Postman goes to thottam

Estate workers who have been deprived the opportunity of having their letters delivered to their doorstep unlike for others since they were first brought here as bonded labourers by the British in the 19th century, will finally enjoy that facility in the new year.Veteran CWC trade unionist and Deputy Minister of Posts M.S. Sellasamy said yesterday that the Postal Department will recruit the required number of postmen from among the estate youth to implement the scheme before the end of next month.

The scheme also envisages each line room dwelling getting a number and even estate roads being named or numbered as lanes for the efficient delivery of mail.Hitherto this mail had been collected by the estate office from the main post office in the region by dispatching a labourer for the task. Since most estates have so many divisions, which are far apart, sometimes workers have to trek long distances to these offices to collect their mail, which often results in their children missing interviews for jobs, etc.

Meanwhile some 26 sub-post offices that had been closed since 1983 due to violence in the North and East will also be reopened in stages after recruiting the required personnel and obtaining suitable buildings. This is expected to help many pensioners in those areas, who now have to trek to areas where there post offices are to collect their pensions.