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The speed post system in various post offices of the city is reportedly crippled due to scarcity of barcodes since the past month. Post masters of various post offices in the city claim the advent of global technology like the Internet has already affected the Indian Postal Services and now Puneites wishing to use speed post services say they are being compelled to run from pillar to post.
A barcode is the specific number used to dispatch parcels and Register AD, which is essential to track status of the dispatched material.
In denial: The General Post Office. Director of Postal Services, Pune,
R K Jayabhaye denies there is a barcode scarcity. Pic/Krunal Gosavi
Speed post booking officer of Sachapir Street Post Office A A Kakde said, "Presently, I have only fifteen barcodes while the necessity is of minimum 54 barcodes for the day." Kakde added that the supply for barcodes is never sufficient and even after repeated requests, she has not received the same since last month.
These barcodes are printed at the press located in Nasik and then come to the Regional Post Office from where they are distributed among various post offices in the city.
"Generally we book the speed posts in bulk and have to send it immediately, as most the speed posts that we receive come from various departments of the University of Pune," said post master of Ganeshkhind Post Office, SD Borade.
He added that along with speed post barcodes, the stock of barcodes necessary for Register AD has also finished.
"At times we have to face the citizen's anger, but it has been a month that we have been asking for the supply of barcodes," Borade added.
Meanwhile, citizens have to go to the City Post Office at Budhwar Peth to dispatch anything by speed post. Matin Mujawar went to Shukrawar Peth Post office seeking to use the speed post service, but was told by the officials that he had to go to the City Post Office, as barcodes were not available.
"When I contacted the officials at City Post Office, they told me that they haven't yet received the barcodes from the press in Nasik," Mujawar said.
Meanwhile, duplication of barcodes is happening in many post offices.
"After every three months, the same number of series of barcodes comes to us. However, then it's difficult to track that speed post as two different parcel shows the same barcode," said A D Tekale, senior postmaster of City Post Office.
He added that whenever they (City Post staff) contact the press in Nasik they are always told that there is no stock of barcodes.
"I think the decision has been made at higher level to print those barcodes in the district and therefore they are denying supplying us the barcodes," Tekale said.
Director of Postal Services, Pune, R K Jayabhaye denied that there is any scarcity of barcodes in the city.
He said, "Whenever we don't get the barcodes from Nasik, we print it at city and supply it to the various post offices of four district of Pune, Ahmadnagar, Solapur and Satara." Jayabhaye added that every month the city needs approximately two lakh barcodes, which were supplied in time. He however denied shifting of the press, which prints barcodes from Nasik to the city.
"The printing of barcode is cheap in Nasik and therefore there is no plan of shifting press to Pune," Jayabhaye said. | 
