Onlykashmir.in News Desk
In a move aimed at making postal services more convenient for the public, the Lal Chowk Post Office in Srinagar will now remain open from 9 am to 9 pm, replacing the earlier schedule of 9 am to 5 pm. The extended hours give customers an additional four hours each day to book mail and parcels at one of the city’s busiest commercial addresses.
The decision is expected to benefit shopkeepers, business establishments and tourists in particular. Lal Chowk is the commercial heart of Srinagar, where traders typically remain engaged with customers well into the evening and are often unable to reach a post office during conventional working hours. With the counter now open until 9 pm, they can complete their business day and still dispatch consignments on the same day, which matters for traders who ship goods, documents and gifts to buyers across the country.
Visitors to the city stand to gain as well. Tourists who spend their days sightseeing in and around the city often find that government counters have closed by the time they return to the market. Many want to send handicrafts, shawls, dry fruits and other Kashmiri products home, and the longer timings will give them a more realistic window to do so.
Adam Mohiuddin, Senior Superintendent of Post Offices, said the extension is intended to make postal services more accessible and convenient for people, particularly those unable to visit the post office during regular working hours. He said the new timings would give shopkeepers greater flexibility to book their mail and parcels after finishing their business activities for the day, and that tourists would have additional time to access the facility.
The step reflects a wider effort by the postal department to adapt its services to the needs of customers rather than expecting customers to adapt to the department. India Post has in recent years worked to position itself as a modern logistics and delivery network, and extended counter hours in a high-footfall commercial area are consistent with that approach. For small businesses in particular, which depend on affordable and reliable parcel services, flexible booking hours can make a real difference to turnaround times.
By keeping the post office operational until 9 pm, the department aims to cater to the needs of a wider section of the public and ensure greater accessibility to essential postal facilities in the Lal Chowk area. Residents, traders and visitors who wish to book mail or parcels are advised to make use of the extended hours, which come into effect with immediate relevance for the festive and tourist season ahead, when postal demand in the city traditionally rises.
