Last week,when the Valley fell silent under curfew,most offices had shut shop. However,the General Post Office (GPO) of Jammu and Kashmir was among the few departments that remained functional. Just a few months ago,people in Srinagar dreaded going to the GPO. With sandbag bunkers,concertina wires and head-to-toe frisking,the GPO was more like a security establishment than a post office. It has all changed now with people flocking to use it not just during day but also during the night. The credit goes to one man John Samuel,Jammu & Kashmirs Post Master General. Samuel joined as the Post Master General of J&K 18 months ago. In this year-and-a-half,he has breathed new life into a dormant department turning revenues around and speeding up services. The department wears a new look and offers some of the best postal services in the country. When I took over,it (the department) was like an old Ambassador car, Samuel says of the transformation. I started pushing it and now,you can see it running. The system is well oiled. Samuel has started many new initiatives: a night post office in Srinagar,a city where even courier services shut before dusk; a floating post office on the Dal,which doubles up as a museum; as well as the concept of My Stamp. Before Samuel came,two decades of conflict in Kashmir had left the region's postal services defunct,with post offices deserted even during the day. Postal service was the least preferred medium of communication. But Samuel's idea of the night post office changed that. Even after dusk,the department is alive,with people streaming in and out with letters,parcels and boxes of the Valleys much-sought-after saffron. Says Naira Fareed,a student,I reached the post office at 6 pm yesterday. I had to send a job form and it was the last date for submission. If there was no night service,I would have missed an opportunity. Samuel also takes pride in the floating post office at the Dal. Introduced in 2011,this post office housed in a houseboat docked on the lake offers regular services and has a museum on board showcasing Kashmir and the history of postal services in India. The floating post office and museum have slowly become a tourist attraction in Srinagar. We are using it to showcase Srinagar to the world, says Samuel. The post master general,who joined the service in 1980,starts his day at 10 am. He spends half of his 10 working hours on the field,taking account of the work. I dont like the idea of employees getting monotonous with work. I want them to go out and explore, he says. I go to my employees,try to become part of their work,hold their hands. The change is visible. The speed of the services has increased and deliveries are being made the same day within the state. The post offices,particularly around Srinagar city,have got a whole new look in their work culture,modernisation and services. Samuel,who once worked as United Nations consultant on postal services in India,also introduced the concept of My Stamp. It (My Stamp) was to re-establish connection with the people, he says. We were the pioneers. The concept was to use different cultural and emotional images on stamps,such as Hangul (stag),Mughal Gardens,Chinar and other cultural symbols of Kashmir. However,the biggest challenge,Samuel says,was to make all the 1,700 post offices in Jammu and Kashmir functional. It was my priority. It was the first thing I did. His efforts have paid off. J&K stands second in all-India postal services and last year,the department saw a 54 per cent increase in revenues. Its now the highest revenue-generating postal department in the country.
