ATM servie in Post Offices

Renovation of Postal Service

The next time you visit Bangalore General Post Office (GPO), you won't have to wait in a long queue for hours or run from one counter to another. To get your work done, all you need is a token and patience as you wait on a cushioned chair for your turn. The new-look GPO was inaugurated on Monday by Radhika Doraiswamy, secretary of the department of posts; the programme was developed under `Project Arrow Phase III'. Accordingly, 13 counters in the front hall will be driven by technology and become multipurpose. Employees will also be trained on customer relations. The good news is these facilities won't be restricted to the GPO alone. Fifty-eight post offices across Karnataka -- 17 in Bangalore -- are part of the project, while 30 have already got a new look. Renovation is happening in the postal service in a massive scale. India Post and Accenture signed an agreement last week under which the latter will develop a single software to replace 20 existing ones. This software will connect all post offices across India. Three automatic machines to sort mails and perform other tasks will be bought; Rs 80 crore has been earmarked for this. To ensure speedy delivery of mails in large numbers, India Post has introduced three flights, with a fourth one set to join in soon. "Inefficiency is due to lack of staff (in India Post). We have cleared 9,000 vacancies to solve this problem. India Post will wear a new look with more and more young people joining it," said Radhika. A chief insurance officer has been appointed to invest funds directly. Even post offices in rural areas will be computerized and ATM cards issued. "We will reclaim the lost glory of India Post. Decrease in quality wasn't only due to slow pace of modernization but also a result of inefficient services. It's time we bounced back," Radhika pointed out. "A recent World Bank report revealed that Gross Domestic Product will increase marginally if quality of postal service is improved," she added. According to Karnataka chief post master general M P Rajan, the department has always thrived to take up new challenges. "In fact, we're competing with ourselves to raise the bar," he summed up.

source-TOI