India Post orders nationwide overhaul of administrative structure, sets Sept 30 deadline
New Delhi, Sept 19 (UNI) The Department of Posts has ordered a restructuring of its administrative set-up across Postal Circles, Regional Offices, Postal Divisions, and Railway Mail Service (RMS) Divisions, citing inadequate alignment and inequitable distribution of branches and workload in current and proposed structures.
The Department of Posts has directed all Postal Circles to implement the new arrangements by September 30 and submit compliance reports by October 5, as stated in the order dated September 15.
The restructuring aims to establish a common organisational structure that ensures uniformity of responsibilities and portfolios across all levels, while maintaining flexibility to accommodate local workloads and operational needs.
The department reviewed restructuring proposals from Postal Circles for both horizontal and vertical alignment.
It found that the current and proposed organisational structures are not adequately aligned and did not ensure the equitable distribution of branches and workloads.
Under the new framework, Group Officers, including APMGs and Assistant Directors at Circle Offices, will have standardised portfolios across all Circles, aligned with the Directorate structure. This change is intended to improve coordination, response times, and the consistent implementation of policy.
This arrangement also aims to clarify functional ownership by aligning nomenclature and portfolios across Circle Offices and the Directorate.
The restructuring introduces two models for Postal Divisional Offices: a two-IP/ASP model and a three-IP/ASP model.
The two IP/ASP models may be used in rural and smaller divisions, while the three IP/ASP models are intended for urban, larger, and logistics-focused divisions, depending on workload, network size, and operational needs.
The department has cautioned against unnecessary creation or deployment of additional manpower. When identifying divisions with logistics potential, existing business needs must take priority, and additional Inspectors or Assistant Superintendents should only be deployed when justified.
Postal Divisional Offices are the department's principal field-level administrative units responsible for supervising Post Offices and implementing departmental programmes.
The department has permitted LSG-level senior officials to be posted in Divisional Offices as needed, based on workload, functional requirements, and administrative feasibility.
According to the order, this deployment aims to improve supervision of critical branches, enhance institutional efficiency, and leverage the experience and supervisory skills of senior officials.
The Railway Mail Service network is also included in the restructuring.
An indicative deployment structure for IPs and ASPs in RMS Divisions has been prescribed to improve mail and parcel processing, reduce transit times, and strengthen monitoring and inspection.
For smaller RMS Divisions with fewer Sorting Offices, Postal Circles may deploy three to four IPs or ASPs, depending on workload, jurisdiction, and functional needs.
Regional Offices, which serve as the supervisory link between Circle Offices and their units, will also adopt a common organisational structure.
The department stated that this framework will ensure greater consistency in function and portfolio allocation across regions and clearly define major responsibilities among Group Officers, considerable administrative flexibility. The Head of Region may assess requirements and deploy IPs, ASPs, Supervisors and Office Assistants according to workload and functional requirements.
At the Circle level, the indicated staffing levels for IPs, ASPs, and Supervisors are flexible. Circles may adjust deployment based on workload and operational needs. Branches outside the common structure may be assigned to any Group Officer as required.
Each Circle has received an indicative organisational structure for the logistics vertical and is required to finalise its logistics structure in consultation with Member (Operation).
The order, approved by the Secretary (Posts) and issued by Dushyant Mudgal, Deputy Director General (Establishment), instructs all Heads of Postal Circles to complete implementation by September 30 and report compliance by October 5.
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