Keeping in mind the huge resources at the disposal of India Post, Government wants to equip it to handle not only savings and insurance services but also payments and data registration.
With the world’s largest postal network, India Post has about 1.55 lakh post offices spread across the country. On an average, a post office serves an area of 21.21 sq km and a population of 7,175 people.
The Government is planning to utilise the huge resources at the disposal of India Post to provide cost-effective and innovative solutions to the citizens like financial services using digital connectivity, sources said.
“The Task Force is already in consultation with related ministries on how to best use these resources. Already there are plans to roll out hand-held devices and related software to post offices on a pan-India basis from October 2016,” sources said.
The idea behind the exercise is to enable the postman in rural areas to provide a plethora of services like savings and insurance, normal postal operations and also value added services like accepting payments of various services as well as registration of data, the source added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set up a Task Force to leverage the postal network in India to enhance the role of India Posts in financial inclusion, among other services and is expected to submit its report by year-end.