ISLAMABAD: Though the government has fixed the minimum wage at Rs13,000, as many as 16,000 people are working for Pakistan Post Office Department (PPOD) as extra departmental staff (EDS) at the monthly remuneration of as low as Rs650 to Rs2,600.

This was revealed in a written reply submitted by the ministry of communication to the National Assembly in reply to a question by MNA Sahibzada Mohammad Yaqub of the Jamaat-i-Islami.

The reply said the PPOD utilised the services of EDS and paid them fixed wages.

Extra-departmental postmasters and sub-postmasters are paid Rs2,600 per month, branch postmen Rs1300, delivery agents Rs1,060 and Rs650 are paid to the stamp vendors.

It may be noted that the post officedepartment was established by the British government in the 18th century.

It is one of the oldest government departments. In 1947, it started functioning as the department of post and telegraph.

In 1962, it was separated from the telegraph and telephone department and made as an independent attached department.

MNA Yaqub told Dawn that though he already l
`That is why the matter has been referred to the standing committee on communication. People have been working for Rs1,200 and Rs650 per month which is nothing but an insult to human being.

`They should get at least the minimum wage even if they are over 60yearsofageandthosewhohavebeen working as extra-postmasters should be given a salary equal to the Basic Pay Scale 11 officials,` he said.

When Dawn visited the PPOD, an official requesting anonymity said senior officers in the department never tried to address the issues faced by the employees.

`Officers who are placed in the Postal Services Group after the Central Superior Services (CSS) exams are considered as inferior among the bureaucrats in other service groups.

`In return, these officers never pay attention to the staff and the department. In fact, they mistreat the subordinate of ficials.

He said the department was spending 79pc of its funds on salaries.

However, the management has started thinking that if it does not take steps to address the issues the department will be closed. So some steps are being taken to compete with the private sector and advanced technology is being used in the post offices, he said.

When contacted, Additional Director General (admin) Pakistan Post Dr Naseer Ahmed Khan told Dawn that 47,000 people had been working with the department out of whom 16,000 were EDS.

`EDS are not considered as employees of the department. The British government introduced EDS to ensure that letters and money orders reached villages located in far-flung areas where it was not viable to open post offices.

They hired people who were retired persons, ex-army officials orinnuential personalities of the areas to hand over consignments to the local people,` he said.

`That system is still in place. We have hired people as postmasters, sub-postmasters, branch postmen and delivery agents and by paying just a few thousand rupees to them, letters and money orders are delivered in villages.

He said people wanted to get such a low-paid job because it becomes a source of extra income for them. Moreover, they become important personalities of villages as everyone depends on them to send letters and receive money orders. A number of shop owners are also working as EDS, he added.

In reply to a question, Mr Khan said he also believe d that the amount of remuneration should be increased.

`We increased the amount two years ago and have been trying to increase it again. But we have to see if we can arrange funds because as many as 16,000 people are working as EDS,` he said.