A lot is being done to improve the functioning of postal system, says senior Indian Postal Service officer Aarti Verma

Aarti Verma, an Indian Postal Service officer of 2016 batch, is a living example of grit and determination. Her hard work and go getter attitude helped her reach her goal. In an interview with Sweta Bharti of Bureaucrats India, she talks about how she has been trying to reform the postal service, her fight with depression and much more. Here go the edited excerpts:

When did you decide to join the Civil Services?

I was in Class XII when I decided to join the Civil Services. I had this clarity that first I will take proper education and then I will join the Civil Services. So, I opted for a Masters in Geography. It took me four attempts to clear the UPSC exams. I was very determined that I have to join the Civil Services. So I kept on working relentlessly to achieve this goal.

Did you ever get demotivated because of your failure in your first three attempts?

I had phases when I felt depressed particularly when I didn’t clear the UPSC exam though I had a very good academic career. I was a merit holder in 12th, one of the toppers in my Masters. My parents were incredibly supportive. They always believed in me and told me to try again. They always told me the story of phoenix and inspired me to rise back from the ashes.

Must have been quite a day for you the day you qualified the exams?

I was very happy. My first thought was that I will just change the entire system. I was just waiting for my posting. In October 2018 I got my posting order in Patiala as Senior Superintendent of Post Office (SSPOs).

How has the journey been? How much have you been able to change things?

Though we start with this feeling that we can change everything, we don’t have a magic wand. It is a process which we have to understand. Then we can try to simplify the process. When I joined as an SSPOs, Patiala, a very old couple came to tell me the difficulty they were having due to some cumbersome Post Office mechanism. They had some claims which had to be cleared. I asked them to drop all the details at the Post Office and promised them that the Post Office will come to them. I designated the task of verifying the entire thing and got their claim cleared. This is the thing we can do. We can simplify the government process like giving a checklist of documents needed to open a new account will help the people clear the claim at one go. Also, to change the attitude of staff I started to incentivize them. If any Post Office performed well under me, I awarded them. I wouldn’t say all the Post Offices of Patiala are too good to be real now but there has been a huge change in the system. Post Office staff now want to serve the people. Earlier they were quite demotivated. I am trying my best to change that image.

During Covid-19 crisis Post Offices played a vital role. How was that experience?

I have to salute my staves for the management they did during the Covid-19 pandemic. The staves living even 50-60 km away came to open the Post Offices. In the beginning they were sceptical but after constant motivation we were able to deliver essentials like medicines, grocery items to the people.

How was the response of the people towards Post Office workers because at several places’ delivery persons were not allowed?

We were delivering essential services to people and they appreciated that. We had an Aadhaar enabled payment system, which is like a doorstep bank through which they can withdraw up to Rs 10,000. For this every postman had a phone. This helped many people to get money during the lockdown.

What kind of training did you get?

We have a class module. We have a postal manual. This helps us understand all the rules and regulations of the Post Office. Then we have a field module. We go to the field and understand how the Post Office functions. We also get administrative training, which helps us understand how files move, and how budget is managed. We have Bharat Darshan module and army attachments because we have army postal services and foreign attachments as well. We went to South Korea and Thailand. From there I got some ideas. By and large, we get two years’ training.

This job gives you ample opportunity to deal directly with people?

I think I like public dealing. I miss no opportunity to interact directly with the people. Whatever complaint I get, I take it in a very good spirit, because the feedback is very important. I try to simplify the cumbersome government procedure. I ensure that old people who are troubled get their money. That gives me a lot of satisfaction.

What do you think is the main reason behind the current state of the postal system?

It's an old system trying to cope up with new realities and attitude of government staff at times takes it back and doesn't provide proper customer experience in a post office. I with my postal staffs have been trying our best to change things around. I am trying to beautify the Post Office. The look and feel matters. At times there aren’t enough chairs for the staves. I think young officers need to understand the problems and find solutions to it. We have to figure out these problems and find a remedy. A lot of work has to be done to reform the image of the Post Office, and a lot is being done.

Can you tell us about one of the initiatives that you started?

I started the waste segregation programme at all Post Offices in Patiala. It won the Swachata Award in the public category. For this I organised numerous workshops. This initiative went on well. When we won the award, it boosted the morale of our staves. To bridge the gap between the Post Office and the people, I have started the Facebook page of the Post Office. We keep on posting all the information regarding the Post Offices there. We have asked the people to send their queries as well.

Can technology help in good governance?

Yes, definitely. The Department of Post has been a live example. We had hand written journals in villages. We have switched to a device now which is very advanced. Solar panels are provided to charge the hand held device batteries. We have doorstep banking transactions. We had to organise many workshops, etc., with the older staves so that they can adapt to the new system. Kudos to my staves who adapted to this so well!

How did you join the Sangini Saheli?

I got to know about this initiative from social media. I talked to Aman Preet Madam and she asked me to start a Patiala chapter of this initiative. I got in touch with a few of the volunteers. We started the distribution of sanitary napkins from a remote village of Patiala. We distributed amongst brick kin workers. We asked them if they have ever used a sanitary napkin. What do they use during periods, etc? As a bureaucrat when we speak about these issues, people listen and many others get courage to come forward. Women can also come forward and talk about this issue without hesitation.

You said you had a phase when you were depressed. How did you cope up with that?

I had a poem which I had posted on my study table, “Lehron Se Dar Kar Nauka Paar Nahi Hoti/Koshish Karne Walon Ki Kabhi Haar Nahi Hoti.” I kept on working on my goal. I was very persistent. I had those phases when I didn’t feel like studying a single word. There were days when I opened a book and kept on crying. If it happens with you too, it is okay. Cry if you want but don’t give up. I was lucky that people around me kept on saying the right thing at the right time. And that kept me going. I will say it on record again that I know how it feels to fail. But you should not, must not give up on your dreams.

Any tips for those who wish to join Civil Services?

Be consistent, persistent, and determined. You might take time to achieve your goals but you will be there.

ENDS