Govt plan to deliver licences at doorsteps backfires

State government’s initiative to provide driving licenses through postal service seems to be causing more inconvenience to the citizens, rather than simplifying the process.

Earlier if the postman could not find anyone at the postal address, the postal department would send those undelivered licences to Regional Transport Office (RTO) from where people could collect their licences.

However, after identifying the loopholes in the system, the counter to deliver these undelivered licences and registration certificates (RC) has been shifted from the RTO to the General Post Office (GPO).

Since the citizens aren’t aware of this change, this is adding to their confusion.

Besides, people have to pay additional Rs50 as postal fees, but aren’t receiving the services as per their expectation.

The state government amended the Maharashtra Motor Vehicle Act, 1989 where hand delivery of the driving licences and vehicle registration certificate was stopped. It is compulsory to deliver driving licences and RC smart cards by post from September last year.

However, soon loopholes in the system were exposed when the undelivered licences and RC books started returning back to RTO.
Arun Yeola, regional transport officer of Pune said, “There was lack of coordination between these departments and our staff had to face people’s anger when their documents were not delivered at their residence. I took up this issue with officials of transport department in Mumbai after which they decided to shift the counter to GPO.”

Senior superintendent of post offices of Pune city east division KY Kamble said, “We have delivered over 3 lakh documents by post and it is proving to be a success. I do not know why RTO is thinking that there is no coordination between the two departments.”

After opening the counter at GPO last week, the postal department has given 44 licences from the counter and there remain over 430 licences to be given to the candidates.

source--DNA

 

INDIA POST CELEBERATES 25 YEARS OF SPEED POST SERVICE

Shri Kapil Sibal gives away Awards to Top Postal Circles

            Shri Kapil Sibal ,Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology today inaugurated the two day annual conference of Heads of Circle of the Department of Posts. A special cover to mark 25 years of Speed Post was also released by the Minister on the occasion. The Minister gave away prizes to top three Postal Circles for generating highest rate of revenue growth in Speed Post during 2010-11, on the occasion.

            While Karnataka Circle walked away with the first prize and DG Post’s Rolling Trophy, Jammu and Kashmir Circle and Jharkhand Circle secured the second and third position respectively. Speed Post is the premium Express Mail Service of India Post. It was launched in August, 1986 to meet the “felt-need” of the developing Indian economy. It offers a time-bound and assured delivery of letters, documents and parcels up to 35kg across the nation and around the world.

            The Speed Post network is the largest Express Service Network in India. It covers all major towns & cities. Web-based Track and Trace service is provided for Speed Post articles on the India Post website (www.indiapost.gov.in). Insurance facility is also available for sending valuable items under Speed Post, Regular customers enjoy free pick up, credit facility under Book Now Pay Later Scheme and attractive volume based discounts.

            Over the past 25 years, Speed Post has steadily continued to grow in terms of volumes with monthly volumes exceeding 2.5 crore articles in 2011-12. The Department of Posts set-up a Business Development Directorate in 1996 which was re-organized as Business Development & Marketing Directorate in 2005, to provide impetus to business activitie4s concerning Speed Post and a number of other business products.

            The last 25 years have been a journey of success for Speed Post with economical rates, safety and reliability as the hallmarks of the service.

BK/AT

(Release ID :83256)(PIB)

TWO DAY CONFERENCE OF HEADS OF POSTAL CIRCLES BEGINS 

            Shri Kapil Sibal, Union Minister for Communications and Information Technology(C&IT) has said that India Post is in an enviable position due to its reach and has the potential to transform rural economy and life. Shri Sibal said this while inaugurating the two day annual conference of Heads of Circle of the Department of Posts.

            During the 2-day event, discussions will focus around the challenges being faced by India Post in the 21sth Century. India Post is faced with the twin challenges of induction of various modes of technology in communication and also the proliferation of couriers on the other.

            The organization has geared itself to assimilate technology in its operations in a big way. It has also embarked upon the path of providing quality postal services to its customers. The Speed Post is already a brand to reckon with. Other initiatives like introduction of Core Banking Solutions in the Post Office Savings Bank, expansion of Postal Life Insurance and streamlining of the parcel service area also on the anvil. Apart from this, India Post is preparing itself to have a vast technological network to connect all the rural Post Offices. The organization hopes to be a reliable partner for various Government Departments for delivery of their services in the villages where no other network has the kind of reach which India Post has got.

            Training of the Postal Staff to adapt itself to the use of technology in a big way is also a major challenge. Plans are being worked out by India Post to provide adequate training to all its personnel in use of technology. This is going to be the thrust area in the next couple of years.

            India Post has a vast network of 1,54,866 post offices in the country. It handles over six billion articles of mail every year with the help of nearly half a million employees. India Post also runs Post Offices Savings Bank (POSB). Apart from offering various saving scheme, to the common man, POSB also disburses Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme ( MGNREGS) wages. It has 5.4 crore accounts which disbursed Rs. 7430 crore as MGNREGS wages during 2011-12.

BK/AT

(Release ID :83258) (PIB)