INDIA Post has been very closely associated with common people since its beginning. The Department has remained integral part of everyone’s life as it is the one that connects people and help them communicate. Famous Bollywood songs ‘Chitthi Aayi Hai’ or ‘Sandese Aate Hai’ also talk about the department’s crucial role in taking one’s message from one end to the other end of the world. However, with changing times, India Post’s role too has changed leaps and bounds. Now, the Department of Post is not just about taking letters from sender to receiver. To know more about the same, ‘The Hitavada’ interacted with Shobha Madhale, Post Master General (PMG), Nagpur Region on the occasion of World Post Day on October 9. The 1994-batch Union Public Service Commission Officer is very humble but straightforward. She is a ‘Pan-India’ officer! Ask Madhale about the place she belongs to and pat comes the reply, “I belong to India”. The reply has no drama as Madhale, since joining the department, has extended her services in many States across the nation.

 

Asked about the present scenario of India Post, Madhale proudly tells that India Post is everywhere and it is growing consistently. It is a common knowledge that Indian Railways has a huge web of network but the network of India Post is also at par with the Railways. Nagpur Region itself has 3,800 post offices. Talking about the changes that took place in the department, Madhale said, “Services of the department witnessed a change after introduction of Speed Post. But the traditional services are also on.” “We all know that services like recurring deposit and savings account are there since long but in recent times the India Post Payment Bank has come in picture and it has made significant achievements too,” Madhale says. “The department is active in its insurance schemes too. There are many schemes being run by the department and there is also a tie-up between India Post and private players like Bajaj Insurance and Tata AIG,” the she adds.

 

Discussing the special role played by India Post, the PMG says that a Postman, who is supposed to be the face of the department in public, has been very actively setting a perfect example of humanity. “During the first and second wave of COVID-19, our postmen helped senior citizens a lot in getting them their monthly pension at doorsteps,” Madhale says. Share some memorable life experiences, Madhale narrated a brief story related to 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks of 2008. She had been transferred to Mumbai Government Post Office as Director in July. There was an event of the department which was supposed to be organised at Hotel Taj where the attacks took place. But the venue was changed due to some reasons. When the terrorists attacked the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Mumbai (CSTM) station, Madhale was in office and her kids along with their granny were at home which is quite close to CSTM. As she was stuck in office, she was not able to maintain proper contact with the family who were in a state of panic. Meanwhile, Madhale was also taking care of the staffers as she found it to be her foremost duty. After a long wait of hours, Madhale could see her family and heaved sigh of relief. On a concluding note, Madhale shared her happiness and proud feeling over India Post’s successful journey. She says, she will be trying to give all the more to India Post. n