Direct Post service launched in India
The Department of Posts received nearly 12,000 articles on the day of the launch of Direct Post service in the district on Monday, to be delivered to the public. A bulk of them was from the Life Insurance Corporation of India, Unit Trust of India and Oriental Insurance Company.
Exuding confidence that the Direct Post would facilitate the department to improve its revenue, the Director of Postal Service, Southern Region, K. Balasubramanian, said this new service would improve the mail service of the department, which was losing ground since the rapid advancement of Information Technology, the wide use of telephone and web services.
Launching the Direct Post service at a function here, he said the new service would ensure prompt delivery by a dedicated team of delivery staff (postmen) to the targeted group. The delivery staff would be paid a nominal incentive per card / letter delivered.
The department had identified 20 post offices, including the Head Post Offices in Madurai district to implement the Direct Post, which hinged upon delivering the unaddressed component of direct mail.
It would comprise unaddressed postal articles such as letters, cards, brochures, pamphlets, samples, promotional items, like compact discs, floppies and cassettes, coupons, posters, mailers or any other form of printed matter that is not prohibited by the Indian Post Office Act of 1898 or Indian Post Office Rules of 1933.
The manufacturers of instruments, financial institutions, training centres, educational institutions, departmental stores, jewellery, textiles shops, etc. could utilise this service to enhance their sales through a mass promotional campaign.
The Department of Posts offered this service at a low rate of Rs. 1. 50 for local delivery and Rs. 2 for anywhere in India.
A minimum of 1000 articles would be accepted at a time and up to five per cent discount provided for mailings of over 50,000 articles and the articles should not exceed the size of an A3 size paper.
The articles posted under Direct Post would not bear address or name but would be accepted in bulk at designated post offices.
They would not be posted in letterboxes.
The Senior Administrator of Life Insurance Corporation of India, Razia Sultana, handed over a bunch of articles to be delivered under Direct Post, to Mr. Balasubramanian on the occasion.
Kumar, Senior Manager, UTI, Murali, Assistant Administrative Officer, OIC, and Ms. Razia Sultana, offered felicitations.
The Senior Superintendent of Post Offices, V. V. Venkatasami, and the Senior Post Master, P. L. Raghunathan, spoke.
