“The acute shortage of staff at the various post office delivery zones is resulting in delays in the sorting of letters and their delivery. The letters, which until a few years ago used to be delivered in about three days now take around 10 to 12 days,” said an official of the post office, Sector 8, Panchkula, on condition of anonymity.

The official further added that the situation at the Mansa Devi Complex post office and Sector-20 post office is worse with the delivery time of postal consignments stretching to nearly a month.

The official, however, added that the sanction for new postmen in the area has been received

For the residents, the delay translates into sheer harassment. Monica Sharma, a resident of Mansa Devi complex (MDC), said: “Despite the tall claims of the Postal department, for over a year we have not been receiving the letters on time. There are times when we have postmen visiting us once in every two months.”

Another resident, Vinod Gupta from Sector 19, said: “There have been several occasions when important letters and official communications posted to us reach only when the deadlines for the same have ended long ago. The pathetic scenario has caused a lack of trust in the postal department of the country.”