In accordance with the vision of Swachh Bharat of the Prime Minister, Special Campaign for Disposal of Pending Matters 2.0 was conducted in Department of Posts from 2^nd to 31^st October, 2022. The Campaign was implemented in the Postal Headquarters at Dak Bhawan as well as the field formations. The focus areas of the Campaign included cleanliness drive, effective disposal of public grievances and appeals, references from Members of Parliament, Parliament Assurances, disposal of scrap, weeding out of files etc.

Extent of Coverage - During this Campaign, Swachhta drive was conducted in all 24000 Sub Post Offices spread across the length and breadth of the country. Remotest corners of the country were covered from Ladakh to Kanyakumari and Lakshadweep to Andaman & Nicobar Islands. Department has made an all-out effort to spread the message of Swachhta among the citizens residing in the remotest and far flung areas of the country. The Campaign touched border areas such as Tangdhar Sub Post Office on India-Pakistan border; Sabroom Sub Post Office on India-Bangladesh Border. It has even touched LWE affected areas such as Dantewada and Sukma in Chhattisgarh.

• More than 23000 public grievances and 906 appeals have been disposed off.
• More than 2 lakh files have been weeded out.
• Approximately 75000 sq. ft. of space has been freed up.
• More than Rs. 70 lakh has been earned through disposal of scrap.

Best Practices that have emerged during implementation of the Campaign:

1. Discontinuation of Sealing Wax - It has been decided to discontinue the use of sealing wax to close mail bags and replace that with recyclable seals. Instructions issued to ensure disposal of these seals as per local solid waste management norms.

Impact: On an average, 1.6 lakh bags are closed daily using sealing wax. About 40 lakh bags per month. Fumes from use of sealing wax are hazardous for the environment as well as health of the staff. Discontinuation would be a green and environment-friendly initiative.

2. Dissemination of Swachhta Message through Wall Art – It was decided to propagate the Swachhta message through wall art on the walls of identified Post offices. A creative design was provided to Circles with instructions to amalgamate this with the regional painting style in order to lend a local flavor for better understanding of the public. About 300 walls have been prepared in this fashion.

3. Parcel Café set up in Kolkata General Post Office - A Parcel café has been set up in Kolkata GPO by refurbishing old furniture that was to be discarded such as old sorting tables. The café incorporates a Parcel Packaging unit for customers. While the customers wait for their parcels to be packed, they can enjoy tea / coffee and snacks.

4. Installation of Solar Power Plant in Dak Bhawan - Rooftop of Dak Bhawan was cleaned up and Solar Power Plant installed in the space cleared. There is a savings of roughly Rs.4 lakh per month in the electricity bill of Dak Bhawan.

Conclusion - The entire workforce of the Department of Posts participated in the Campaign with full zeal and enthusiasm. We believe that with the successful implementation of this Campaign, Swachhta has now become an integral part of our work culture. Department of Posts is committed to making India clean and green.

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RKJ/BK