Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], September 26 (ANI): AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has urged the Union Ministry of Communications to withdraw the proposal to downgrade the Hyderabad General Post Office (GPO) from Group ‘A’ to Group ‘B’ and merge it with the Hyderabad City Division.
In a letter addressed to Minister of State for Communications Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, Owaisi sought the continuation of Hyderabad GPO as an independent Group ‘A’ post office, stressing its historical significance, extensive workload and importance in providing postal services to people in Hyderabad.
Owaisi said Hyderabad GPO was a century-old institution and had continued to play an important role in the city’s postal network. He also highlighted the presence of Telangana’s Philatelic Bureau at the GPO and argued that its institutional importance should be taken into consideration before any decision was taken on its administrative status.
The AIMIM president appealed to Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia to review the proposal in the light of the GPO’s historical importance and the volume and nature of services handled by the office. He urged the Centre to retain Hyderabad GPO as an independent Group ‘A’ establishment.
The issue of the status of Hyderabad GPO has previously been the subject of an administrative and legal dispute. In proceedings before the Central Administrative Tribunal in 2021, records referred to a proposal to downgrade Hyderabad GPO from Group ‘A’ to Group ‘B’. The proposal was linked to an establishment review based on revised norms.
According to the records placed before the tribunal, the department had assessed the requirement for continuation of Group ‘A’ status at 11,000 points, while the review at the time had arrived at 7,343 points. The establishment review had also identified surplus staff positions, with the department proposing the attachment of personnel to other postal divisions.
These figures relate to the earlier establishment review and do not necessarily represent the present workload or staffing position of Hyderabad GPO.
Hyderabad GPO has historically served as one of the city’s major postal establishments, catering to a wide range of postal and related services. Apart from conventional mail services, the postal network has expanded over the years to include parcel services, savings and financial services, insurance-related services and several other citizen-oriented facilities.
Owaisi has argued that the proposed administrative restructuring should be examined in the context of the GPO’s historical importance as well as its continuing public-service role. He has called upon the Communications Ministry to reconsider the proposed downgrade and merger before taking a final decision.
The AIMIM president has also appealed to the Union Communications Minister to ensure that Hyderabad GPO continues to function as an independent Group ‘A’ GPO, maintaining that its legacy, workload and importance to the people of Hyderabad and Telangana warrant its existing status.
The demand is likely to bring renewed attention to the proposed restructuring of one of Hyderabad’s prominent postal institutions and the broader question of how the administrative status of major head post offices should be determined in view of their workload and public-service responsibilities. (ANI)
Owaisi opposes move to downgrade Hyderabad GPO, seeks retention of independent Group ‘A’ status
