Jalpaiguri Post Office faces safety risks amid poor infra
Jalpaiguri: Customers of Jalpaiguri Shilpa Samity Para Sub Post Office have petitioned the Superintendent of Post to restore the post office. Water is leaking from the roof and weeds have taken root. The water is now flowing into the office, forcing employees to rely on plastic to protect government documents. If this continues, a major accident could happen at any moment.
According to the staff, not only is the Shilpa Samity Para Sub Post Office in a poor condition, but so are 20 other Sub Post Offices in the district, apart from those in Jalpaiguri town. The Jalpaiguri Division of the Postal Service includes two Head Post Offices in Jalpaiguri and Malbazar, 57 Sub Post Offices and 243 Branch Post Offices, serving a total of about 6,00,000 customers.
An employee of the Jalpaiguri main post office noted that many customers, including senior citizens, visit daily and money transactions are conducted via the internet.
However, despite using modern technology, many of these post offices operate out of rented houses with poor infrastructure. The Shilpa Samity Para Sub Post Office has been in a rented house in the Beguntari More area for many years, serving a significant number of customers. Unfortunately, the building is in terrible condition.
Customer Amlan Munshi said: “Earlier, plaster from the roof would fall off due to water seepage. Weeds have grown on the building. This situation puts both workers and customers at risk of accidents.
That’s why, 15 days ago, customers demanded that the Superintendent of Post either relocate the post office or renovate it with safety in mind. We made the same demand.”
Superintendent of Post Ashok Kumar Gond stated: “These post offices are operated in rented houses, many of which have poor infrastructure.
We will list the post offices in poor condition and discuss renovations with the property owners. If renovations are not possible, we will attempt to relocate the offices. I will visit the post offices before making any decisions.”
