COIMBATORE:The Salem Railway Division is waiting for permission from the Railway Ministry to computerise parcel service operations in all the stations under it.
All these stations have the equipment and manpower to computerise the service, but it is being delayed as the ministry’s nod is yet to be received.
Computerisation will improve the efficiency and minimise malpractices in booking and delivery of consignments.
In 2014-15, the division earned Rs 21.68 crore by transporting 79,281 tonnes of goods.
As it accounts for a good part of the division’s revenue, computerisation is a must, say users of the service. People can then book and track their consignments online, which would reduce the time and effort to do it. The new facility covers booking, loading and delivery and includes loading guidance showing the availability of space. This will ensure optimum space utilisation and control overloading. In addition, users can register their complaints through the service website and ensure transparency.
Users of the service in Coimbatore have requested Railway officials to make online parcel service a reality due to the many inconveniences in the the existing system.
“I once sent my bike to Bengaluru from Coimbatore, but I got it partially damaged. I spent about Rs 5,000 to repair it. The damage was caused by overloading. If an online system is in place, there will be no overloading. The best part is that we can register our complaints. In this case, I wanted to complain, but did not know whom to approach,” said Gopalakrishnan K P, a former member of the Railway Passengers Association.
Many stations like Delhi, Mumbai, Patna and even Thiruvananthapuram have computerised the parcel service. But Coimbatore is still following the old system.
Though the division is fully equipped for computerise the service, it has to be initiated by the ministry, Divisional Railway Manager Shubhranshu told Express.
“The online system is a national network of the Indian Railways. It is not under the division. For computerisation, a software programme has to be installed in the national network by the Centre. Once it is done, the division can take care of the rest,” said Shubhranshu.