Uttar Pradesh governemnt on Saturday informed the Postal Department that it is unable to invoke the Essential Services Maintainence Act (ESMA) against the striking postal employees as it does not cover the central staff, a home department spokesman told reporters in Lucknow on Saturday. “However, the state government has assured the Postal Department all help in the maintainence of postal services and security to the employees returning on duty,” he said. Meanwhile, the Chief Postmaster General (CPMG), up circle, R Ganeshan said that about 25 per cent postal staff on Saturday returned to work. “To ensure improvement in the postal services and offset the absence of striking employees, recruitment of temporary staff from open market would commence from Monday onwards,” he said. Bureau Report