Circle Office responds to our letter on Joint Custody of Cash, stamp and other valuables in Bhubaneswar GPO

No. P3NFPE-Odisha/11 - 05/2017
Dated at Bhubaneswar the 18th May, 2017
To
Dr. Santosh Kumar Kamila, IPoS
Chief Postmaster General, Odisha Circle
Bhubaneswar – 751 001


Sub: Joint custody of cash, stamp and other valuables in Bhubaneswar GPO


Respected Sir,
This is to bring your kind notice that the joint custody of cash, stamp and other valuables in Bhubaneswar GPO was initially entrusted to the Sr. Postmaster from beginning of the establishment. But subsequently the responsibility was shifted to the Deputy Postmaster splitting his duty hours in two shifts. And now, the same has been attached with the duty of the APM (Mails) who is no way related to the Treasury work.
When the limits of Cash Balance of Bhubaneswar GPO has been fixed from minimum 60 (Sixty) Lakhs to maximum 90 (Ninety) Lakhs, shifting the responsibility downward from a Gazetted Officer to a Non-Gazetted official without any valid reason could not be understood.
The issue has already been discussed severally both in bi-monthly / four-monthly meetings without any tangible result.
In this context, we would like to intimate that while Bhubaneswar GPO functions from 6 AM to 8 PM, the duty hours of both the responsible officers namely the Sr. Postmaster and Dy. Postmaster have been fixed from 10 AM to 6 PM. Obviously, there is no officer to look after this vast establishment of Bhubaneswar GPO from 6 AM to 10 AM and from 6 PM to 8 PM and during this period, the Group-C and MTS staff members are forced to suffer for the administrative deficiency, occurs if any. When the lower cadre officials do work under heavy pressure, both officers remain absent from the office and the working hours has been rescheduled to suit their needs and not to suit the needs of the office.
It is needless to reiterate that the expectations of the members of public have been manifold in this digital era. Our esteemed customers often want instant solution either over phone or physically. When the operative staff are engaged in performing their respective branch duties, presence of a responsible officer is barely necessary for prompt attendance to the members of public since the administrative supervisory work of Bhubaneswar GPO cannot be left abandoned at any cost. Thus, the presence of one officer, either of the Senior Postmaster, or the Dy. Postmaster is barely necessary from 6 AM to 10 AM and from 6 PM to 8 PM for overall supervision as well as to verify the stock of cash, stamp and other valuables as the joint custodian.
We do regret to intimate that the issue has been tactfully handled in favour a particular cadre every time we raised the issue and thus compelling the Group-C officials to suffer.
Therefore, this Circle Union once again requests you to kindly reconsider the issue and arrange to give the responsibility of joint custody of cash, stamps and other valuables in Bhubaneswar GPO either to the Sr. Postmaster or to the Dy. Postmaster as done before with suitable modification in working hours.
Expecting a favourable decision, Sir.
With regards.
Yours faithfully,




(BRUHASPATI SAMAL)

Circle Secretary