SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir currently has 249 operational post offices across its two postal regions, with a significant dependence on rented premises in urban areas, while no new post offices are planned to be opened in the Union Territory during the next financial year, according to official data tabled in the Lok Sabha.
In a written reply to an unstarred question on postal services in villages, the Ministry of Communications said that 147 post offices operate in the Jammu region and 102 in the Srinagar headquarters region. In urban areas of Jammu and Kashmir, only 26 post offices function from departmental buildings, while 148 are operating from rented premises, highlighting continued infrastructure constraints in towns and cities. Rural coverage, however, remains largely government owned, with 67 rural post offices housed in departmental buildings and only 75 operating from rented premises.
Despite Jammu and Kashmir’s challenging terrain and scattered habitations, the Centre indicated that there is no proposal to open new post offices in 2025–26, and only one new sub post office is planned in 2026–27. This places Jammu and Kashmir among several states and Union Territories where postal expansion has effectively plateaued, even as population dispersion and service demand remain high.
At the national level, the government said it is providing postal services through a vast network of 1,64,999 post offices across the country, reinforcing that coverage, rather than expansion, is now the primary focus. Officials maintained that the existing network is sufficient to extend postal services to villages, including in remote and border areas.
The ministry also provided details on housing facilities for postal employees. In Jammu and Kashmir, there are eight residential colonies for postal staff, with five located in Jammu and three in Srinagar. The government claimed that these facilities are adequate, a contrast to several other states where staff housing shortages persist. Neighbouring Ladakh has just one residential colony, which the Centre has also deemed sufficient.
Nationally, the data reveal stark regional disparities. While states such as Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala report shortages in staff housing across multiple regions, Jammu and Kashmir has been classified among areas where existing residential infrastructure meets current needs.
The reply further clarified that no telegraph offices are operational anywhere in the country, as confirmed by the Department of Telecommunications, marking the complete phase out of legacy telegraph services.
