Work moves at snail’s pace at post offices as 36 new computers gather dust

According to sources,the demand for 57 computers was sent to the Chief Post Master General,Punjab circle,about a year ago,and 56 were approved.

“The new computers arrived here two months ago but only 20 have been installed at the head post office in Bharat Nagar. The remaining 36 are lying untouched,” said a source.

Senior Superintendent,Post Offices,Ludhiana,V K Raizada said: “As per the department’s instructions,we were asked to install the computers in the presence of a technician from the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited and one person from National Informatics Centre (NIC). We sent many reminders and request letters to the NIC to depute one of their employees,but we are yet to receive a response. We have no option but to keep the computers packed and wait.”

The SSPO added that work at the head post office was suffering due to age old computers. He added: “Last week,I asked the postmaster at the Bharat Nagar post office to get the computers installed in the presence of a BSNL employee only as I did not want work to suffer due to slow computers. So,we installed 20 computers without an NIC employee. However,the new computers are yet to be installed at other post offices. Of the remaining 36 computers,12 are for the Speed Post centre at the railway station,ten at the Central post office in Bhadaur House,six at Model Town and eight at Millar Ganj post office.”

Divisional Assistant Manager (Computers),Postal department,Ludhiana,Ajay Parashar,however,said: “The NIC has already refused to be part of any such installation committee. According to the department’s instructions,we are supposed to install the computers in the presence of either a BSNL or an NIC engineer. As the NIC has already refused,so we are left with the option of BSNL. But the BSNL too is not cooperating. We have tried to approach it several times in the last two months but no one is paying heed to our problem.”

General Manager of Ludhiana Telecom,Chander Shekhar Bhanot,said: “I am not aware as no one brought the problem to my notice. I am in Chandigarh today and will have a word with postal officers once I get back and help them out in the completion of the task.”