Owaisi Opposes Move to Downgrade Hyderabad GPO
AIMIM President Asaduddin Owaisi urges the Centre to retain Hyderabad GPO's Group A status and prevent its merger with the Hyderabad City Division.
AIMIM President and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi has formally requested the Union Ministry of Communications to reconsider a proposal that would strip the Hyderabad General Post Office (GPO) of its independent Group ‘A’ status. The MP is urging the Centre to withdraw the plan to downgrade the facility to Group ‘B’ and merge it with the Hyderabad City Division.
Preserving a Century-Old Institution
In a letter addressed to Minister of State for Communications Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar, Owaisi emphasized the immense historical significance of the Hyderabad GPO. He noted that the institution is a century-old landmark that remains a cornerstone of the city’s postal network.
The AIMIM leader highlighted several key reasons why the GPO must maintain its current administrative standing:
- Historical Legacy: The institution has served the region for over a hundred years.
- Workload: The sheer volume and nature of services handled by the GPO justify its high-level status.
- Philatelic Bureau: The GPO houses Telangana’s Philatelic Bureau, adding to its institutional importance.
- Public Service: The office provides essential services ranging from conventional mail to savings, insurance, and financial services.
The Battle Over Administrative Status
The debate over the GPO's status is not new. It has previously been a point of administrative and legal contention. Records from a 2021 Central Administrative Tribunal proceeding revealed that a previous establishment review had suggested a downgrade based on revised norms.
At that time, the department had assessed the requirement for Group ‘A’ status at 11,000 points, while the review had calculated only 7,343 points. This discrepancy had led to proposals to reattach surplus staff to other postal divisions. However, Owaisi argues that these outdated figures do not reflect the current workload or the actual staffing requirements of the office today.
A Call for Reconsideration
Owaisi has appealed directly to Union Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia to review the restructuring proposal. He maintains that the administrative status of such a major head post office should be determined by its public-service responsibilities and its vital role in serving the citizens of Hyderabad and Telangana.
As the government weighs the proposed merger and downgrade, the demand from the AIMIM has brought renewed attention to how major postal institutions are managed and whether administrative restructuring should take precedence over historical and service-based importance.