Service Interest at Sweet will of officers

“for the world, which seems

To lie before us like a land of dreams,

So various, so beautiful, so new, Hath really neither joy, nor love, nor light,

Nor certitude, nor peace, nor help for pain;

And we are here as on a darkling plain

Swept with confused alarms of struggle and flight,

Where ignorant armies clash by night.”

Matthew Arnold wrote these lines in "Dover Beach" in 1851 or 1852. [ The poem was not however, published until 1867. It appeared in a collection entitled New Poems, published in London]. At that time Arnold was inspector of schools in England, a position he held until 1886. But the theme of the poem is still relevant to Postal Officers in the Department of Posts who started their struggle when they opted to be Inspector and continue to struggle day in and day out. They are a dissatisfied lot.


DPCs from Inspector cadre to onward are not held in time.


Posts are lying vacant or downgraded but Department has no time sensitive programme of action like Project Arrow to redress their service related grievances.


Some officers are holding the charge of more than one Division/Sub Division for longer times. This all results in erosion of ones dedication and loyalty to the organisation he is serving. Resultantly some of the deserving heroes of their time have to leave the centre stage without conferment of status expected by them.


6th Pay Commission gave fractured recommendations. Today the officers at all levels are receiving emails prescribing a time line for response. Each reference of the Department is " Most Urgent " and time bound. But the service interests of the officers are not time bound. They are at the sweet will of the officers.


Officers are confused how to continue with conflicting emails, telephone calls, official dak, intergroup and intra group rivalries, conflicts and struggles.


COURTESY:- POSTAL OFFICERS CORNER (punjabpostalofficers.blogspot.com)