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Ministry of Communications & Information
Technology28-December, 2011
E-Enabled Services through Computerized Post
Offices
India Post Reachs out to Masses to Retail Products
and Services
Department of Posts helping Financial Inclusion of
Rural People
South Asian Postal Union’s (SAPU) AD-HOC
Secretariat to be Set up at New Delhi
Year End Review, 2011
Department of Posts
Department of Posts has the largest postal
network in the world. It provides postal facilities within
reach of every citizen in the country through its vast
network at affordable prices. During the long journey
from 1857 onward, India Post network has expanded
from 23,344 post offices to 1,55,035 post offices as on
31.3.2008. Of these 1,39,173 Post Offices are in rural
areas and 15,862 Post Offices in urban areas with an
average post office serving 7,174 people and covering
an area of approximately 21.2 sq. kms. Some of the
important significant events of the Department,
particularly focused at Aam Aadmi are as under:-
Enrolling the citizen for ‘Aadhar’ and dispatching the
‘Aadhar’ letters
MOU between Department of Posts and Unique
Identification Authority of India - A Memorandum of
Understanding(MoU) was signed between Department
of Posts and Unique Identification Authority of India for
printing, booking, transmission and delivery of letters
carrying ‘Aadhar’ numbers of the residents through
Speed Post. More than 2.5 Crores of ‘Aadhar’ letters
have so far been printed and dispatched by Department
of Posts.
Department is also working as Registrar
with Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) for
providing ‘Aadha’r enrollment service through select
Post offices. During the year 2011(upto 1st week of
Dec, 2011, over 41 lakh enrollments have been done.
Improving Mail processing & delivery
The Department of Posts has initiated Mail
Network Optimization Project to improve the quality of
mail processing, transmission and delivery. The project
seeks to optimize the existing mail network of
Department of Posts with a view to streamline core mail
operations. It also seeks to bring in greater
standardization and improvement in the operational
processes relating to mail processing, transmission and
delivery and proposes to introduce a more effective
Performance Management Mechanism for mail
operations.
Setting up of Automated Mail Processing
Centre’s - The Department has undertaken a project to
set up Automated Mail Processing Centers (AMPCs) in
Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and
Hyderabad with a view to automate mail sorting.
The letter sorting machines would be able to sort
approximately 35000 articles per hour whereas the
Mixed Mail Sorter would sort approximately 16000
articles per hour.
The Mixed Mail sorting machines would help in
faster processing of large size letters flats and packets/
parcels through the use of Optical Character Recognition
(OCR) technology.
Automation in mail processing would also help
the department in modernization of mail network,
consolidation of sorting activities and expedite mail
sorting and delivery in these cities.
The sorting machines in Delhi and Kolkata are
currently under installation and commissioning.
Creation of National Address Data Base
Management System - Under this project, the
Department has undertaken and initiative to put in
place a national address database management system
with an objective to effectively manage the address
database of public/ customers, update the addresses
online, and help the customers in locating correct
addresses and PIN codes. The project has been
completed in Delhi and Kolkata where address data up
to street level has been collected and street directory
prepared.
Mechanization of delivery processes - The
Department has also taken steps to mechanize mail
delivery in the North Eastern Region of the country as
well as in Andaman & Nicobar Islands. In order to
ensure better monitoring of vehicles used for mail
delivery, 75 vehicles in the North-East Region have been
equipped with the Global Positioning System (GPS)
device. The GPS devices would also be introduced in rest
of the country in phases.
Project Arrow
In this year more than 10,000 post offices are
being monitored online.
The Department initiated Project Arrow in April,
2008. The project envisages up gradation of Post Offices
in urban and rural areas both in terms of upgrading and
enhancing the quality of service. The Prime Minister’s
Award for excellence in Public Administration was
received for Project Arrow-Transforming India Post2008.
Introduction of e-enabled services
In the current calendar year, the Department of
Posts supplied computer hardware and peripherals to
9,600 single handed Post Offices. By the end of
December 2010, 14,415 Post Offices had been
computerized in the Department. In total 24,015 Post
Offices have been computerized so far.
