Kendrapara, July 16: More than eight years after it was shut down, a village post office is back in operation at Dhinkia, which had become the epicentre of the movement against Posco steel project near Paradip.
“Due to the disturbed situation and law and order problem, the department of post had closed down Dhinkia village post office. As the situation has turned normal now, we have reopened the post office following public demand,” said inspector at Kujang branch post office, Dibyajyoti Tripathy.
The post office resumed operations July 9. The area had remained out of bounds for government officials when the anti-Posco movement was at its peak. The village post office had become one of its casualties.
The post office catered to the needs of Dhinkia, Trilochanpur and Gobindpur villages. Due to its closure, people were forced to depend on Kujang branch post office, about 12 km from Dhinkia.
April 28, 2007, the post office was closed after the then postmaster was put under suspension. He was charged with 15 criminal cases for his alleged involvement with an anti-project outfit.
The villagers did not allow his replacement to take charge, leaving the post office closed, said Tripathy. Locals faced hardship following its closure.
“To receive a letter, we had to travel to Kujang. On production of identity proof, we could receive letters and money orders. People have been requesting the department for resumption of postal services. We are happy that the post office has finally reopened,” a local resident, Ranjan Bardhan, said.
Postmaster Subhashree Behera said people are turning up in large numbers to carry out postal transactions and some even visit the post office out of curiosity. About six postal savings accounts were opened on the first day, Behera said.
With the Posco project construction work being suspended for almost two years, the local people have forgotten the project related divide among them, said Erasama tehsildar Sarat Kumar Purohit. PTI
