NEW DELHI, Dec 7:
Government today said it proposes to open 80 branch post offices and 50 sub-post offices throughout the country in 2012-13.
“It is proposed to open 80 branch post offices and 50 sub-post offices in the entire country, subject to availability of resources and justification of norms in current financial year (2012-13),” Minister of Communications and IT Kapil Sibal said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha.
While there are over 1.5 lakh post offices in the country, there are over five lakh villages that do not have a post office.
Uttar Pradesh has the highest number of villages without post offices at 86,435, followed by Madhya Pradesh (44,969), Orissa (43,377), West Bengal (30,950) and Bihar (30,679). Kerala is the only state where all villages have post offices.
“Close to 25,000 Departmental post offices have been computerised, out of which 23,552 have been equipped with internet and email facility,” Sibal said.
Responding to another query, Minister of State for Communications and IT Killi Kruparani said India Post has paid Rs 10.10 lakh in compensation for late delivery of speed post from 2008 till October 2012.
“The amount of compensation paid by the Department for late delivery of Speed Post during the last five years is Rs 1.91 lakh (2208-09), Rs 1.28 lakh (2009-10), Rs 1.55 lakh (2010-11), Rs 3.89 lakh (2011-12) and Rs 1.45 (2012-13 up to October 2012),” Kruparani said.
She added that the norm for delivery of Speed Post articles within two days after the booking is applicable only in case of local articles (covering areas within municipal city limits) and for Speed Post articles delivered between metro cities—Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad.
“The norm for rest of India is between 4-6 days. According to delivery information available, 68 per cent of Speed Post articles were delivered within two days of booking across the country in October, 2012,” she said.
Kruparani said a committee has been constituted to look into the specific issue of late delivery of Speed Post articles.
“However, the performance of Speed Post service is regularly monitored at the highest level on a fortnightly basis under Project Arrow and Mail Network Optimisation Project with a view to improve the quality of service,” she said.
Kruparani said monitoring is done against a set of well- defined key performance indicators (KPIs) to ensure a consistent and good quality of service which would in turn help the Department to contain any loss or damage to brand Speed Post. (PTI)
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