Merger of Railway Mail Service (RMS) Offices with Speed Post Hubs - Rajya Sabha US Q&A.

Merger of Railway Mail Service (RMS) Offices with Speed Post Hubs – Impact of closures, job losses, employee relocations, and potential delays or increased costs: Rajya Sabha US Q&A.

 

The question addresses the merger of Railway Mail Service (RMS) offices with Speed Post hubs, focusing on the impact of closures, job losses, employee relocations, and potential delays or increased costs. The Minister clarifies that no RMS offices have been permanently closed, no temporary employees are expected to lose jobs, and permanent employees are subject to standard transfer policies. The relocation aims to improve operational efficiency, resource utilization, and mail delivery reliability. Main Points of Rajya Sabha Q&A:-

1. Closure of RMS Offices (Part a):
   • No RMS offices have been permanently closed.
   • Instead, Registered Processing hubs have been merged with nearby Speed Post hubs for operational efficiency and improved service delivery.
   • The process is part of an ongoing review to optimize mail processing networks.
    
   
2. Impact on Temporary Employees (Part b):
   • No cases of temporary employees losing jobs have been reported.
   • The Department has not identified any such instances.
    
3. Relocation of Permanent Employees (Part c):
   • Permanent employees are subject to transfer liability as per existing policies.
   • Relocations are managed in accordance with standard transfer guidelines.
    
   
4. Addressing Transit Delays and Costs (Part d):
   • Relocation of mail offices away from railway premises aims to improve efficiency by co-locating processing hubs.
   • Benefits include:
     • Optimal resource utilization.
     • Reduced handling of mail.
     • Improved mail delivery reliability.
     • Flexibility in arrival/departure timings.
     • Deployment of additional vehicles to handle seasonal surges.
   • The co-location strategy is designed to enhance Road Transport Network operations and mitigate potential delays or increased costs.

The merger of RMS offices with Speed Post hubs is a strategic move to enhance operational efficiency and service delivery. The government assures that no permanent closures or job losses have occurred, and employee relocations are managed under standard policies. The relocation aims to streamline mail processing and improve overall reliability.

Text reproduced below of Rajya Sabha Q&A:-

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS
DEPARTMENT OF POSTS
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 972
TO BE ANSWERED ON 13TH FEBRUARY, 2025

MERGER OF RAILWAY MAIL SERVICE OFFICES WITH SPEED POST HUBS

972 SHRI A. A. RAHIM:
Will the Minister of Communications be pleased to state:

(a) the number of Railway Mail Service (RMS) offices that have been permanently closed since the issuance of the directive from the Department of Posts to merge RMS offices with Speed Post hubs;

(b) the number of temporary employees who are expected to lose their jobs due to this directive, State-wise;

(c) the number of permanent employees facing relocation as a direct result of this directive, State-wise; and

(d) the manner in which Government plans to address the increased transit delays and costs resulting from relocating mail offices away from railway premises?

ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(DR. PEMMASANI CHANDRA SEKHAR)

(a) Review of the mail processing network is a dynamic and ongoing process, where processing centers are relocated/merged in order to enhance operational efficiency, optimize resource utilization, and streamline mail processing for improved service delivery. No RMS office has been closed permanently. Instead Registered Processing hubs have been merged with nearby Speed Post processing hubs for operational convenience.

(b) No such case has come to the notice of the Department.

(c) Permanent employees of the Department of Posts have a transfer liability, and their postings are governed by extant transfer policies.

(d) The relocation of mail offices away from railway premises has been undertaken to bring in efficiencies by co-locating different processing hubs, for optimal resource utilization, to achieve improved mail processing and reliability in mail delivery. The co-location of processing hubs offers greater advantages for the Road Transport Network operations by way of reduced number of handlings, arrival/departure timings as per operational requirements and deploying additional vehicles to cater to seasonal surges.

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