Remotely Managed Franking System- In the
wake of evolution of advanced technology in the
franking system allowing not only inkjet/digital printing
with more security but also creation of electronic
support system facilitating remote setting of franking
machines with enhanced security and transparency in
accounting system, India Post have introduced
Remotely Managed Franking System (RMFS) in place
of existing electronic Franking Machines. Around 2,981
RMFS machines have been licensed and activated as on
November, 2011.
The Department has also signed agreement with
two Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to take
complete responsibility of satisfactory functioning of the
Remotely Managed Franking System (RMFS) server and
machines associated with it.
E-Post office- E-Post office Portal was also
commissioned during the current year for e-Commerce
activity of the Department of Posts which provides for
‘on time sale of philatelic material.’
E-VPP (Electronic Value Payable Parcels) - EVPP is a service made available in 1,100 post offices;
herein the value of payable panel is updated and sent to
the sender online by recipient, avoiding the time lag to
enable him to make payment through e-payment system
of the department.
eMoney Order (eMO) The
electronic
money order, which has been launched in October 2008,
facilitates transmission of ordinary money orders through
electronic media. India Post has also signed bilateral
agreement for exchange of electronic international
money order service with Emirates posts, UAE.
Contributing to the financial inclusion of the rural
people:
Wage disbursal under Mahatma Gandhi National
Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA)- Extensive
rural postal network of the country is actively engaged
in disbursal of wages of MGNREGA with high levels of
efficiency. During the year 2011 the Post Offices
disbursed about Rs. 6,000 crore by September, 2011
through about 5.27 crore savings accounts of MGNREGA
workers standing in the Post Offices. Thus, the
Department of Posts significantly contributed towards
the success of this unique social security arrangement of
unprecedented scale.
Financial Inclusion of Below Poverty Line (BPL)
Household- Department of Posts leveraged its network
and outreach to financially include BPL households by
targeting them for opening their savings accounts in the
Post Offices and thus providing them with access to
savings services. During the year 2011 more than 84.77
lakh households were financially included through this
initiative by October, 2011.
Collection of Data for Computing Rural Consumer
Price Indices-MOS&PI (Ministry of Statistics and
Programme
Implementation)
approached
Department of Posts for collection of relevant data from
rural areas for the MOS&PI. This would directly help
policymaking for rural economy on various important
issues. MoU was signed between MOS&PI and
Department Posts to collect data on the prices being
paid by the consumers in rural areas for selected
consumer goods. Due to engagement of Department of
Posts it was possible for the Ministry to bring out Rural
Consumer Price Index and All India Consumer Price
Index in February 2011, for the first time. Since then the
Consumer Price Index is being regularly computed and
issued by MOS&PI in each month.
Data for Rural CPI is collected for 1181 villages
across the country every month. The Branch Post
Masters (BPM) concerned ct prices of 185 to 292
commodities from the local market on the weeks fixed
for each village.
Other significant initiatives
RGI Logistic Project – Distribution of census
materials through Logistics Post was a massive project
and it is managed under a Project model. With a vast
network of post offices across the country, India Post
could arrange for the distribution of the materials in an
effective manner. This helped Registrar General of
India(RGI) to undertake mammoth task of reaching
every citizen of India and conduct the census
remuneration work successfully. Distribution project of
the census consignments was handled in two phases.
In order to facilitate the operations, which started
in last week of December 2010 and Logistics Post
booking counters were established in all the printing
presses and consignments were transmitted through
multimodal transport system in order to effect the timely,
safe and secure delivery of the census consignments.
During the phase 2 operations of the project,
9967 MT of census materials was distributed by India
Post to nearly 12,000 locations across the country
including Reverse Logistics services for collection and
distribution of the census materials from the Census
Offices in the Talukas/ Municipalities etc. to Directorate
of Census Operations in each State as well as Data
Scanning Centers.
A web page has also been developed in order to
provide real time tracking of the census consignments
and to monitor the progress of the project.
Flat Rate Parcel Service (Domestic) - With the Indian
economy growing at a fast pace, the express parcel
industry has been growing consistently. As a part of
business strategy and with a view to restructure its parcel
business, Department of Post launched Flat Rate Parcel
(Domestic) Service during February 2011.
