Unions Oppose Downgrading Of Hyderabad GPO

Postal staff unions and the Hyderabad Philatelic and Hobbies Society have urged the Centre to roll back the proposal to downgrade Hyderabad General Post Office.

They said delivery operations of the GPO extend across central Hyderabad. The Integrated Delivery Centre handles receipt, sorting and delivery of articles, requiring manpower, infrastructure and coordination.

Hyderabad GPO is a major public‑facing postal establishment in Telangana. It has 199 officials, including postal assistants, postmen, MTS and GDS, and is headed by the Chief Postmaster.

Unions said the GPO delivers more than one lakh letters and 35,000 parcels daily. They opposed the downgrading, citing its wide jurisdiction, 34 public counters, extended‑hour services and large workforce.

The GPO has 34 counters — 14 for savings bank, 17 for booking and three for Aadhaar. Booking services run round the clock.

Sagi Srinivas Raju, secretary of the Hyderabad Philatelic and Hobbies Society, said the GPO building was inaugurated on August 20, 1966. In 2021 it received a seven‑star rating for business and services. “As a philatelist I visit the GPO to buy commemorative stamps and stationery. Hearing about the downgrading, I felt it was a bad decision,” he said.

A senior official said the government has been planning to upgrade Sangareddy Postal Division and start a new division in Warangal after separating Hyderabad Region from Hyderabad Headquarters.