KOCHI: While sending his crucial documents by Speed Post, little did Babu Thaliath know that he was taking a risk with his career. The carelessness and apathy of the India Post seem to be costing a Merchant Navy captain dearly. Twenty days after Babu Thaliath of Kochi sent his crucial documents, including those proving his certificate of competency — which proves his eligibility to become the captain of a vessel — to the UK, the documents haven’t reached anywhere. Interestingly, the postal department hasn’t given any satisfactory clarification for the missing parcel till now. On June 10, Babu Thaliath, a Chief Officer of Merchant Navy, currently working with Elegant Marines Kochi, sent his certificates via speed post (transaction no EL300678135IN) to Seafarer Training and Certification Branch, Maritime Coast Guard Agency, Southampton, UK. Though the article should have reached there within five days, it hasn’t. “The certificate of competency, which mentions that I cleared the test to become Master was sent for obtaining the Master’s license. I have completed 25 years in the field. The eligibility certificate was a major achievement as a seafarer. It was the result of my service and dedication for 25 years. The original certificate has gone missing. I am supposed to join a vessel as its Master by the second week of July. What will do,” he asks. As per the information obtained, the parcel box with dispatch no ED 0169 was sent to UK by Air India flight AI 0131. The Royal mail in the UK has clearly confirmed that Babu’s documents were not there in the parcel. “What’s more? The Maritime Coast Guard Agency has written to me advising me not to send anything by India Post anymore,” he sighs. “We have tried to track the article via web. We contacted the Mumbai International Speed Post Centre, through which this article was sent. According to them the article was already sent to the UK. We are continuing with our attempts to track the mail and find out what happened to it,” said an official at the Postal customer care, division office, India Post Ernakulam. At a time when the Postal department is introducing new schemes like Project Arrow to attract more customers, here’s an incident which shows why private couriers are more preferred options compared to Speed Post.
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