Team Herald

VALPOI: The Valpoi post office building is in a dilapidated condition since past many years; some portion of it has already collapsed; the roof is leaking at many places and reptiles like snakes have taken shelter there.

The post office, housed in a Portuguese-era building, has host of other problems too. Since it is on a hill, the post office is inaccessible to senior citizens; its internet is down often and the facility has just one staff to cater to the needs of the entire Valpoi town.

With just one female staff managing the entire affairs of the post office, Valpoi residents often return home without getting their works done, even after standing in queue for hours. The residents also complain that, since past many months, their mails and parcels are not being delivered to them on time. 

The Valpoi post office offers services like delivering mails and parcels, money transfer, banking and insurance.

“Since there is only one staff doing all the works coupled with poor internet connectivity, we are unable to pay our postal recurring deposits on time. Though it is not our mistake, we are charged fine for making late payment of recurring deposits,” complained Shamrao Gaonkar, a local.

Diptesh Thakur, another local, said, “Since past two months, there is no BSNL internet connectivity at the Valpoi post office. Because of this, we are not able to pay our recurring deposits and do register AD. People visit the post office early morning; stand in queue for hours, but return home without getting their work done.” Thakur demanded that the government look into the issue and remedy the situation.

“We are not happy with the way the post office is functioning, currently. It is inaccessible to elderly and infirm; the services are bad; since the place is small, it often gets congested. The government must find a solution to these problems,” said Rama Sawant, a senior citizen.