Private courier cos under govt lens

The government is contemplating action against private courier companies for bringing international post in the country illegally and delivering them as domestic post, depriving Department of Post from getting terminal dues.

According to senior officials in the Department of Posts, the courier companies have been routing international posts illegally as domestic ones, creating a similar situation to the one existing in telecom sector in the international call segment.

Global couriers robbing govt of Rs 1,300 cr a year: Postal dept

Although DoP officials declined to give any estimates of illegal posts entering the country, sources in the know said it could run between Rs 1,000 crore (Rs 10 billion) to Rs 1,500 crore (Rs 15 billion).

When contacted, DoP secretary U Srinivasa Raghvan told PTI "we have taken note of it and are taking action."

He, however, refused to elaborate on the matter and identify the companies involved in the act.

Illegal routing of international calls in the telecom sector had become a big scam whereby the private service providers resorted to route ISD calls as local ones to avoid payment of levy to state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam and Mahanagar Telecom Nigam.