Kasaragod: The postal department has expressed its helplessness over the delay in delivering financial aid to cancer patients. The aid disbursed from Hosdurg taluk office is now stuck at various post offices in the district. There were complaints from activists that the amount to several patients, including Endosulfan victims, was not disbursed due to the apathy of the postal department. They pointed out that though the distance between the taluk office and nearest post office was less than five km, the amount was not delivered on time.
Anandasramam post office in Kasaragod itself had nearly 500 money orders left undelivered. However, officials at the post office confirmed to Onmanorama that many of the money orders did not have proper address to deliver. Moreover, there is a delay in carrying out the pending printing work related to the despatch the phuge due to inadequate bandwidth of the network.
"The post offices are already facing a shortage of staff. Adding to that, when the bandwidth is low, it takes a lot of time to print the money orders. Some of the money orders are duplicate and we do not have a system to cross check. Sometimes, we are forced to print three copies for the same address, where the printing processes are extended till night. In effect, there would be around 300 beneficiaries, who are yet to receive the aid," the official said.
The officials said that rest of the undelivered amount, especially those with inadequate address, would be distributed soon after contacting the branch offices. Activists had earlier raised their concern regarding the delay in securing government as it prevented poor patients from follow-up visits to hospitals.
Meanwhile, a postal official on the condition of anonymity complained that even the agreement signed between the department and another multinational company that is carrying out the process is not available even after Right To Information (RTI) query.
