Letters: Mail chauvinism

This refers to Sunanda K Datta-Ray's column "The last post" (Where Money Talks, November 16). India Post's roadside pillar boxes are disappearing fast. While the private couriers are laughing their way to banks, India Post is making losses. The latter's rates for various services have not been revised for years. It has also stopped stamping the date of receipt on incoming dak, without which you would not know for how many days the dak was lying in the post office. There are even complaints that magazines and letters not being delivered. Even after all this, India Post wishes to enter banking. The capital required to start a bank has to come from public funds. If India Post is lucky to get permission, it may open banks in cities and not in remote villages. Rafi Ahmed Kidwai, the first communications minister, introduced night air mail service in 1949 that could carry mail at night, to be delivered the next day. This example was reportedly the inspiration for the US to start its Federal Express service. There is no doubt leaders will say that basic services need to be in the public domain but if they are being managed so badly it will be in pubic interest to privatise them.

S Subramanyan, Navi Mumbai

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