KAKINADA : Gramin Dak Sevaks are being pressured to persuade customers to open term deposits with customers in rural areas every month. They claim that they are being targeted by the higher authorities despite bringing more revenue to the Postal Department than the departmental staff.There are 23 postal circles across the county. The regional post offices come under the jurisdiction of postal circles and divisions in turn come under the jurisdiction of regional post offices. Of the 1.5 lakh post offices country wide, 1.3 lakh post offices were situated in rural areas. While two lakh departmental staff are rendering services in urban areas, 2,70,000 Gramin Dak Sevaks are rendering their services in rural areas.
There are three regional offices in Vizag, Vijayawada and Kurnool respectively. These three regional offices monitor the postal services across the State. Postal services in East Godavari, Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam districts come under the jurisdiction of Vizag regional office.East Godavari district is again divided into three divisions — Kakinada, Rajamahendravaram and Amalapuram. These three divisions monitor postal services in 64 mandals.
Each division consists of a superintendent of post office (SPO) and Group - II and Class -III employees work under him. There are about 1,500 Gramin Dak Sevaks and 500 departmental staff working in the district.The Gramin Dak Sevaks say they are facing pressure due to the unrealistic targets set by the higher officials. They wonder how could they pursue customers to open term deposits when many post offices do not even have account renewal forms, computers and internet facility.
Regularisation of jobs sought
The members of All India Gramin Dak Sevaks Union (AIGDSU) have been demanding that the Centre initiate immediate measures to regularise their jobs
They demand extension of all the benefits being given to departmental staff should be extended to Dak Savaks
Their main demand is to regularise the services of Gramin Dak Sevaks by evolving a scheme to absorb them into regular work force
The Dak Sevaks execute important tasks like distribution of social security pensions, employment guarantee scheme payments, collection of recurring deposits, postal life insurance and others