Metamorphosis of the Indian Post
Bright new blue uniforms in place of the old khaki (designed with the help of the National Institute of Fashion Technology – NIFT), eposts to tackle the onslaught of emails and an elaborate plan to transform the dull and vacant looking post offices into swanky shopping area. Indian post offices are all set for a face-lift.
More than a century and a half old, the Indian postal department, identified by red post boxes and dilapidated post office buildings, is seriously contemplating various options to counter the competition offered by a large network of courier services, STD Phone booths and the latest blitzkreig of the mobile phones and the new lingua franca called the SMS. All these modern modes are redefining personal and commercial communication which has got the postal department a deficit of around 1300 crores.
According to Vijay Bushan Secretary and Director general Post and Telegraph, “We are aware of the new market forces and are open to new add-ons to make post offices the jazzy haunts of shoppers. Those post offices, which, have huge space will be available to anybody who wants to set up shop here. From gift items, stationary, designer outfits, jewellery, mobile phones and even groceries to a café on the compound. Except for a music shop, everybody is welcome.”
Besides, some of the old post and telegraph buildings have already been identified as heritage buildings with intensive restoration and development work being done inside.
“India post has introduced the internet based epost that allows you to send an email from your PC to any of the postal addresses in India. The sent email is printed in the epost center and then sent to the postal address in an envelope. Besides, any written message can be scanned and then sent as an email to any postal address in India,” says Bhushan. The charge for epost is Rs 10 for an A4 size message. New services in the offing are card based payment solutions (prepaid cards, debit cards) in association with Master Card International and full-fledged money changing.
Soon automatic teller machines will be installed at the post offices not only to provide cash but stamps as well. Around 276,200 personnel will be trained in the next three years to improve customer relations too. With such intensive corporate and developmental changes in the offing it does look like the Indian post offices are gearing to up revenue and undergo an image makeover.
‘Dak khane ki memsaab’
The 150th anniversary of the Indian Posts coincides with the centennary of Mary Rebeiro, better known as the Dak Khane Ki Memsaab. Possibly the first woman postmistress of independent India, she was in charge of the Mori Gate, Kashmere Gate and Maidens post offices during the traumatic post-partition days. Rubbing shoulders in herpost office were Nirad C Choudhuri and Saadat Hassan Manto. She played a big role in encouraging people to open post office accounts.
