THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Severe economic crisis grips Secretariat's postage system causing a backlog of one lakh posts. Petitions from the public are delayed due to insufficient funds for stamping.

Nava Kerala Sadas receives 6.25 lakh complaints facing stalled responses due to financial constraints. Finance department allocates two lakh rupees in emergency relief, lasting only ten days. Backlog causes significant delays in processing posts.

Public Administration Department, responsible for file information, treatment plans and financial assistance, grapples with the issue. The postal section handles various categories except finance, law, education and health.

Stamp sealing machine crucial for processing envelopes. The machine imprints a 'stamp seal' in a fixed pattern, with weight checked and charged accordingly. Funds transferred through the treasury to the post office using mobile charging for the machine. No separate fund allocated; expenses covered by the Office Matters Fund.

Public Administration Department operates four stamp-sealing machines while other departments have one each. Daily stamping ranges from 10,000 to 20,000 envelopes incurring a cost of Rs 12,500 to Rs 15,000 per day.