| Fact Sheet |
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DEPARTMENT OF POSTS
Starting with 23,344 Post
Offices at the time of independence in 1947, a massive network of 1,54,149 Post Offices
exist today including 1,37,847 Post Offices in rural areas. On an average, a Post Office
serves an area of 21.32 sq. km. and a population of 5,477.
There are about 5007 PC based Multi-purpose Counter Machines (MPCMs) installed in 1100
Post Offices to provide an efficient and responsive service both in banking and
non-banking areas. This has resulted in enhanced customer satisfaction by reducing waiting
time. Simultaneously, a wide range of services have been made available through a single
window.
Modern technology in the form of Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSATs) have been
introduced in the postal system for facilitating quicker payment of money orders. A total
of 77 VSAT stations have been set up in the country which are in turn connected to another
610 Extended Satellite Money Order Stations (ESMOs) through the telephone network through
which money orders are getting transmitted instantly cutting down the transmission time on
an average by 7 to 10 days. The number of money orders being transmitted on the VSAT
network has increased to 10.5 lakhs per month.
The concept Front Office computerisation is being carried out covering both postal and
agency functions. However, due to technological advancement it has become necessary to
convert stand alone computers into a local area network. In this direction a pilot project
at Parliament Street Post Office, New Delhi, was carried out where both front and back
offices of the Post Office have been totally integrated on a single window system thereby
ensuring a better and more focussed management. Recently, New Delhi GPO (Gole Dak Khana)
and Lodhi Road Head Post Office have also been fully computerised.
The national network of Speed Post, one of the key premium services of the Department
for delivering mail within a time-frame, now consists of 97 centres linking them with 97
foreign countries. Other key premium services are Business Post, Express Parcel Post and
Retail Post.
Shedding its traditional image, the Department is now offering letter boxes, postal
vans, interior of post offices and postal stationery for commercial publicity.
With a view to making the postal services more open, transparent and responsive to the
people, computerised Information and Facilitation Counters have been set up in 423 Post
Offices.
In order to rationalise and customize handling and processing public grievances, 127
customer care centres have been set up all over the country to ensure speedy settlement of
public grievances and at the same time furnish information relating to any query which
members of the public may be having.
The Department with a manpower of 6,02,987 employees has a well developed training
infrastructure.
The pursuit of excellence and for providing a responsive, transparent and effective
administration, the Department has formulated a citizen's charter, which emphasises the
Department's commitment to provide better quality of services and informs the members of
the public about the various services being provided as also where to go in care of a
grievance.
