Hi Goanetters,
Some 35+- years ago, the Indian Post Office, then part of the All India
dept. started the codification of post offices throughout the country. This
was a very nice scheme and in keeping with world wide trends; as the same
had already been introduced in UK, USA, Canada, Australia etc.
In India, the coding was done as per the regional Postal Divisions; six
digit numbers, the first digit indicating the State or Division etc, and so
on. Like the post code Bombay GPO is 300001; for Bandra, in Bombay is
300020; in fact the prevailing post office No. of Bombay 20, was effectively
turned into 300020. Fine and this way all the numbers in Bombay were
codified. Then in Goa, where there were no post office nos. earlier, this
scheme was introduced; and all post offices were given numbers. And say
Panjim numbers started with 306001 GPO and so on; 306 standing for the Goa
area, of the Division; the last three digits would cover all the postal
offices or distribution post offices in Goa.
The Post Office did this initial good job, and then did nothing about it; as
a result there are no post office numbers posted prominently on post offices
in Goa, some obscured and some missing completely. After the first step in
the right direction the authorities just slept on it! How very much like
India! This inaction sort of nullified a good and necessary scheme.
Most people do not properly know of the codes or its purpose! Even the
locals, in most cases do not know their own post office number; As part of
this overall scheme and secondary to the same, was the introduction of house
numbers and shop doorway nos. etc. in villages and towns, for easy
identification and placement. Here again the effort is not effective ,
simply because the house or shop numbers are simply missing and their use is
not enforced.
What a state of affairs! SIMPLY INDIAN? Big, big highly qualified civil
service officers, paid well and so many of them on the Goa Tax Payer
Employee list; doing nothing by way of enforcement. These people are just
passing time in their work place , taking their gauranteed salary and going
home! if not please give explanations as to why these rules and schemes have
not been enforced yet; even after so many years.
Once these shemes are enforced, it will facilitate finding a place and also
the distribution of postal mail etc. correctly and quickly! Above all it
will shorten very much and reduce the number of lines in a typical postal
address; it should be noted that in a postal address only postal info is to
be inserted and not other extraneous info of admin taluka name etc. At
present a typical address reads:
Shri Pandu Shappodkar,
Bailancho Vaddo, behind Chapel near Oddlea bhatt,
Navellim,
Taluka Salcete,
South Goa,
Goa India
With house numbers and postal codes inserted this whole address would be :
Shri Pandu Shappodkar
# 69, Navellim
Goa, 306023 (*whatever)
India.
You see what I mean; Most overseas Goans /Indians and Foreigners know this,
but the message has to get home to each and every Goa residing person; this
again will spread to the Goan Diaspoa and to the world.
This 'culture' should be pushed thru schools, churches, temples, public
forums, and above all by the Panchayats, the Municipal Councils, and the
Post Office itself, by prominent display, by word of mouth, and thru the
written letter by way of a simplfied return address.
Will Goa and or India ever go mod? (This mess is the prevailing case in most
of India).
Proud to be Indian?
Cheers.
Nasci Caldeira
Melbourne
Down Under
