Zunheboto Post Master, Shihoto addresses the media in his office on May 5. (Morung Photo)
Cites infrastructure woes, workforce shortages, among others
Morung Express News
Zunheboto | May 5
The Zunheboto Post Office (ZPO) has issued a clarification in response to public complaints concerning the alleged use of public hotspots/Wi-Fi for service delivery, delays in parcel deliveries, and parcels being returned to the origin without attempted delivery.
The Postmaster of Zunheboto, Shihoto, emphasized that the office does not use public Wi-Fi or hotspots to provide services. Instead, the department uses official internet connections from Airtel and BSNL, with Airtel currently in use. In the event of network disruptions, staff members share their internal Wi-Fi to ensure continued service delivery.
Regarding parcel deliveries, the Postmaster clarified that the post office contacts each recipient using the mobile number provided with the parcel, requesting them to collect it. Due to a shortage of manpower and transportation, the post office does not offer home delivery services.
However, important parcels such as ATM cards and cheques are never returned, even when no contact number is available. Customers may collect these items from the post office at their convenience, he added.
Addressing the issues concerning India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) services, Shihoto cited staff shortages, limited infrastructure, security concerns, and the complex procedure required to access cash from Kohima.
He said there is only one staff member and a single smartphone for IPPB services, limiting the post office to opening customer accounts and resolving account-related issues.
At present, customers have no other option but to avail these services through the Common Service Centres (CSCs), with some payment.
When asked whether the ZPO has any plans to upgrade its IPPB services, the Postmaster said there is no plan as of now, citing a lack of workforce and inadequate facilities as the main constraints.
He further noted that after 2 PM, the office is unable to access its system due to electricity issues. Although a power backup is in place, the system cannot be logged into once the electricity goes off.
“We are not able to access our system to deliver services to the public after 2 PM or during bad weather conditions, as we cannot log in once the power goes out,” he added.
Currently, the ZPO is operating with a staff of eight, including one Postmaster, one Postal Assistant, one Multi-Tasking Staff (MTS), and others serving as Gramin Dak Sevaks (GDS).
.jpg)
