 |
|
Finance Minister P
Chidambaram
|
NEW DELHI, FEB 17: All 1.55 lakh post offices will starting
working using modern technology by next year, Finance Minister P Chidambaram
said today.
“The IT modernisation project of the Department of Posts with
outlay of Rs. 4,909 crore will be operational by 2015 in all 1.55 lakh
locations,” the finance minister said.
The IT modernisation project with this outlay was approved by
Cabinet Committee of Economic Affairs (CCEA) in November 2012. It has to be
implemented through eight projects which include core banking system
technology, IT-based management at post offices, business intelligence system
to analyse and project new business opportunity.
The project aims at increasing efficiency, quickening transactions
and enhancing transparency at all 1.55 lakh post offices in the country.
Under the project all rural post offices are to be provided with
1,30,000 handheld devices which will come with smart card readers for financial
transactions, solar panels for charging them, biometric readers for immediate
identification and thermal printers for immediate printing of receipt.
The devices will enable post offices to deliver services at the
door step of the customer.
The postal department has computerised about 25,000 departmental
post offices but rural post offices will be provided handheld devices for
digitising records.
(This article was published on February 17, 2014)
