GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT OF POSTS RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1441 TO BE ANSWERED ON 8TH MAY, 2015

OPENING OF POST OFFICES

1441. SHRI DILIPBHAI PANDYA:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY be pleased to state:

(a) whether post offices have been opened in all the villages of the country;

(b) if so, the details especially to that of Gujarat and the number of post offices likely to be opened during the current financial year, State-wise;

(c) whether all post offices of the country, including those of Gujarat, have been equipped with e-mail, internet and computer facilities, if so, the details thereof; and

(d) if not, by when all post offices are likely to be equipped with above mentioned facilities, the details thereof?

ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI RAVI SHANKAR PRASAD)

(a) &(b) No Sir, However, Department through a physical network of 1,39,182 rural post offices, 1,795 Franchise Outlets (FOs) and 2,795 Panchayt Sanchar Sewa Kendras (PSSKs) are providing basic postal services to all the villages in the country. In addition to delivery, sale of stamps and stationery is also being offered through postmen/delivery agents, while they are on their regular visits to respective beats. Expansion of postal services by relocation and redeployment is an ongoing activity. This is taken up under Plan Scheme-“Rural Business & Access to Postal Network” subject to fulfillment of certain norms prescribed by the Department for opening of post offices, availability of Plan support and manpower. Postal Circle-wise physical targets for opening of 92 Gramin Dak Sewak Post Offices (GDSPOs) by relocation/redeployment including Gujarat for the current financial year 2015-16 is at Annexure-I.

(c)&(d) Yes Sir, all 25,468 departmental post offices including those in Gujarat have been supplied with computers & peripherals and out of this 24,465 post offices are having e-mail & internet facilities and also have been switched over to the new Wide Area Network as a part of “India Post IT Project 2012”. The remaining 1003 (including 9 post offices in Gujarat) do not have these facilities yet due to technical reasons which are in the process of getting addressed and remaining post offices will be provided with e-mail & internet facilities after solving these issues. Postal Circle-wise details of number of Post Offices Computerized and provided inter-net facilities is at Annexure-II.

Contd…2/- -2- ANNEXURE-I

Postal Circle-wise given physical targets for opening of Gramin Dak Sewak Post Offices (GDSPOs) by redeployment & relocation during 2015-16

Sl. No. Name of the Circle Physical Target for 2015-16 (in number) 1 Andhra Pradesh including 6 Telangana State 2 Assam 7 3 Bihar 8 4 Chhattisgarh 7 5 Delhi 0 6 Gujarat 4 7 Haryana 4 8 Himachal Pradesh 3 9 Jammu & Kashmir 2 10 Jharkhand 5 11 Karnataka 4 12 Kerala 0 13 Madhya Pradesh 4 14 Maharashtra 4 15 North East 10 16 Odisha 4 17 Punjab 3 18 Rajasthan 4 19 Tamil Nadu 4 20 Uttarakhand 2 21 Uttar Pradesh 5 22 West Bengal 2 Total 92

Contd…3/- -3- ANNEXURE-II

Postal Circle-wise Number of Post Offices Computerized and provided e-mail & internet facilities.

Sl. No. Name of the Circle No. of Post Offices No. of Post Offices Computerized Provided e-mail & internet facilities. 1 Andhra Pradesh including 2438 2439 Telangana State 2 Assam 626 582 3 Bihar 1046 1043 4 Chhattisgarh 343 335 5 Delhi 425 393 6 Gujarat 1335 1328 7 Haryana 493 490 8 Himachal Pradesh 464 418 9 Jammu & Kashmir 263 251 10 Jharkhand 455 454 11 Karnataka 1715 1683 12 Kerala 1506 1506 13 Madhya Pradesh 1062 1061 14 Maharashtra 2212 2213 15 North East 329 268 16 Odisha 1195 1147 17 Punjab 758 760 18 Rajasthan 1345 1334 19 Tamil Nadu 2759 2578 20 Uttarakhand 388 341 21 Uttar Pradesh 2553 2540 22 West Bengal 1758 1301 Total 25468 24465

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