Koraput: A 20-day delay in delivering a registered letter has cost the postal department dearly, with the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission in Jeypore directing it to pay Rs 5 lakh compensation to a 32-year-old woman who lost a job opportunity because her application reached late.The commission, in an order passed on Aug 3, also directed the department to pay Rs 10,000 towards litigation costs and conduct a departmental inquiry into the delay.The complainant, Goutami Choudhury, a BSc (Honours) graduate from Narayanapatna, had applied for the post of warden at Odisha Adarsha Vidyalaya, Pachingi. She sent her application by registered post on July 5, 2023, after paying Rs 52 as postage. The application had to reach the authorities by July 15.However, the letter, meant to be delivered within the local postal jurisdiction, reached its destination only on July 26, 20 days after it was booked and 11 days after the deadline.The commission held that the delay resulted in rejection of Choudhury’s application, depriving her of a genuine employment opportunity. It observed that the delay was “abnormal” and that the postal department had failed to satisfactorily explain why a locally addressed registered letter took 20 days to be delivered.The postal department argued that the delay occurred because the PIN code on the envelope was allegedly changed, causing the article to be routed through multiple post offices. It denied any lapse in service.The commission, however, rejected the contention, noting that there was no documentary evidence to show that the complainant had altered the PIN code. It also found that the letter was repeatedly misrouted between different postal facilities before finally reaching the addressee. Holding the department responsible, the commission said that once it accepted payment for the service, it was duty-bound to ensure proper routing and timely delivery. It termed the delay a case of gross negligence and deficiency in service.The postal authorities had also sought protection under Section 6 of the Indian Post Office Act, 1898, which provides immunity in certain cases of delay or misdelivery. The commission ruled that such protection was not available where negligence had been established.Referring to Supreme Court rulings on accountability of public authorities, the commission said loss of an employment opportunity due to deficient service amounted to a compensable consumer injury.While Choudhury had sought Rs 15 lakh compensation, the commission awarded Rs 5 lakh and directed the postal department to pay the amount within 30 days. Failing this, the compensation will attract 12% annual interest until payment.The senior superintendent of post offices, Koraput division, has also been directed to conduct an inquiry into the lapses that led to the delay and submit a compliance report to the commission. The commission held that the delayed delivery of a registered letter within local limits, resulting in loss of a job opportunity, clearly amounted to deficiency in service on the part of the postal authorities.
