Barcode shortage cripples Speed Post service in city

By: Priyankka Deshpande   Date:  2012-03-22   Place: Pune The speed post system in various post offices of the city is reportedly crippled  due to scarcity of barcodes since the past month. Post masters of various post offices  in the city claim the advent of global technology like the Internet has already affected  the Indian Postal Services and now Puneites wishing to use speed post services say they  are being compelled to run from pillar to post. A barcode is the specific number used to dispatch parcels and Register AD,  which is essential to track status of the dispatched material. In denial: The General Post Office. Director of Postal Services, Pune, R K Jayabhaye denies there is a barcode scarcity. Pic/Krunal Gosavi Speed post booking officer of Sachapir Street Post Office A A Kakde said, "Presently,  I have only fifteen barcodes while the necessity is of minimum 54 barcodes for the day."  Kakde added that the supply for barcodes is never sufficient and even after repeated  requests, she has not received the same since last month. These barcodes are printed at the press located in Nasik and then come to the Regional Post Office from where they are distributed among various post offices in the city. "Generally we book the speed posts in bulk and have to send it immediately, as most the s peed posts that we receive come from various departments of the University of Pune," said post master of Ganeshkhind Post Office, SD Borade. He added that along with speed post barcodes, the stock of barcodes necessary for Register AD has also finished. "At times we have to face the citizen's anger, but it has been a month that we have been asking for the supply of barcodes," Borade added. Meanwhile, citizens have to go to the City Post Office at Budhwar Peth to dispatch  anything by speed post. Matin Mujawar went to Shukrawar Peth Post office seeking  to use the speed post service, but was told by the officials that he had to go to the City  Post Office, as barcodes were not available. "When I contacted the officials at City Post Office, they told me that they haven't yet  received the barcodes from the press in Nasik," Mujawar said. Meanwhile, duplication of barcodes is happening in many post offices. "After every three months, the same number of series of barcodes comes to us.  However, then it's difficult to track that speed post as two different parcel shows  the same barcode," said A D Tekale, senior postmaster of City Post Office. He added that whenever they (City Post staff) contact the press in Nasik they are always  told that there is no stock of barcodes. "I think the decision has been made at higher level to print those barcodes in the district and therefore they are denying supplying us the barcodes," Tekale said. Director of Postal Services, Pune, R K Jayabhaye denied that there is any scarcity of barcodes  in the city. He said, "Whenever we don't get the barcodes from Nasik, we print it at city and supply it to  the various post offices of four district of Pune, Ahmadnagar, Solapur and Satara." Jayabhaye  added that every month the city needs approximately two lakh barcodes, which were supplied  in time. He however denied shifting of the press, which prints barcodes from Nasik to the city. "The printing of barcode is cheap in Nasik and therefore there is no plan of shifting press to  Pune," Jayabhaye said. source----.mid-day.com/news
DA 7% INCREASE FROM 1.1.2012 APPROVED BY CABINET CABINET APPROVES 7% HIKE IN DEARNESS ALLOWANCE... UNION CABINET HAS APPROVED 7% HIKE IN DEARNESS ALLOWANCE TO CG EMPLOYEES AND PENSIONERS UNION CABINET APPROVED A PROPOSAL TO HIKE ADDITIONAL DEARNESSALLOWANCE BY 7% FOR CENTRAL STAFF AND CENTRAL PENSIONERS... THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT ON FRIDAY APPROVED A SEVEN PER CENT HIKE IN DEARNESS ALLOWANCE TO CENTRAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES AND PENSIONERS, THIS HIKE IS TO BE EFFECTIVE RETROSPECTIVELY FROM JAN 2012. THE DEARNESS ALLOWANCE AND DEARNESS RELIEF FOR CENTRAL GOVERNMENT SERVING EMPLOYEES AND PENSIONERS WILL INCREASE FROM 58% PER CENT OF BASIC EMOLUMENTS TO 65% PER CENT WITH EFFECT FROM 1.1.2012. News Courtesy: Central Government News.