Idukki village collects funds to save its post office

Residents of a small panchayat ward have joined hands to reconstruct a post office building at Pushpakandam in the Nedumkandam panchayat here to preserve a service that has served their community for nearly 50 years. According to residents, officials had previously moved the post office from Pushpakandam to Anakkallu — about 6 kilometres away — due to declining business and the dilapidated condition of the building.

P.J. Jomon, the Pushpakandam ward member, said that moving the post office felt like losing the village’s identity. “The post office was suddenly shifted by the officials on December 13, 2025,” Mr. Jomon said. “The 685552 postal code and the Pushpakandam post office are a matter of pride for us. Nearly 2,000 families across four wards benefit from this facility, and they wanted it retained in the village. We formed a committee and submitted a complaint to the district postal office in Thodupuzha. Following our complaint, officials visited the area and stipulated that a proper building be constructed.”

₹50,000 pending

“The committee organised a fund collection drive and rebuilt the structure. A total of ₹2 lakh was spent on construction, out of which ₹50,000 is still to be repaid. We plan to launch another fund collection to clear the debt,” Mr. Jomon added.

He said the post office was originally established in the village back in 1982. “When the post office was shifted, residents realised how central it was to the village’s identity and unanimously demanded its return.” The reconstruction work was completed in about three months.

Increasing business

Pushpakandam postwoman Sreelakshmi confirmed that low business volume was one of the primary reasons for the initial relocation to Anakkallu. “When the post office was shifted, the local people promised to increase local business and have since actively supported its operations. The old building lacked basic amenities, but the residents have now reconstructed it with excellent facilities,” she said.