Postal Directorate Meeting: Staff Side Strongly Opposes HO Rationalisation, SO Closures and Merger of PA (CO/RO), SA and PA (PO) Cadres

Postal Directorate Meeting on 3 November 2026: Staff Side Strongly Opposes HO Rationalisation, SO Closures and Cadre Merger Proposals

New Delhi, 3 November 2026: An important meeting was held at the Postal Directorate on 3 November 2026 to discuss the proposed rationalisation of Head Offices (HOs) and Sub Offices (SOs), online establishment review and the proposed merger of the cadres of Postal Assistants (PA) in Circle/Regional Offices (CO/RO), Sorting Assistants (SA) and Postal Assistants (PA) in Post Offices.

The meeting was chaired by the Member (Personnel), in the presence of DDG (Establishment). The Secretary, Department of Posts, also joined the meeting towards its conclusion.

Representing R-IV, NFPE, Comrades K. Mukthar Ahmed, General Secretary, R-IV; Kamal, Assistant General Secretary; and Naveen Kumar, Assistant Circle Secretary, Delhi Circle, participated in the discussions and strongly placed the concerns and objections of postal employees before the Directorate.

1. Rationalisation of Head Offices – Staff Side Opposes Unnecessary Reduction

The Department explained its proposal to rationalise the existing network of Head Offices across the country. However, the staff side strongly opposed any unnecessary reduction or downgrading of existing Head Offices.

The representatives highlighted the following important facts:

• At present, there are 810 Head Offices against 746 districts in the country.
• Even if the proposed norm of "One District – One Head Post Office" is adopted, the excess would amount to only 41 Head Offices.
• By rationally distributing Sub Offices and applying the proposed norm of 25 Sub Offices per Head Office, all existing Head Offices can be retained.

The staff side questioned the justification for reducing the number of Head Offices when the existing network can be rationally reorganised without affecting the offices.

The representatives also strongly objected to citing recurring administrative work, such as preparation of Last Pay Certificates (LPCs) for officials transferred from Head Offices, as a justification for rationalisation. Such routine administrative requirements cannot be a valid reason for closing or downgrading important Head Offices.

2. Online Establishment Review – Actual Workload Must Be Considered

The proposed Online Establishment Review was another important issue discussed during the meeting.

The staff side pointed out that several manual activities and responsibilities performed by postal employees are not adequately captured in the APT 2.0 system.

Therefore, an establishment assessment based exclusively on the data available in APT 2.0 would fail to reflect the actual workload, operational responsibilities and manpower requirements of various postal offices.

The representatives emphasised that any establishment review must consider the complete range of duties performed by employees rather than relying solely on computer-generated workload statistics.

DDG (Establishment) advised all recognised associations to submit their detailed suggestions, objections and recommendations in writing to the Directorate.

3. Proposed Closure of Sub Offices – Serious Concerns Raised

The Department explained its proposal to identify Sub Offices for closure based on the following criteria:

• Sub Offices not generating revenue.
• Sub Offices situated within a distance of 2 km in urban areas.
• Sub Offices situated within a distance of 3 km in rural areas.

The staff side expressed serious reservations about these criteria.

It was strongly argued that the importance of a Post Office cannot be determined merely by its revenue generation or geographical distance from another office.

Post Offices provide essential public services, particularly to rural populations, senior citizens, pensioners and people living in remote areas. Their social and public-service responsibilities must be given due importance while considering any rationalisation exercise.

A Post Office is not merely a revenue-generating establishment; it is an essential public-service institution.

4. Proposed Cadre Merger – PA (CO/RO), Sorting Assistant and PA (PO)

One of the most significant and contentious issues discussed was the proposed merger of the following cadres:

• Postal Assistant (Circle Office/Regional Office).
• Sorting Assistant (RMS).
• Postal Assistant (Post Office).

The staff side strongly opposed the proposed merger and raised concerns regarding its impact on the existing cadre structure, promotional opportunities, service conditions and career progression of employees.

The Department reportedly cited the reluctance of RMS officials to accept LSG and HSG promotions due to the possibility of transfers as one of the reasons for considering cadre merger.

The staff-side representatives strongly questioned this justification.

They maintained that genuine issues relating to promotional avenues and transfer policies should be addressed through suitable administrative measures. Such problems cannot be resolved by restructuring and merging established cadres, which may adversely affect the legitimate service interests of employees.

The representatives emphasised the need to protect the existing cadre identity, seniority arrangements and promotional prospects of employees.

5. Directorate Seeks Written Suggestions from Associations

At the conclusion of the meeting, the Member (Personnel) appealed to the staff-side representatives to submit their detailed views, suggestions and objections on the proposals to the Postal Directorate.

The associations have thus been given an opportunity to place their concerns formally before the Department.

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