission .
It is the habit of our
Department, when asking for facilities for a service Department, terming as
Business and when asking for the facilities of Commercial establishment,
terming this as essential service. This is nothing but, sheer exploitation of
labour. Whatever it may be , now the situation is very serious, dangerous and
involving life risk, and if the Post offices are opened , it will definitely
act as a hub for easy transmission of Corona virus.
It is ironical to note
that different yardstick was taken by the circles, regions and divisional heads
with regard to number of offices being opened during this period. In some
circles, there seems no action at all. The fatal death of a Postal employee in
Punjab circle as reported in the newspaper cannot be ignored to. The value of
human life is more precious and it should not be compromised in the sake of some
prestige. Even though the Department decided to open the post offices, it could
not provide minimum safety measures to the staff and also to the public
attending the POs. There is no logic to open the delivery post
offices when there is no receipt of mails due to disruptions of transport
facilities. There is no meaning at all to open the RMS and sorting offices.
When the nation is
under the grip of fear due to the spread of corona virus, we should not
contribute the same by opening the post offices and do harm to the nation. If
the opening of post offices mitigates the issues and arrest the virus, there is
a meaning for such action by declaring our service as essential service. When
we open the shop and invite more people to spread the virus, of course, it is
pathetic and doing harm to the nation.
Hence, in the interest
of Nation, public and working staff, we are demanding the complete closure of
all Post offices throughout the Country, till the Govt announcing normalcy for
any free day to day activities. This is for the interest of the Nation as well
as officials who are working under the grip of fear when the Govt is insisting
to maintain social distance. The whole family of the employees is in distress
tension and agony. Hope our demand is considered immediately, otherwise, there
is no other go except to take some hard decisions in the interest of Nation.
Hoping for kind action
and a line in reply.
With regards,
Yours
Sincerely,
(R.N Parashar)
Secretary
General,
NFPE