FEDERATION OF NATIONAL POSTAL ORGANISATIONS                                                  T-24, Atul Grove Road, New Delhi -110001. Phone-011-23321378                                                                                                                      E-mail: kumar9nape@gmail.com/kumar_nupe@yahoo.co.in                                                                                  Mob: 9448061962/9481422464

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---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------             SECRETARY GENERAL

                                                B.SHIVAKUMAR                               27/03/2020

Ref: 01/FNPO/Covid-19/2020

To,

The Excellency the President of India

The Hon’ble Prime Minister of India

The Communication Minister of India

The Cabinet Secretary Government of India

APPEAL

          On behalf of Poor employees of Postal Department I with all humility and with folded hands submit this appeal for kind consideration.

          The Highest constitutional authority declared 21 days lockdown to arrest the spreading of deadly virus. The most revered Prime minister of India working day and night and the whole world looking at India with this heavy population still we able to check this pandemic. We express profound thanks and gratitude for the Hon’ble Prime minister and also grateful for including Postal service as essential service.

          Our Prime Minister declared a Lakshman Rekha to one and all that no one should venture out during this lock down so that this pandemic can be arrested. Further the most effective tool is to maintain the social distancing. Now the poor employees of Postal department being the part of the Essential services are undergoing mental trauma, are panic and fear struck. Because in Post offices it is practically impossible to maintain the Social Distance and render the service. 113113 GDS Post offices in rural areas functioning with only an area of 100 to 150 square feet. Out of 25487 departmental Post offices more than 24500 post offices functions with 300 to 500 sq. ft. area. Thus in more than ninety percent of the POs it is not possible to abide by the Social distance diktat imposed by the constitutional authority. Apart from this there is no public transport, in many states section 144 imposed, and curfew too.

          The SBI being the largest Bank in India with the best facilities has sent a message to the customers that it cannot extend hundred percent service to the customers and requested to go digital.

          The available infrastructure, the area of POs housed make it practically impossible to maintain the social distance which is the only way possible to stop the pandemic. The poor employees thus under mental stress that they are thus not only exposed to the threat and there is every possibility they could be the carriers of the virus in rural areas. We are ready to join our hands in this hour of crisis but we are genuinely facing the practical impossibility in maintaining the Social Distance.

          I with folded hands pray for your Excellency to consider our precarious condition and pray to consider our request to open the POs where it is possible to ensure the social distancing. I Again pray for kind consideration.

                                                                                                         [B.Shivakumar]

       Secretary General

                                                                          FNPO