DISPENSING
OF ARMY POSTAL SERVICES FROM ARMY UNDER APPROVED REFORMS OF GOVERNMENT CAUSING
BITTER INJUSTICE TO THE TROOPS
1st
Floor North Avenue Post Office Building, New Delhi-110 001
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N0.PF-67/24/2017
Dated: 09 November, 2017
To
Shri Manoj Sinha,
Hon`ble
Minister of Communications & IT,
Government.
of India,
Sanchar
Bhawan,
New
Delhi-110 001
SUB: DISPENSING OF ARMY
POSTAL SERVICES FROM ARMY UNDER APPROVED REFORMS OF GOVERNMENT CAUSING BITTER
INJUSTICE TO THE TROOPS
Hon`ble
Sir,
It
has come to our notice from some reliable sources that Govt of India is going
to take decision to dispense with the services of Army Postal Services.
In this connection it is pertinent
to mention that APS personnel mostly deputed from the Postal Department serving
in the Army were meant to provide all postal services very close to their
barracks even to those troops serving very far flung border area. The APS personnel arrange their lectures to
guide them for collocating habit of
small savings schemes and Postal Life Insurance helping them for
deduction their premium from the accounts maintained by respective
PAO(OR). Prior to APS the troops were in
darkness and there was no way for their troops for guidance for savings
purposes.
2. The Army Postal Service (APS),
functions as a government-operated military mail system in India. A primary
feature of Army Postal Service systems is that normally they are subsidized to
ensure that military mail posted between duty stations abroad and the home
country (or vice versa) does not cost the sender any more than normal domestic
mail traffic. In some cases, Indian military personnel in a combat zone may
post letters and/or packages to the home country for free, while in others,
senders located in a specific overseas area may send military mail to another
military recipient, also located in the same overseas area, without charge.
Officers are deputed primarily from the Indian Postal Service and from the Army
Corps. Army Postal Service is the only service that enables civil service
officers to work in the armed forces.
3. APS is a unique organization in
the sense that it is a happy blend of the Department of Posts, India and
Indian Army. APS functions as a part of the countrywide postal setup but
administratively it is under Army. Though a part of the Army, APS also
extends its services to Air Force and other Paramilitary Forces. APS also
provides limited cover to the Indian Navy. It also provides
cover to Indian troops deployed with UN Peace Keeping Forces abroad.APS is
also providing the Postal and remittance facilities to Border Road Organization
cutting and maintaining roads in the various parts in remote areas on mountains
.
4. Origin of APS dates back to 1856 when
the first FPO accompanied the British Expeditionary forces to Persia. FPOs
continued to be requisitioned by the Army from the Dept of Posts to accompany
Expeditionary Forces till World War I. During World War II volunteers from the
Dept of P & T were drawn as combatants to run the FPOs. In 1947 when Indian
troops were rushed to J & K, the handful of personnel, who remained with
the occupation forces in Japan, were sent to provide postal services to the
troops. This group germinated into the present Army Postal Service. Army Postal
Service joined the World War-1 in 1914 and accompanied various forces continued
to function till 1923.
5. The Army official mail Scheduled
Despatch Service (SDS) was carried from one Formation to another through Signal
Regiment engaging First Class compartments in mail trains which was handed over
to APS in 1969.APS Corps emerged as Independent Corps in 1972.
6. Gallantry Awards Vir Chakra to L/NK
Perinmbam on 26 Jan 1952 and Shaurya Chakra to Col R K Bansal on 26 Jan 1986.
7. Army Postal Service provides Postal,
Remittance, Savings & Insurance services to Army, Indian Navy, Air Force
and Paramilitary forces personnel through 500 Field Post Offices established
across the country. It also provides cover to Indian troops deployed with
United Nations Peace Keeping Forces abroad including Bhutan.
8. The head of Army Postal Service is the
Additional Director General Army Postal Service at Army Headquarters in the
rank of Major General. He is assisted by Deputy Director General Army Postal
Service in the rank of Brigadier at Army Headquarters.[4]
The
two Command Based Post Offices at Delhi and Kolkata 1CBPO56 APO
2CBPO29 APO and Army Postal Service Centre at
Kamptee Nagpur are commanded by Commandants in the rank of Colonel. The
Officers Commanding Corps/Divisional/Area/Border Roads/Assam Rifles/Air Force
Postal Units in the rank of Lt Col/ Major/Captain monitor the functioning of
Field Post Offices under their control and discharge the functions of the
Postal Advisor to the General-Officer-Commanding. Two Central Base Post Offices
and Section Base Post Offices serve as the nodal points for mail processing.
Army
Postal Service is a Postal Circle of India Post working under the technical control
of Indian Army.
Hundreds of Packers, Postman and
Postal Assistants LSG & HSG Supervisors Inspectors/Assistant
Superintendents are on deputation to Army Postal Service Corps from Department
of Posts. These are the permanent employees of Department of Posts and in place
of these employees temporary employees are working in the Civil Post Offices.
On disbanding of APS Corps these APS personnel will be repatriated to their civil
wing as such temporary employees will be unemployed causing a great injustice
with these employees. Civilian Employees of Department of Posts voluntarily served
the nation as combat in peace and war at remote and far flung snow bound areas,
disbanding the APS Corps will also not justice with them.
9. On
hearing the abrupt decision of Govt. of India for dispensing with such services
to the troops is a matter of grave concern. It is felt that the dispensing of
services on the basis of new technology appears to have been misunderstood. The
postal services were under strict security over the correspondence of troops
made between their families and kith and kin.
Though it is admitted that the troops can use mobile and send their
money to their families by Banks etc. But will not be possible when the actual
war starts. The services of modern technology in many circumstances are banned
due to security point of view. After through and serious deliberations, the
services of APS are very essential.
After II World WAR the APS was found very indispensable on many counts.
10. The
troops serving in the Army mostly belonging to far flung area where their
family can neither get bank facilities and other postal facilities will feel
depleted and distressed and this would hurt their morale. The booster of morale
of every soldier is very essential to maintain their morale boosting chain
among them.
11. (a)
SB Schemes are being operated by APS and
there are about 9 lakh SB Accounts 86% and expenditure of APS
is met with these
SB Schemes.
(b) APS is also doing business under
PLI and having about 13 lakh policies
which is a good source of income to meet out the expenditure of APS.
12. APS
is well maintained and proving back bone to the troops for providing morale
booster for the above obvious reasons.
In case it is felt that present scenario does not find suitable to keep
permanently APS Corps would prove bitter repentance over the past. However if it is the need of the hour to
overlook the services and postal facilities being provided to troops may and totally uprooting/dispensing would prove a
bitter injustice to the troops while flashing back over the past.
It
is therefore requested to kindly bestow
your personal attention on this
matter and influence your good office to
convenience Government of India not ro
close Army Postal Service (APS) whose service
are very much required for the
India Army.
With regards
Yours faithfully,
(R.N. Parashar)
Secretary General
Copy to : Shri A N Nanda , Secretary
Department of Posts for necessary
action.
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