Flat Rate Parcel provides an added convenience
to the customers by offering pre-paid boxes in different
weight slab as per the requirement of customers. It is an
air express service under the brand 'Parcel Post' and
provides time bound delivery of parcels. These boxes
available in three capacities viz. 1 Kg, 2.5 Kg and 5 Kg
are specially designed to ensure safe and secure
transmission and delivery of the consignments. Sold at
identified Post Offices only these can be booked at all
computerized Post Offices.
ePost - ePost, a hybrid mail service is presently
available in 3998 Post offices.
During the year
2011(upto Nov, 2011), 9.92 lakh of messages have been
sent and Rs.81.07 lakh earned as e-post charges.
Passenger Reservation System(PRS) - In order to
provide Railway Tickets through convenient locations,
Railway Reservations Tickets of all classes are being
sold at the Post office in association with Ministry of
Railways (MOR). The service is presently available at
172 Post offices and network is being further extended.
During the year 2011(upto October, 2011), DoP earned
Rs.2.04 Crores as commission by issuing 13.73 lakh
tickets through Post Offices.
Sale of Gold Coins - India Post sells 24 carat
Gold coins of the denomination of 0.5 g, 1g, 5g, 8g, 10g,
20g and 50g through select Post offices. The Service is
presently available in 728 Post offices. During the year
2011(upto Nov, 2011), the Department earned Rs.6.25
Crores as commission by selling 591.4 KG of Gold
Coins.
Creating “Financial Awareness” –This year
National Stock Exchange signed an MOU with India
Post for installation of LCD TVs in select Post offices for
creating “Financial Awareness” among the public.
Round Table Conference - A Round Table
Conference on “Partnering India Post: 2012 and Beyond”
was organized by the Department of Posts at Hotel
Ashok in July 2011. Key stakeholders from Banking/
Insurance/ Telecom/ FMCG/ IT/ e-Commerce/ Logistics/
Publications/ Financial Institutions/ Government
Ministries & Departments/ Industry Associations/
Academic Sector participated in the Conference and
engaged into discussions to give shape to the India Post
2012 Project and explore strategic tie-ups with India
Post.
Customer Care
Customer Grievance Redressal MechanismThe system of acceptance/receipt of complaints in the
Department of Posts is readily accessible to the public.
Each post office works as a receiving point for
complaints. The Department has also introduced the
facility for customers to register complaints online at its
website www.indiapost.gov.in from the year 2001. The
reach of upgraded interconnected Computerised
Customer Care software for grievance handling is being
widened and it is expected to cover 10,459 Post Offices
during the current financial year (2011-12).
Implementation of RightTo Information Act,
2005 - CAPIO module developed by NIC for use of the
department has been made functional in 4707 Post
Offices. Offices selected under Project Arrow are being
authorized to act as Central Assistant Public Information
Officers (CAPIOs) in addition to the existing ones.
Besides this, Department has appointed 845 CPIOs to
facilitate Right to Information Act, 2005 in the
Department of Posts.
International Relations
India Post successfully hosted the meeting of the
Board of Trustees (BOT) of the Quality of Service Fund of
Universal Postal Union at Goa from 13-16 July, 2011.
The Board of Trustees comprising 9 elected members
from different geographical regions of the world is
responsible to oversee appropriate distribution and
approval of projects that merit QSF funding. India Post is
one of the nine elected members of the BOT.
Department of Post hosted a meeting of an
Expert Group of postal administrations of SAARC
countries in New Delhi on 15th and 16th of September,
2011 to discuss the Constitution and General
Regulations of proposed South Asian Postal
Union(SAPU). The meeting was convened successfully
with the necessary quorum. Afghanistan, Bangladesh
and Nepal could not attend the meeting. They however,
expressed their strong support for creation of SAPU. A
joint statement proposed by the Chairman was signed
by the Expert Group requesting SAARC Chair to
announce the formation of South Asian Postal Union.
SAPU would promote cooperation among Postal
Administrations and improve services in the region,
development of common terminal charges and lower
postage rates based on regional costing rather than the
current system which is based on world averages,
facilitate human resource development and sharing of
best practices in postal sector.
The Cabinet approved the proposal to join the
proposed SAPU comprising of SAARC member
countries. The Cabinet also approved the setting up of
an ad-hoc Secretariat for the SAPU at New Delhi which
will be headed by an interim Secretary General from
Department of Posts, Government of India.