The CC Block post office in Salt Lake has become a nodal delivery hub for parcels. It will handle parcels not only for Salt Lake but also New Town.

“Parcel is a new trend of mail that is developing for both home delivery and commercial sectors. They require a slightly different approach than letters. While a single mailman can handle a large number of letters for a small area, parcels are bigger and heavier. So in a digitally integrated environment that post offices now have, it is necessary to redelineate the area and designate a location in each area where parcels can be handled in a more focused manner under proper supervision,” explained post master general, Calcutta, Niraj Kumar.

Thus a nodal delivery hub caters to a slightly larger area than a traditional post office. The CC Block post office will be the sixth hub in the Calcutta metropolitan area, after the General Post Office, Alipore, Dum Dum, Tangra and Bhowanipore.

“We realised that Tangra could not handle parcels for Salt Lake and we also recognised the commercial importance of the area which includes the tech hub in Sector V and New Town. That’s why we decided to carve out this area under a separate post office,” added Kumar.

Since parcels are bulkier, the department has recognised that the traditional mode of delivery — on foot or by cycle — will not work. So the mailmen have been provided with e-scooters, four-wheelers and three wheelers.

Kumar added that the department also plans to introduce extended parcel booking hours at the Salt Lake post office. “Currently, counters close at 3pm. So people are deprived of our services after that. We want to roll out parcel booking facility till the evening hours from here,” he said.

But before that, the staff crunch at the post office would need to be addressed. The post office is functioning with half its allotted strength of personnel and does not even have a full-time post master. Even the person who was handed charge temporarily has gone on leave.