The only option left would be to revert to manual work. That of course, is no solution at all, especially, with the postal department heavily dependent on business mail.

Worse could follow if the Y2K bug blocks the mailing system and the department suffers a loss. Moreover, disruption of service could be detrimental of business houses who rely on the postal department for services like Speed Post. The banking and insurance services of the department will also be affected as calculations of interest go haywire

However, if one believes the postal department, there will be no glitches. Even if the computers break down, they say, the letters will definitely reach. But, they do not promise when.

"Wewould have to revert back to the manual practice, if the system breaks down. That would take time because we would have to manually track down the records," says Alok Pande, assistant manager, technology. The deadline set for the department is September 30.

Once the department turns complaint, they intend publicising the fact through the net. A message saying, "I am Y2K complaint" will be flashed across the screen of the website that is still to be completed.

There are about 500 post-offices in the Capital. Of them nine are head offices where the Local Area Network (LAN) is used for banking operations in the department. The mailing work in these head offices is done through personal computers or through multi-purpose counter machine computers (MPCMC). The remaining 491 local post offices, however, perform banking operations manually.

The computerisation process in the postal department started in 1991. The first-post office to become fully computerised was the one at Sansad Marg.

Pande says: "Thesoftware for this branch was developed by Tata Consultancy Services. All the processes here work in a network. We are overhauling the whole system in this branch."

But, eight years ago, the millennium problem hadn't even been dimly foreseen here. "This problem was never comprehended," says Pande. Luckily only eight more post-offices had the network system.

Following directions from the Information Technology task force, the postal department swung into action in October last year. The department first contacted Tata Consultancy Services to upgrade the network of the Sansad Marg branch. Then, the department think-tank tried to develop the new software. Hardware was purchased.

"We will change all our systems. The old MPCMCs will be replaced with new ones. Computers installed in the network system will also be substituted with new ones," Pande said.

Pande says the hardware will be installed by July-end and the new software will be put in after that. Pande claims the process will finish by August andletters will reach their destinations on time.