Reinventing Post Office

·         Postal Department is attempting to regain its lost glory by implementing and monitoring its traditional services through digital network that make all accountable at every level of service. Until the introduction of the courier service in the country people had no second choice than going to the Post Office to get their postal business transacted. At that time, the officers and the employees were much sincere and cooperative as far as possible in providing service to the clients. But the Post Office service began to deteriorate when the courier service landed in the country, situation further declined when instead of giving quick and better after sale service, the department officials showed one kind of lethargy, which is one of the reasons to divert the customers to the courier service.

·         The government however, in the past, often tended to hold India Post — the world’s largest postal network — to account on commercial performance parameters, while at the same time utilising its vast network to push its various social objectives. The officers suddenly become active when Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi hinted at these strengths while tweeting that the “postman along with a teacher is the most respected government employee in rural areas”. Incidentally, the savings bank accounts offered by post offices already have deposits of over ₹6 lakh crore, second only to the State Bank of India. Financial inclusion has been the lodestar by which the government wants to steer the financial system. This give birth to India Post Payment Bank Ltd. Company (IPPB).

·         India Post too demonstrated that, given the opportunity, it is more than capable of meeting the most exacting expectations of even global players. It has emerged as one of the leading logistics partners for India’s explosively growing e-commerce sector, while at the same time ensuring last-mile delivery of an array of government services, ranging from benefit transfers under MNREGS to old age pensions and health insurance for the poor. This is why the proposed corporatisation of India Post is a welcome development, since it will provide a measure of autonomy to the commercial arms of the department. The plan envisages setting up a holding company under which five independent entities will look after different aspects of the postal department’s operations including separate companies for banking and insurance. The others in a series of moves is a tie-up to ease the pressure of the passport office, opening of Aadhaar enrolment cum updation centres, Internet packed service etc.  

·         Hitherto department have Post Office Savings Bank (POSB) service that was started in 1882 to facilitate small savings in the country. It operates as an agency of the Ministry of Finance and caters to the basic savings needs of the citizens. All the 1.55 Lakh Post Offices in the country provide the basic banking products of the POSB. Of these 25,353 are departmental Post Offices which are manned by the regular government employees. Though POSB has outstanding balance of Rs. 1,98,935 Crore yet not able to compete with the banking sector that provide any where any time banking. After putting POSB on CBS platform it becomes largest entity in the country on the CBS platform surpassing all the banks. This feat was achieved in less than four years. As on today 991 of the proposed 1000 ATMs are functional in the country. The ATMs are interoperable with other bank. Now customers can access their CBS POSB account from anywhere in the country.  A significant step towards financial inclusion as all these CBS accounts can be used for MGNREGS, DBT, social security pensions and other programs of the Government of India. CBS can also be integrated with AEPS and APBS. The data and CBS environment is ready for providing CBS based services even to the rural areas through handheld devices in 1.3 lakh Branch Post Offices. Networking connectivity is the major problem in 50% of the BO villages where however connectivity will become reality through DARAPAN project. Services like RTGS, NEFT, POSB debit cards at POS as digital payments, full fledged internet and mobile banking may be taken over by India Post Payment Bank Ltd. (IPPB) in near future.

·         No doubt there is future of the department in rural segment but here there are many challenges. It is complained that the post offices situated in the rural areas do not open on time. Clients here wait patiently because rural customers still do not have other option except to use Post Office. Sometimes, Post Offices are managed single handed because some of the employee do not agrees to go to the rural areas to serve and staff shortage is the other issue. This trend was required to be checked by the officers of the department in order to give more emphasis to the rural sector where the department has potential to serve but unfortunately here the pace remain very slow. While serving the people of rural area department can generate substantial revenue by providing best e-commerce services. Some times in rural area, it is seen that treatment to COD articles and business parcels arriving from other post offices are not or cannot be delivered in time, which put the receivers in great anxiety. Despite these odd situation people’s hope still lie with the Post Offices over the courier so must catch it by providing better service.

·         Still it is hoped that future is likely to favour the post office if it can mobilize resources and technology to create new products and services, use its network for a variety of services and improve the way existing services are delivered. By doing so it would have also defeated the dire predictions that email would make physical mail obsolete. All that is required is a serious commitment to all managerial level in the circles, division of work by creating new jobs as is being done in banks, aggressive marketing, proper training, human resource development and close monitoring at every level to curtail the expenditure and increase the revenue resources. The officers should listen to the worker by shunning their bureaucratic approach.