MUMBAI, May 21: It's a place where post is a future unseen. Residents of Maharashtra Housing & Area Development Authority's MIG colony in Oshiwara - a group of over 50 buildings - have never been visited by a post-man ever since they moved in here.

None of the three post-offices here are willing to deliver post in this colony. The reason: there is too much work. Though this means uninterrupted afternoon siestas for women of MIG colony, it also means angry relatives and a whole lot of other problems.

Prakash Pange's relatives are very angry. All the letters sent by them have come back. He also did not receive the work order for installation of his telephone connection. The order, for which he was waiting anxiously, was sent back by a nearby post-office.

He said he had written two letters in April to the Post Master General and to the MHADA chairman, but they have not cared to reply. Who knows, perhaps they did, but their letters too were sent back! When contacted, Post Master General S K Agarwal pleaded ignorance of this identity crisis. He, however, promised to look into the matter. Vijay Khanna, the man in-charge of Mumbai region was not available for comment.

MHADA chairman Vishwanath Nerurkar told Express Newsline the issue would be discussed in Mumbai Board's next meeting in the first week of June. Reacting to the residents' charge that it was MHADA's duty to provide postal address, Nerurkar retorted that the colony was not completed as yet. While it will take another six months for the project to complete, Nerurkar hastened to add that the postal address would come sooner.

Allotment of flats in this colony began in September 1996, while possession was given the next year in March. Over of half of the 2,000 odd flats are occupied.

The colony is situated near Oshiwara police station. While the adjacent society, Tarapore Gardens, is serviced by the Azad Nagar post-office (pin code 400 053), the Oshiwara police station is serviced by the Jogeshwari (west) post-office (pin code 400 102). Another row of MHADA buildings (Shantivan) are taken care of by the Andheri post-office (pin code 400058). When the residents approached the Oshiwara post-office, they were told that the office was under-staffed and could not handle any more work. Same answer awaited the residents at the other two post-offices too.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.