MADURAI: With the staff at the parcel booking office in Madurai Junction Railway Station (MJRS) refusing to accept cash, allegedly to meet their digital transaction targets, several customers without smartphones or unable to use online payment applications like GPay have been facing trouble in sending their parcels.
A large number of people depend upon the parcel service office in MJRS, which functions round-the-clock, to send their vehicles, agricultural products and other items at cheap rates. However, many of the customers, who do not own smartphones or GPay accounts, now face difficulties in sending their parcels due to the staff refusing cash.
Speaking to TNIE, Shanmugam, a customer, said that he regularly sends paper bundles to various locations through the parcel service, as it costs only a meagre amount. However, nowadays, as the staff are refusing to accept cash, I am forced to maintain a cash limit in my account. "While the staff in the ticket counter accept cash or any other mode of online transaction, customers are told to pay 100% cash via online at the parcel office," he pointed out.
Another customer Kumar (34), who received parcels on Wednesday, said that he does not have a GPay account, and yet the staff refused to accept cash. "As a result, I asked another customer to do the online payment for me. Exploiting this, some people also collect commission from customers for making online payments. For example, on Wednesday, I was supposed to pay Rs 90 for a parcel, but I was forced to pay Rs 100 to the person who offered to pay online. Officials need to understand the customers' situation," he said.
While welcoming the 100% digitalisation move, social activist A Ramakrishnan asserted that the move should not pave the way for middlemen exploiting customers. "Customers have to be given a choice to make payment via cash or online, and not be compelled. Even for online purchases, customers have the option of paying the cash on delivery. Hence, officials need to intervene and address the issue," he added.
When contacted by TNIE, a senior official from the commercial department said, "The parcel service booking office is accepting 100% digital transactions only."