HYDERABAD: Despite the Central Board of Excise and Customs (
CBEC) notification in 2016 to set up a foreign sub-post office in three cities, including Hyderabad in Telangana and Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh to handle parcels and other postal material, the postal department is sitting tight.
Due to non-availability of a foreign sub-post office in Hyderabad, all parcels coming from abroad or being shipped out are sent either to Chennai or Mumbai for customs clearance. This often results in delay in delivery. Apart from Hyderabad and Vijayawada, the CBEC notification of October 2016 recommended a foreign sub post office at Leh in Jammu and Kashmir.
CBEC sources said they are ready to set up the office for customs clearance, but are waiting for the postal department to take the initiative. Currently, the customs in Hyderabad handles
exports and imports at Shamshabad international airport, operates an air cargo and inland container depot in Sanathnagar.
Hyderabad Region Postal Services director, V Upender, who is holding additional charge of the city, told
TOI, “Initially, there was a proposal to set up a foreign sub post office at Humayun Nagar. Later, the proposals were changed and an international business centre was planned. In principle, we got the approval. However, it is still in the planning stage.”
“In Vijayawada, we have asked the AP government for setting up the foreign sub-post office in Amaravati. At least five acres of land has been sought,” he added. According to him, “Currently, all parcels and articles through registered post or Speed post go through the Chennai and Mumbai gateways. They get customs clearances at these gateways. For setting up of acustoms cell, we need good space with screening areas and surveillance cameras as well as scanners to scan the contents of the parcels.”
Initially, in Vijayawada, the Buckingham post office was zeroed in on for setting up a sub foreign post office. A private building in Auto Nagar too was counted as a possible location but neither materialised.
Sub-sections under Section 7 of the Customs Act, 1962, deal with ports, airports, inland container depots with
customs clearance for imports and exports.