REMEMBERENCE FROM THE BHARTIYA POST EDITORIALS

 

FALL OUT OF EFFICIENCY IN THE SERVICES!

WHO IS RESPONSIBLE?

Many times, when interacting with some officers, we used to hear that the efficiency has gone down and the Post office staff did not render better service to the customers/Citizens. The mind set of such Bureaucrats without analyzing the facts and reasons make them to fix the entire responsibilities of the field staff. Will it be right and fair?

Efficiency is not a phenomenon than can be obtained by subjective desires or by facts of discipline. Efficiency is directly related to many factors that operate within the services and without. These factors have to be identified and understood.

The primary factors are the personnel, tools and the system. Other vital factors are the policy and the management. Is there any introspection in the past to review the impracticable policy and instructions issued earlier? Is there any review on the mismanagement in the past? The decentralization of RD/MIS is the standing example of the wrong decision and no one cares on pairing of SB/RD which ruined the entire SB system becoming unrecoverable at any point of time.

 The abrupt closure of post offices, curtailment of deliveries, abolition of sorting sections and transit mail offices result in delay in delivery of mails; causes inconvenience to the public. Anyone in the higher echelon ever thinks about the decisions which ruined the postal services or try to undo such wrong decisions. The mismanagement and the wrong decisions based on the individuals at the helm of affairs without having a foresight of the future had spoiled the services for which how the poor officials working at the base will be responsible?

 The continuous ban since 1983 and abrupt abolition of posts under the banner of the screening committee without any scientific norms had resulted in the employees overburdened which is the main cause of the downward trend of efficiency at field levels. Whether anyone is worried about the overburden of work prevailing at base level and the sufferings of the employees who forget laugh, cheers, family and even everything of his life over one decade due to unbearable work brunt in the post offices.

The Postal Board should understand that there can be a study and purposeful dialogue with staff side and decisions after discussions at appropriate levels to ensure that the efficiency in the services is improved/ maintained. Whether any such study was carried out in the past? Whether the staff side has been taken into confidence while taking decisions on important issues? Nowadays, even on staff related matters, there are no proper discussions and information 

Unless the following ten areas are not properly studied and arrive decisions consensually the efficiency in service could not be improved.

1.     Simplifying the procedures

2.     Ensuring decisions within a stipulated time

3.     Providing full complement of staff by removing the ban on creation

4.     Adequate training  to handle the job

5.     Reviewing the policy of recruitment frequently & select the right persons and exploring the frequent cadre reviews to promote enthusiasm among the employees.

6.     Avoiding frictions and strains between the Management and the employees unions by frequent discussions and mutual appreciation of the problems & issues having mutual faith

7.     Restrict transfers and dislocation to the minimum.

8.     Involve the workers in the decision making at all levels

9.     Providing amenities like housing, conveyance better working conditions etc to employees at work place.

10.  Extend more promotional avenues and ensure extra remuneration for the excess work.

Satisfied employees could alone render satisfied results. The workers should be allowed to work peacefully, fearlessly and in a good atmosphere and friendly environment instead of chasing them on flimsy reasons and punishing them under contributory factors duly ridiculing their sincerity, honesty, devotion and their commitment for the improvement of the services.

Will it reach to the ears of the Postal Board?

(Bhartiya Post Editorial March 2009)