Lok Sabha Question No. 2302 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-08-01
Subject: Post Offices
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: JAYSHREEBEN  PATEL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF POSTS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2302 TO BE ANSWERED ON 1 ST  AUGUST, 2018

## POST OFFICES

†2302. SHRIMATI JAYSHREEBEN PATEL:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of post offices in the country in villages and cities separately;
- (b) the number of new post offices opened at villages, tehsils and at district level during each of the last three years;
- (c) the budget allocated for this purpose during the said period;
- (d) the population required for a post office facility as per the International norms along with the ranking of the country in this regard;
- (e) the details of various types of public facilities available in the post offices; and
- (f) the number of post offices digitised in the country, State/UT-wise?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS & MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF RAILWAYS (SHRI MANOJ SINHA)

- (a) Madam, the number of Post offices in the country State and UT-wise in villages and cities separately, is at Annexure-I.
- (b) The number of new Post offices opened at villages, tehsils and at district level under the Scheme 'Rural Business & Access to Postal Network' during the years 2015-16, 201617 and 2017-18 is at Annexure-II.
- (c) the budget allocated for these post offices during the said period is at Annexure-III.
- (d) The  Government  is  not  aware  of  any  established  international  norms  on  the population requirement for opening a post office.
- (e) An indicative list  of  various  types  of  public  facilities  (products/services)  available  in the post offices are at Annexure IV.
- (f) 66,526  Branch  Post  Offices  and    25,585  departmental  post  offices  have  been digitized/  computerized  in  the  country  as  on  18.07.2018.  The  details  of  the  same  are  at Annexure-V and Annexure-VI respectively.

## Annexure-I

| State/UT-wise Number of Post Offices in villages (Rural) and cities (Urban) areas of the   | State/UT-wise Number of Post Offices in villages (Rural) and cities (Urban) areas of the   | State/UT-wise Number of Post Offices in villages (Rural) and cities (Urban) areas of the   | State/UT-wise Number of Post Offices in villages (Rural) and cities (Urban) areas of the   | State/UT-wise Number of Post Offices in villages (Rural) and cities (Urban) areas of the   |
|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| S.No.                                                                                      | Name of the States/UTs                                                                     | No. of Post Offices in villages (Rural) Areas                                              | No. of Post Offices in cities (Urban) Areas                                                | Total No of Post Offices                                                                   |
| 1                                                                                          | Andhra Pradesh                                                                             | 9707                                                                                       | 783                                                                                        | 10490                                                                                      |
| 2                                                                                          | Assam                                                                                      | 3631                                                                                       | 381                                                                                        | 4012                                                                                       |
| 3                                                                                          | Bihar                                                                                      | 8625                                                                                       | 459                                                                                        | 9084                                                                                       |
| 4                                                                                          | Chhattisgarh                                                                               | 2898                                                                                       | 289                                                                                        | 3187                                                                                       |
| 5                                                                                          | Delhi (NCT)                                                                                | 83                                                                                         | 471                                                                                        | 554                                                                                        |
| 6                                                                                          | Gujarat                                                                                    | 8116                                                                                       | 776                                                                                        | 8892                                                                                       |
| 7                                                                                          | Dadra & Nagar Haveli                                                                       | 37                                                                                         | 1                                                                                          | 38                                                                                         |
| 8                                                                                          | Daman & Diu                                                                                | 14                                                                                         | 4                                                                                          | 18                                                                                         |
| 9                                                                                          | Haryana                                                                                    | 2318                                                                                       | 375                                                                                        | 2693                                                                                       |
| 10                                                                                         | Himachal Pradesh                                                                           | 2661                                                                                       | 131                                                                                        | 2792                                                                                       |
| 11                                                                                         | Jammu & Kashmir                                                                            | 1508                                                                                       | 191                                                                                        | 1699                                                                                       |
| 12                                                                                         | Jharkhand                                                                                  | 3190                                                                                       | 270                                                                                        | 3460                                                                                       |
| 13                                                                                         | Karnataka                                                                                  | 8624                                                                                       | 1039                                                                                       | 9663                                                                                       |
| 14                                                                                         | Kerala                                                                                     | 4177                                                                                       | 877                                                                                        | 5054                                                                                       |
| 15                                                                                         | Lakshadweep                                                                                | 4                                                                                          | 6                                                                                          | 10                                                                                         |
| 16                                                                                         | Madhya Pradesh                                                                             | 7473                                                                                       | 807                                                                                        | 8280                                                                                       |
| 17                                                                                         | Maharashtra                                                                                | 11381                                                                                      | 1233                                                                                       | 12614                                                                                      |
| 18                                                                                         | Goa                                                                                        | 203                                                                                        | 53                                                                                         | 256                                                                                        |
| 19                                                                                         | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                          | 273                                                                                        | 29                                                                                         | 302                                                                                        |
| 20                                                                                         | Manipur                                                                                    | 644                                                                                        | 57                                                                                         | 701                                                                                        |
| 21                                                                                         | Meghalaya                                                                                  | 465                                                                                        | 26                                                                                         | 491                                                                                        |
| 22                                                                                         | Mizoram                                                                                    | 349                                                                                        | 35                                                                                         | 384                                                                                        |
| 23                                                                                         | Nagaland                                                                                   | 302                                                                                        | 28                                                                                         | 330                                                                                        |
| 24                                                                                         | Tripura                                                                                    | 633                                                                                        | 78                                                                                         | 711                                                                                        |
| 25                                                                                         | Odisha                                                                                     | 7615                                                                                       | 600                                                                                        | 8215                                                                                       |
| 26                                                                                         | Punjab                                                                                     | 3408                                                                                       | 411                                                                                        | 3819                                                                                       |
| 27                                                                                         | Chandigarh                                                                                 | 9                                                                                          | 42                                                                                         | 51                                                                                         |
| 28                                                                                         | Rajasthan                                                                                  | 9679                                                                                       | 632                                                                                        | 10311                                                                                      |
| 29                                                                                         | Tamil Nadu                                                                                 | 10226                                                                                      | 1817                                                                                       | 12043                                                                                      |
| 30                                                                                         | Puducherry                                                                                 | 57                                                                                         | 38                                                                                         | 95                                                                                         |
| 31                                                                                         | Telangana                                                                                  | 5280                                                                                       | 531                                                                                        | 5811                                                                                       |
| 32                                                                                         | Uttarakhand                                                                                | 2513                                                                                       | 210                                                                                        | 2723                                                                                       |
| 33                                                                                         | Uttar Pradesh                                                                              | 15747                                                                                      | 1924                                                                                       | 17671                                                                                      |
| 34                                                                                         | West Bengal                                                                                | 7658                                                                                       | 1110                                                                                       | 8768                                                                                       |
| 35                                                                                         | Andaman & Nicobar Islands                                                                  | 85                                                                                         | 15                                                                                         | 100                                                                                        |
| 36                                                                                         | Sikkim                                                                                     | 197                                                                                        | 12                                                                                         | 209                                                                                        |

