FORMS

Wednesday, June 29, 2016

Public authorities should use India Post services, not private courier service


It is observed that several government-departments, public-authorities and public-sector-undertakings (PSUs) use private courier service rather than postal services. 

With premium postal-services like Speed Post now available at most post offices and destinations, it should be made compulsory for all bodies under central and state governments for compulsorily using only normal postal-services. Registered Post should be used at destinations not covered by premium Speed Post service. Postal Department should take up the matter with Department of Public Enterprises and others concerned.

In Focus Public sector services should be utilised by all public authorities as far as possible to encourage public sector and to prevent the public money from going to services under private sector. 

Postal department can also provide special privilege to Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) by introducing sponsored postal stamps against some minimum purchase of postal stamps where such sponsored postal stamps can carry design advertisements from these PSUs but only after being approved by the postal department. 

Such sponsored postal stamps can have some advertisement cost per stamp like in case of inland-letter cards and post cards. This idea will give increased revenue earning for postal department, and an advertisement-field for PSUs. 

However Speed Post tariffs will have to be rationalized and revised to be uniform for local and non-local services with equal tariff-rise for every additional 50 gms rise in slab-weight to compete charges of private courier services.