Bengalureans overcome with ‘nostalgia’ as India Post discontinues Registered Post, one of its oldest services

Even in the era where online communication is predominant, there are many who continue to use the services of India Post. Recently, when it was announced that the Registered Post services will soon (September 1) be discontinued and merged with Speed Post services, those in Bengaluru who use the service are concerned.

Registered Post, one of the oldest services of India Post, has long been a reliable source of communication related to court, governance, submission of college applications, personal letters, etc. due to its addressee-specific delivery system.

According to a source in the General Post Office (GPO) of Bengaluru, at least 8,000 to 10,000 Registered Posts are sent through the GPO every day. “The service is in great demand, especially among advocates, government officials, and banks. People trust the service so much that they even send bank cheques through Registered Post,” the source said. 

With the Speed Post being an address-specific delivery system (where anyone available at the address can collect it), regular users of Registered Post worry about the implications.

“For us advocates, especially in cheque bounce cases, the law requires that notices be sent to the accused within 30 days. Without the acknowledgment that Registered Post provides, it becomes difficult for both advocates and the court to ascertain timely delivery. If the alternative, which is the Speed Post in this case, proves to be unreliable, then it will create unnecessary hurdles in the legal system,” explained Samhita Vinod, a practicing advocate from the city.

However, India Post has taken to social media to allay the worries of customers and clarified that the benefits of Registered Post will continue to be available with Speed Post. It said that while Speed Post Letter and Speed Post Parcel will provide address-specific delivery, items booked as Speed Post with registration will be delivered specifically to the addressee.

It will also provide real-time delivery updates, end-to-end online tracking, OTP-based security delivery, and other features. “We are modernising, not erasing,” the social media post said.

While for many, the merger of Registered Post with Speed Post caused worries due to technical reasons, for many others, the news brought back memories of a time when Registered Post was the only reliable source of communication.

“My husband was in the army several decades ago and back then, a Registered Post brought many emotions with it. Even if there were any casualties, it would be communicated through the post only. Luckily, I have never received such news through it, but it remained a constant channel of communication between my husband and me during his stint in the army. I was mildly disappointed when I learned that a service that was so significant to many others like me would soon be a thing of the past,” said Parvathi Kumaran, a senior citizen from Rajajinagar.