Toll-free helpline launched for addressing postal complaints

The helpline is the latest customer centric move by DoP after it launched Twitter Sewa for redress of postal grievances a month ago

The department of posts (DoP) has announced a toll-free helpline number, 1924.

A month before, it had also launched Twitter Sewa (service) with the same aim. The helpline number would be available for customers of all telecom operators. Communications Minister Manoj Sinha said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had asked all departments to strengthen their public grievances redressal system.

“The service has been started initially in three languages — Hindi, English and Malayalam. We will gradually start services in all scheduled languages,” the minister said; the department's secretary said this would be done in three months.

The helpline will be operational from 8 am to 8 pm on all working days (excluding holidays and Sundays). DoP has set up a toll free centre at Dak Bhawan in Delhi with eight employees. All postal circles are to have a control room with two or three people for monitoring and redressal of complaints. The complaints are to addressed in 24 hours, unless related to policy matters.

Sinha said DoP was the eighth largest department in terms of complaints received. “We have been receiving an average of 100 complaints in a day from across the country on Twitter Sewa and the resolution status is 97 per cent till date,” he added.

Postal Secretary B V Sudhakar said in three months, the department would start providing services in all languages on the helpline number.