Ratuwamai’s Additional Postal Office struggling to survive

By Hari Prasad Koirala, Urlabari, Aug. 21: Additional Postal Office at Satmedi in Ward No. 10 of Ratuwamai Municipality, in Morang district, was an essential office years ago when it would help bring and take letters from and to across the country. But now, it is struggling to survive.

Established in 1978 over one kattha land provided by late Hari Prasad Adhikari for utilisation and by collecting funds from locals, the additional postal office is now nobody’s concern as the tradition of communicating through postal services has nearly ended.

For around three decades after its establishment, the postal office in Ratuwamai would always be crowded. It was also situated along the Urlabari-Ambari-Sijuwa road section, making it accessible for service seekers.

Moreover, the expansion of the road led authorities to destroy the eastern part of the additional post office. Earlier deserted, now the postal office doesn’t even seem to be able to provide shelter for a handful of letters as well.

However, the additional postal office still operates with teen sheets surrounding the office structure, wood planks worn out and roof damaged. Even if it rains only for some time, the postal office gets inundated.

Earlier, the mails used to arrive at the office three times a week – Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday. Those days were special for the locals as new news and information would reach the village. 

When a postman would enter someone’s house, the neighbours would speculate whether it was a news of joy or tear.

“Now, we have no value. Earlier people used to leave way for us. Everyone loved us. If someone’s son had gone abroad, the parents would be more grateful. 

As the trend of men leaving for abroad increased, the need of postal services rocketed then,” said Bhim Prasad Ghimire, an employee at the Additional Post Office since 1984.

According to Ghimire, who started with a monthly salary of Rs. 90, said that the postal office would sell tickets up to Rs. 20,000 a month in its heydays. 

“Personal letters don’t arrive here now. Some letters related to cases of government offices and some government notices only arrive. Ticket sales have depleted. It is hard to even pass two hours in the dilapidated office nowadays,” said Ghimire.

Including Ghimire, there are three individuals employed at the postal office currently. 

“We have informed the Postal Directorate in Biratnagar and local level multiple times regarding the office’s condition. 

The local level says that it is not their jurisdiction while the directorate cites the land issue,” said Ghimire.

“Postal sector is not our jurisdiction but we would help in the office construction. Nevertheless, the office has its own problem,” said Aashish Karki, chairman at Ward No. 10.

Shankar Basnet, an official at the Postal Directorate in Biratnagar, said, “The land over which the additional postal office stands was provided for utilisation. 

The owner who provided the land is now dead and their sons have come up with different opinions.”

According to officials, the land was earlier provided citing that the provided land was along the road. Since the land has been encroached after the road expansion, the owners have shown reservation in providing the land.

“This is why we cannot start the process of building a proper office there now,” said Basnet.

The authorities have also planned to relocate the office to Ward No. 9 but several problems, including availability of land, persists.

There are a total of 51 additional postal offices and 16 area postal offices across Morang district, and a majority of them have poor infrastructure.