DoP takes the next leap forward

Pragati Simlote

NEW DELHI: The Department of Posts (DoP) is planning to computerize 10,000 of its 26,000 departmental post offices by March 31, 2006.

Currently, around 20 percent of the post offices are computerized. According to Department of Posts member (operations & marketing) Postal Service Board Dr. U Srinivasa Raghavan, the department aims to computerize all its 26,000 post offices by the end of the current five-year plan if the Planning Commission releases the required resources.

He added that out of DoP's 5.5-lakh employees, 80,000 have already been trained in computers. Dr. Raghavan was speaking at the e-Business Summit 2005 "Taking the Next Leap" organized by the CII.

He said that with Indian e-commerce estimated to be in the region of $10 billion in the next decade, DoP is deeply committed to make use of this immense opportunity. "We are targeting the urban young population with considerable disposable income who do not have credit cards."

Dr. Raghavan claimed that DoP is the largest deposit-taking bank in the country and has around 18 lakh accounts resulting in deposits far greater than that of State Bank of India," he said. He added that DoP is planning to connect all its branches through central server technology to provide anywhere, anytime banking to its depositors.

Adding that the postal department is heavily using IT to optimize its processes, Dr. Raghavan said that the department is setting up a data center, which is expected to be set up by NIC in Delhi. The department also has four software centers, which develop software for internal usage.