With Raksha Bandhan just around the corner, Ludhiana’s post offices have hit a pause on prominent services, including rakhi mail and parcel bookings through speed post and registered post, after the online system witnessed severe technical glitches since Friday during the installation process of an upgraded software. The move is a part of a nationwide initiative for advanced digital platforms. However, the early technical snags in the system hit the Rakhi bookings in the city, officials familiar with the matter said
Notably, the temporary suspension comes at a festive time when the postal department witnesses a surge in demand. The head post office on Ferozepur Road solely has been handling 150 to 200 domestic Rakhi bookings daily in the run-up to the festival.
According to the postal officials, the stalled services may impact the timely delivery of rakhis and festive parcels with Rakshabandhan falling on August 9, causing concern among families relying on the postal network for long-distance gift exchanges.
“This is the only time of the year I send something by post. I always trusted Speed Post for rakhis, but this time I may have to switch to private couriers,” said Ramandeep Kaur, a resident of BRS Nagar.
Additionally, postal staff anticipate a backlog of parcels once services restart on August 5, leaving a limited window for deliveries before Raksha Bandhan, which could lead to further delays.
“While services will technically resume from Monday morning, it could take a day or two for operations to fully normalise. The volume of parcels is only going to increase after the upgrade. We’ll be under pressure to meet delivery deadlines, especially for rakhis,” said Ajaib Singh, a Gramin Dak Sevak.
{{/usCountry}}“While services will technically resume from Monday morning, it could take a day or two for operations to fully normalise. The volume of parcels is only going to increase after the upgrade. We’ll be under pressure to meet delivery deadlines, especially for rakhis,” said Ajaib Singh, a Gramin Dak Sevak.
{{/usCountry}}The move is a part of India Post’s efforts to modernise operations and improve long-term service efficiency. According to postal officials, a nationwide software upgrade is scheduled to roll out on August 4. To ensure seamless transition, a planned shutdown was enforced on August 2 and 3.
Balbir Singh, senior postmaster at the head post office, addressed concerns about the short delivery window and possible technical issues in the upgraded system. “The disruption was unavoidable for a seamless migration to the digital platform. We’ve already raised tickets regarding technical glitches with the concerned authority,” he said.
He further added that the shutdown, originally scheduled for August 4, was advanced to allow sufficient time for Rakhi deliveries. “After Monday, bookings will resume, and we will ensure timely delivery of rakhis without any delay,” Singh assured.