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State Minister for Ministry of Information, Communication and Technology Zunaid Ahmed Palak on Thursday said the government would turn 8,500 post offices into e-centres by June, 2017 to disseminate information and communication technology services to the rural people across the country.He said this on behalf of State Minister for Post and Telecommunications Begum Tarana Halim while replying to a starred question from treasury bench member Sukumar Ranjan Ghosh in the House. 
The government has undertaken a project named Post E-Centre for the Rural Community to turn the post offices into e-centers, he said adding, these e-centers would minimize the digital divide between cities and villages, create employment facilities in villages and develop information and technology based skilled manpower.He said after completing the project, the people would get more updated facilities from post offices and they would be able to track and trace their letters sitting at home.The people would also be able to use cash, postal cash cards or electronic money transfer service (EMTS) and to pay their e-commerce bills through the services, Palak said. 
Meanwhile, establishment of the ICT based rural post offices has been completed and such 1,000 more offices will be established by June 2017, he added.