Mangaluru : Subramanya K Rao, a Gramin Dak Sevak at Thokoor near Haleyangadi, mentioned in the letter that he has been representing around three lakh Dak Sevaks and he has referred to himself as a bonded labour right from the very beginning of the letter. 

Rao said Dak Sevaks are not considered equal to other staff in the Department of Posts though they are working in the department for many years.

Six lakh employees work in the department. Discrimination is made between the departmental and the non-departmental staff. The Gramin Dak Sevaks come under the second category. While the departmental staff work for eight hours in a day and get a lumpsum amount as a salary, the non-departmental staff are compelled to do the same work for a very low pay without PF and ESI facilities, he claimed in the letter.

He said around three lakh non-departmental staff had approached the Supreme Court and the court directed the government to consider the Dak Sevaks as other staff and provide the facilities. But the government has not fully implemented the court verdict.

It was only confined to the initiation of action against the erring staff and the appointment of staff.

As a result, the Dak Sevaks have formed a union and staged a protest. Pressured by the labour organisations, the government formed a commission. But, by the time the commission was to act, the government changed and in 1993, another commission was set up. In 1997, Justice Charanjith Talwar Commission, in its report, recommended for the fulfillment of the demands by the non-departmental staff. But, the government did not pay any heed. In the same year, the disappointed staff organised an indefinite stir.

The then Union Communications Minister Beni Prasad Verma assured them of providing relief. But, as the promise was not fulfilled, a symbolic strike was held on January 5, 1998 and six lakh staff took down to the streets.

After the stir, the government has been providing ex-gratia, which is very meager compared to pension, he said. Rao said the Dak Sevaks, who get a meagre pay, collect a meagre amount as ex-gratia upon their retirement after full service.

Former President of India Abdul Kalam had invited Postal Department staff to Rashtrapathi Bhavan and had offered them a tea party, he stated in his letter and hoped that the prime minister will understand the agonies of Dak Sevaks.