12 years on, Kasaragod native still remains 'suspended' postman; stages one-day protest

Kasargod: A postman who was suspended from service allegedly for delaying delivery of a pension money order, 12 years ago, protested in front of the head post office in the district demanding restitution. Perumbala native N Damodaran who worked as a postman at Cheroor held a one – day protest to bring his cause to the attention of the authorities. It is for the first time that Damodaran, who will turn 60 next month, took out a solo protested.

Damodaran says that he had gone to the addressee’s house twice to deliver the money order, but returned as no one was home. However, he didn’t visit the house for the next two days as he was busy delivering postal items at various places in Cheroor area. He then delivered the money order at the addressee’s house the next day. Meanwhile, the addressee had already visited the post office enquiring about the money office. But, Damodaran was not at the office when the addressee visited. The post master asked the addressee to submit an application seeking the money order. This application was later treated as a complaint against Damodaran.

Damodaran claims that the addressee had formally written to the Kasargod postal superintendent noting that he had submitted an application for the money order and not a complaint. The postman explains that the post office assistant superintendent suspended him saying that he was being exempted from service only for a few months and would be reinstated soon. However, Damodaran still remains suspended for the last 12 years.

He had been working as a postman at the Cheroor post office for more than two decades when he was suspended on May 20, 2013. Damodaran started selling lottery tickets to make the ends meet when his suspension wasn’t lifted even after a year.

Although Damodaran had visited the offices of the chief post masters general at Kozhikode and Thiruvananthapuram multiple times, nothing happened. He continues to sell lottery tickets to earn his livelihood. Damodaran’s monthly salary was ₹700 when he got appointed as a postman on February 17, 1993. He used to get up to ₹9000 as salary at the time of suspension.