CLOSING OF POST AND TELEGRAPH OFFICES: LOK SABHA Q&A

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

LOK SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO 6865

ANSWERED ON 08.05.2013

CLOSING OF POST AND TELEGRAPH OFFICES

6865 . Shri MANICKA TAGORE
Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:-

(a) whether many post and telegram offices have been closed/shut down across the country without any prior notice/ announcement by the Government;

(b) if so, the details of such posts and telegram offices separately closed during the last three years and the current year;

(c) the reasons for closing such posts and telegram offices;

(d) whether people from all walks of life are facing great hardships as a result thereof;

(e) if so, whether the Government proposes to reopen the closed Post and Telegraph Offices; and

(f) if so, the details thereof along with the Post and Telegraph Offices reopened/ likely to be reopened?

ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (DR.(SMT.) KILLI KRUPARANI)

(a) to (c) No, Madam. Post Offices have not been closed without prior notice/ announcement. Some Post Offices were closed as a result of merger, relocation, upgradation of Branch Post Offices into Departmental Sub-Post Offices, litigations and poor conditions of buildings, etc., after following due procedures. The Circle-wise details of Post Offices closed during 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13 & the current year are at Annexure-I. Regarding Telegraph Offices, it is submitted that these offices are closed due to other efficient modes of communication like Mobile Telephones, Internet, etc. The Circle-wise details of Telegraph Offices closed during 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13 & the current year are at Annexure-II.

(d) No, Madam. People are accessing postal services through nearby Post Offices. Telegraph Services are available in the country through state of art WTMS (Web based Telegraph Messaging System). Telegrams can also be booked on phone by dialing 1585 (Phonogram Services) from any BSNL telephone, local or STD/PCOs. Telegrams facility is also available in Customer Service Centres of BSNL in all Circles.

(e) & (f) Closed Post Offices are re-opened on availability of suitable accommodation and fulfillment of stipulated norms. As regard Telegraph Offices, there is no proposal for re-opening due to loss of revenue.

ANNEXURE-I

Number of  Post Offices closed during   2010-11, 2011-12 , 2012-13 & 2013-14

Sl. No.	Circles	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14 (as on 30.4.2013)
1	Andhra Pradesh	0	0	0	0
2	Assam	0	2	0	0
3	Bihar	0	0	0	0
4	Chhattisgarh	0	0	0	0
5	Delhi	0	0	0	0
6	Gujarat	0	1	1	0
7	Haryana	0	1	4	0
8	Himachal Pradesh	0	0	0	0
9	Jammu & Kashmir	0	1	0	0
10	Jharkhand	0	0	0	0
11	Karnataka	0	67	16	0
12	Kerala	0	7	10	0
13	Madhya Pradesh	0	0	0	0
14	Maharashtra	0	0	0	0
15	North East	0	5	3	0
16	Orissa	2	0	0	0
17	Punjab	0	7	0	0
18	Rajasthan	0	0	0	0
19	Tamil Nadu	0	1	0	0
20	Uttar Pradesh	0	0	1	0
21	Uttarakhand	0	0	0	0
22	West Bengal	0	0	0	0
	Total	2	92	35	0

ANNEXURE-II

Telegraph Offices  Closed during 2010-11, 2011-12, 2012-13 & 2013-14

Sl. No.	Name of Circles	2010-11	2011-12	2012-13	2013-14 (as on 30.4.2013)
1.	A & N	0	0	0	0
2.	A.P.	0	0	0	0
3.	Assam	3	0	0	0
4.	Bihar	0	0	0	0
5.	Chennai Telephone	1	1	0	0
6.	Chhattisgarh	0	0	0	0
7.	Gujarat	0	0	0	0
8.	Haryana	0	3	0	0
9.	Himachal Pradesh	0	0	0	0
10.	J & K	0	0	0	0
11.	Jharkhand	0	4	2	0
12.	Karnataka	0	0	0	0
13.	Kerala	35	0	0	0
14.	Madhya Pradesh	0	1	2	0
15.	Maharashtra	3	7	0	0
16.	North East- I	5	0	0	0
17.	North East – II	0	0	0	0
18.	Orissa	3	2	0	0
19.	Punjab	8	2	0	0
20.	Rajasthan	1	0	0	0
21.	Tamil Nadu	0	0	0	0
22.	U.P. (East)	0	0	0	0
23.	U.P. (West)	1	0	0	0
24.	Uttaranchal	1	0	1	0
25.	West Bengal	0	0	8	0
26.	NTR - Delhi	9	3	0	0
	Total	70	23	13	0

Source: http://164.100.47.132/LssNew/psearch/QResult15.aspx?qref=141135