Tamil Nadu   

Courier firms slam amendment

Special Correspondent

It bars them from picking up anything weighing less than 500 gm

CHENNAI: The Association of Express Industry-South India will stage a series of protests against the proposed amendment to Indian Post Office Act, 1898, during the Budget session of Parliament.

Association president S. Ahamed Meeran and vice-president M. Kannan told a press conference here on Tuesday that the amendment, if adopted, would sound the death knell of the labour-intensive private courier industry.

Mr. Kannan said there were over 1,000 companies, big and small, in the four southern States. "We are willing to be regulated as the industry pays all types of taxes ... including the service tax." The courier industry favoured a healthy competition on the lines of airlines and telecom. The association planned to submit a representation to Union Minister for Communications and Telecommunication Dayanidhi Maran, explaining how the proposed amendment would be a "draconian measure."

Mr. Meeran said the amendment would render 15 lakh educated youth jobless and force several companies to close down. Under the amendment, courier companies cannot pick up anything weighing less than 500 gm. This amounted to an indirect ban, as letters less than 500 gm constituted over 80 per cent of their business.

Exnora International founder M.B. Nirmal said 60,000 branches of his organisation would support the courier industry. While appealing to the industry not to resort to strike, he wanted it to be regulated.

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