DIMAPUR, SEPTEMBER 15 (MExN): The Naga Students' Federation (NSF) has acknowledged the Ministry of Communication's initiative in the Department of Posts to open 70 new Branch Post Offices (BPOs) in Nagaland. These BPOs are expected to bring essential banking and postal services closer to the remote villages of the state, a commendable step towards rural development.
Towards this, the Department of Posts intends to recruit a total of 173 Gramin Dak Sevaks, Branch Postmasters (BPM), and Assistant Branch Postmasters (ABPMs) to serve in these newly established BPOs.
While welcoming this recruitment drive, the NSF in a press release on Friday expressed grave concern over the draft model notification issued by the Department of Posts stipulates Hindi or English as the local language for the engagement of Gramin Dak Sevaks in Nagaland.
While these languages are important, this criteria effectively limits the opportunities for local youths, as they must compete with candidates from outside the state, who, due to differing marking patterns, often have better academic proficiency in Hindi and English, the NSF stated.
Additionally, candidates from outside Nagaland face difficulties in communicating with the local population due to their limited knowledge of the local tribal dialects/languages. However, experience has shown that a significant number of candidates from outside the state either do not join or opt for transfers to their home states, rendering the purpose of opening BPOs in remote Nagaland villages less effective.
During the 2020-21 recruitment cycle, the NSF pointed out that only 29 out of 55 selected candidates joined, and several of them subsequently resigned or exercised their transfer option. This trend threatens to undermine the vital services that these BPOs aim to provide to the people of Nagaland, it reminded.
In this connection, the NSF has urged upon the Department of Postal Services to consider amending the draft model notification. It had demanded the inclusion of “Proficiency in any of the local dialects of Nagaland as an additional qualification,” alongside Hindi and English, for the engagement of Gramin Dak Sevaks in Nagaland.
While appreciating the commitment of the Ministry of Communication and the concerned department to enhancing postal services in Nagaland, the NSF believed that this amendment will further contribute to the success of this noble endeavour.
