BSNL glitch hits India Post offices in Chennai, nearby districts
Officials said post offices across the country were crippled by the issue, claim network would be functional by Monday
Post Office
CHENNAI: They can’t receive money orders or make any transaction through India Posts Payments Bank, nor are they even able to send speed post or registered post. For thousands of common people in Chennai, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, and Tiruvallur, 48 post offices on which they are dependent for several important functions every day, are largely useless due to a technical issue with the BSNL network.
Officials whom DT Next spoke to admitted that the issue has been persisting for at least four days. Sources said the worst affected was the post office – and the people of – Tambaram, followed by Kancheepuram, Chennai City division that comprises Central, North and South, and Chengalpattu.
This includes the post offices in Government Kilpauk Medical College Hospital, Arumbakkam, Chintadripet, Madipakkam, Guindy Industrial Estate, Virugambakkam, Korattur, Kakkalur, Iyyappanthangal, Uthukottai, Gummidipoondi, Old Pallavaram, Manali New Town, and Tank Factory Avadi.
According to Raghavendra Bhat Kadekar of Kakkalur, the post office in the industrial estate in the neighbourhood serves the villages in the vicinity and also workers at the units. “For the past four days, the network in the post office has not been functional. A large number of residents, especially villagers, are finding it difficult to avail the services," he said.
Another issue that has irked the aggrieved customers is their experience while dealing with the staff who speak only Hindi or English. “The people who use the post office are villagers who are not familiar with languages other than Tamil,” said Hari S of Kakkalur, who went to Kakkalur post office to deposit money but had to return without managing to finish the task.
When asked, India Post officials said the trouble that they are facing was due to a fault in BSNL network across the country, and claimed that it is expected to be rectified by Monday.
But BSNL shifted the blame to a private firm that was the primary link provider for India Post. When that firm was dropped as the main service provider, the responsibility was fully entrusted to BSNL. The glitch that the network was facing would be addressed in a couple of days, officials said.