94 p.c. Indian post offices now computerized

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Over 90 per cent of departmental post offices across the country have been computerized, according to official data.

"As of now, 24,015 (94 per cent) departmental post offices out of 25,538 have been supplied with computer hardware," Minister of State for Communications and IT Sachin Pilot said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha Friday.

The government plans to computerize the remaining departmental post offices along with branch post offices under the IT Modernisation Project, to be completed by 2012-13.

Replying to another question in the upper house, Pilot said that during the last three financial years, the Department of Post has been running in deficit, but denied that there is any plan to privatize the postal services.

Last month, the minister had said that there is decrease in sale of post-cards and inland letters due to induction of new technology in the field of personal communication.