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Tiruvannamalai: The death of post master in a village branch post office near Vandavasi triggered the imagination of the postal officials to try something new, the result, handing over of the post office operations to women self-help group on experimental basis.
In a first of its kind attempt in the country, Bharathiyar Women SHG based at Salukkai village near Vandavasi has gained this reputation.
Instead of appointing another post master, the department entered into an agreement with R. Geetha of the SHG and entrusted the total operations of the branch to this group on January 19, 2009.
Since then, R. Geetha along with two other members of the group R. Lakshmi and P. Prema is managing all operations of the post office. They sell postal articles, clear the post boxes on time, pack the mails appropriately, deliver incoming mails at the door steps, handle money orders, carry out savings bank activities and canvas postal insurance products.
“We serve four more villages namely Karam, Kosappattu, Uzhappakkam and Thazhampallam, that comes under the jurisdiction of the post office. These villages are situated in about 10 km radius. For deliveries and clearances we go to these villages by cycle. Each of us will carry the delivery work for ten days a month on turn basis,” Geetha said. V. Thangavelu, Superintendent of Posts, Tiruvannamalai division, told The Hindu that they are satisfied with the service rendered by the SHG.
“As the one year stipulated period for this experiment is nearing its end I have recommended for extension. Though the compensation is minimal there are avenues for them to earn more commission by focusing on savings bank activities and insurance promotion. However they could not show progress in this count. If they can, there are possibilities that we could increase remuneration too,” he said.
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