Is it Just and Appropriate ?

Bruhaspati Samal

Secretary, AIPEU, Group-C

Bhubaneswar Division
eMail : bsamalbbsr@gmail.com

What an explosion! Really an unheard and unbelievable incident inside the Post Office.

It was the unfortunate morning of 3^rd January , 2002.

Mr. Pranabananda Dash, Postal Assistant, Suryanagar S O, Bhubaneswar – 751 003  just couldn’t understand what did happen to him. While he bent down for picking up the parcel to close the bag for despatch, it was burst into pieces making unusual noise. The explosion was so heavy that his right palm was detached and both the legs below the knees were melted throwing blood and flesh in microscopic pieces. The news of Parcel Bomb explosion spread in lightening speed  in the capital city of Bhubaneswar and we the staff members including police, vigilance, reporters from electronic and mass media rushed to the spot. All national and local dailies touched the headlines narrating the incident first of its kind in India Post. Mr. Das was admitted  into Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar and due to severity of the injuries throughout his body soon shifted to SCB Medical College & Hospital, Cuttack where he fought for nearly 28 months to save his life. The State Health Minister visited the spot and declared financial help for treatment of Mr. Dash.

No one in Odisha Postal Circle can forget the dreadful and heart throbbing incident of Parcel Bomb explosion a decade ago in Suryanagar NDT S O under Bhubaneswar – 751 003, the first of its kind in India Post.

The offender couldn’t be caught. The Post Office failed to supply the sender’s details since no duplicate copy of the booking receipt was available. Single copy of manual booking receipt books for RLs and Parcels were in use at that time.

Both the Central and State Govt including our Postal authorities expressed concern over the matter. The Department issued orders downward to follow the instructions enunciated in Post Office Guides and Manuals for packing and to be careful while handling such articles.

But nobody perhaps thought how a Postal Assistant will be careful in handling such articles containing explosives without proper device. Except a few  bigger offices, no post office has letter or parcel bomb detectors. Except issuance of a mere circular, required training to staff members was not observed to be offered how to detect a letter or parcel containing explosives. The Poor Postal and Sorting Assistants including the Multi Tasking Staff and GDS continued to work with apprehension of such unforeseen incidents. Their number may come next – others were frightened. Time washed away everything except the sufferings of Mr. Dash who became handicapped   with loss of his right hand below the elbow.

But recently, all on a sudden the incident was repeated in Bhubaneswar, however, without any injury this time.

Once again, after a decade, the black January knocked the door of the Chief Election Commissioner, Odisha, Bhubaneswar on 13.01.2012 while our Postman delivered him a letter containing detonators. Everybody, starting from VIP to Press once again became active on this issue of delivering letters / parcels through posts to VIPs containing detonators. Before something is done  another such letter was delivered to the Chief Secretary, Govt. of Odisha , Bhubaneswar on 20.01.2012. The Police, CBI, Vigilance and all such Govt. functionaries  started inquiry lodging FIR in the local Police Station considering the activities to be conducted by Naxalites / Maoists.

Everybody became serious to save the lives of VIPs. But what about the lives of the poor Postal and RMS employees who are dealing with such articles from booking point to delivery point ? Since the parcels / letters are booked / delivered in/through our post offices, it is certainly  a matter of serious concern for the lives of  the employees and properties of India Post. Until the police establishes the fact and take action against the accused, it is a challenge for the postal employees who are involved in booking, transmitting and delivering the letters/parcels without required  devices / machines to detect the contents with explosives etc.

Since such incident is being repeated in Bhubaneswar Division time and again, we requested our Divisional administration on 21.01.2012 to arrange supply of letter and parcel bomb detectors to all post offices without delay to save the lives of the employees and to protect the properties of India Post as well. Everybody is aware that out of 30 districts of Odisha, as many as 23 districts have already been seriously affected by Maoists’ activities. There is daily news of anti social and terrorist activities endangering the peace loving  minds of common men through regular violent acts of blasts all around, hijackings, attacks, killings, black-mailings, incidence of murder, torture, mutilation, arson and creating serious law and order problems leading to disintegration of society not only in Bhubaneswar or Odisha but all over India. On the other hand, India Post, being the world’s largest postal network having 154979 outlets [ as on 31.03.2010 – Urban P Os 15797 ( 10.19%) and Rural P Os 139182 ( 89.81 % )]  and 4.75 lakh employees (2.06 lakh Departmental and 2.69 lakh Grameen Dak Sevak ) is  presently  serving 7176 people per post office and covering an area of approximately 21.21 sq.kms and providing postal facilities  within reach of every  citizen  at affordable prices with record delivery of 1575 crores mails every year. How can a postal employee guess within these huge quantity that a particular mail contain detonator/explosive?

Thus, realizing the gravity of the issue, we have also made similar request to our Circle Union and CHQ to take up the case at appropriate levels with Circle administration and  Postal Directorate demanding supply and installation of Parcel / Letter Bomb Detectors / Scanners  in all Post Offices including RMS points and sorting hubs through out India as done in air ports and railway stations.

Though our General Secretary had appreciated the above proposal with assurance to take up the issue ( CHQ email dated 21.01.2012), we are still in dark about the action taken by him. The fate of our letter addressed to our  Circle Union is yet to be known. But after a period of six months, we are surprised to receive a letter from our Circle administration ( C O letter No. Vig /1-1/2007, dated 20.06.2012 ) directing all SPOs/SSPOs/SRMs/SSRMs in Odisha Circle  to issue necessary instruction(s) to the post office staff  to be careful in handling and to follow instructions regarding packing of postal articles to guard against such incidents.

Is it just and appropriate to get rid of the problem?

The Official Side has completed its responsibility by issuing a letter. The Staff Side is silent. We don’t find anybody’s seriousness on the issue. Now the poor postal employee finds his life sealed in a letter or parcel with explosive. If it explodes at the time of booking, dispatching or delivering and he/she meets an accident – Can the future benefits from the proposed 7^th CPC, Cadre Restructuring, Status and Pension and promotional avenues etc. for which we are talking high compensate ?

Mr. Pranabananda Dash was narrowly escaped. The next man may not.

What’s the importance of all such benefits without security of life ?

Can’t we secure the lives of our staff members?