Srinagar: The internet blockade has badly impacted the working of postal services in the valley, with the postal department unable to process several essential services.
Officials say the services, nowadays, dependent on internet for processing include money order, cash certificates, insurance, speed post, booking of registered letters and parcel deliveries. The services have been nearly defunct for the last two months.
An official at Srinagar’s General Post Office, who wished not to be named as he is not authorized to speak to media, said they are not able to process the dispatches.
“With no internet, the postal bank transactions, which includes post office saving bank scheme have also affected. We are unable to intimate our customers who have our insurance scheme regarding their premium,” he said.
“All incoming things which include documents, letters have to be scanned before they are delivered at their respective address but due to non-availability of internet this too is not possible. Although we have started manual scanning,” he added.
He said that around 1000 parcels were lying at the office and people visit the office enquiring about their parcels. “We try our best to help. If a person knows his bag number then we will hand over the parcel,” he said.
“Our sub-postmasters try to delivers parcels in their respective areas after manual scanning but sometimes they are not able to find the address and sometime due to the restrictions they are not able to visit the areas,” he said.
He acknowledged that people were facing problems due to delayed delivers, but expressed helplessness.
“Whatever is in our hands we are doing that, apart from that we are unable to do anything,” he said.
Kashmir is facing a communication lockdown since August 5, when Government of India abrogated special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated the state into two union territories.
Cellular phones services and internet have been barred at an unprecedented level.

NAZIMA SIDIQ