See Full Document Text
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS
DEPARTMENT OF POSTS
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1450
TO BE ANSWERED ON 12TH FEBRUARY, 2026
CLOSURE OF POST OFFICES IN KERALA
1450 DR. JOHN BRITTAS:
Will the Minister of Communications be pleased to state:
(a) the details of post offices closed and proposed to be closed in Kerala during the last 36
months;
(b) whether application of minimum distance norms of 1.5km radius in urban areas and 3km in
rural areas is inappropriate for a densely populated State like Kerala;
(c) whether any expert study has been conducted before closures, including on disruption of
pension payments, Senior Citizen Savings Scheme and other essential services to senior citizens;
(d) whether revenue from PLI and other postal services was excluded while assessing viability;
and
(e) the number of permanent and GDS staff affected due to closures?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT
(DR. PEMMASANI CHANDRA SEKHAR)
(a) 41 Post Offices have been merged in the Circle during the last 36 months.
(b) Rationalization exercise was implemented in the Circle as per the prescribed distance norms.
There are no separate distance norms prescribed for Kerala and Directorate norms are followed Pan
India.
(c) Rationalization exercise was implemented across the county and Post Offices not meeting the
departmental norms are merged/relocated. Merger of Post Offices is implemented after the review /
study of proposals submitted on the basis of income cost criteria and distance norms and ensuring
that there is no disruption of postal services to the public.
(d) Revenue from PLI and other postal services incorporated in the formula for calculating
income cost ratio, was taken into account along with the distance norms criteria while
identifying/merging the Post offices for merger.
(e) No permanent and Gramin Dak Sevak (GDS) staff are affected due to merger/relocation of
post offices, as they are accommodated at nearby post Offices as per their request.
*****
1