## Annexure-II

| Number of new Post Offices opened at villages, tehsils and district level under the Scheme 'Rural Business & Access to Postal Network' during the last three years   | Number of new Post Offices opened at villages, tehsils and district level under the Scheme 'Rural Business & Access to Postal Network' during the last three years   | Number of new Post Offices opened at villages, tehsils and district level under the Scheme 'Rural Business & Access to Postal Network' during the last three years   | Number of new Post Offices opened at villages, tehsils and district level under the Scheme 'Rural Business & Access to Postal Network' during the last three years   | Number of new Post Offices opened at villages, tehsils and district level under the Scheme 'Rural Business & Access to Postal Network' during the last three years   |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl. No.                                                                                                                                                              | Name of Postal Circle                                                                                                                                                | Number of Branch Post Offices (BOs) and Sub Post Offices (SOs) opened at villages tehsils and district level during 2015-16                                          | Number of Branch Post Offices (BOs) and Sub Post Offices (SOs) opened a villages tehsils and district level during 2016-17                                           | Number of Branch Post Offices (BOs) and Sub Post Offices (SOs) opened at villages tehsils and district level during 2017-18                                          |
| 1                                                                                                                                                                    | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                                                                                       | 6                                                                                                                                                                    | 8                                                                                                                                                                    | 15                                                                                                                                                                   |
| 2                                                                                                                                                                    | Assam                                                                                                                                                                | 7                                                                                                                                                                    | 0                                                                                                                                                                    | 3                                                                                                                                                                    |
| 3                                                                                                                                                                    | Bihar                                                                                                                                                                | 16                                                                                                                                                                   | 9                                                                                                                                                                    | 10                                                                                                                                                                   |
| Chhattisgarh                                                                                                                                                         | 13                                                                                                                                                                   |                                                                                                                                                                      | 9                                                                                                                                                                    | 4 27                                                                                                                                                                 |
| Delhi                                                                                                                                                                | 4                                                                                                                                                                    |                                                                                                                                                                      | 2                                                                                                                                                                    | 5 1                                                                                                                                                                  |
| Gujarat                                                                                                                                                              | 6                                                                                                                                                                    |                                                                                                                                                                      | 6                                                                                                                                                                    | 6 28                                                                                                                                                                 |
| Haryana                                                                                                                                                              | 10                                                                                                                                                                   |                                                                                                                                                                      | 8                                                                                                                                                                    | 7 7                                                                                                                                                                  |
| Himachal Pradesh                                                                                                                                                     | 3                                                                                                                                                                    |                                                                                                                                                                      | 3                                                                                                                                                                    | 8 6                                                                                                                                                                  |
| Jammu & Kashmir                                                                                                                                                      | 3                                                                                                                                                                    |                                                                                                                                                                      | 2                                                                                                                                                                    | 9 2                                                                                                                                                                  |
| Jharkhand                                                                                                                                                            | 10                                                                                                                                                                   |                                                                                                                                                                      | 11                                                                                                                                                                   | 10 28                                                                                                                                                                |
| Karnataka                                                                                                                                                            | 5                                                                                                                                                                    |                                                                                                                                                                      | 9                                                                                                                                                                    | 11 7                                                                                                                                                                 |
| Kerala                                                                                                                                                               | 4                                                                                                                                                                    | 2                                                                                                                                                                    |                                                                                                                                                                      | 12 1                                                                                                                                                                 |
| Madhya Pradesh                                                                                                                                                       | 6                                                                                                                                                                    |                                                                                                                                                                      | 8                                                                                                                                                                    | 13 11                                                                                                                                                                |
|                                                                                                                                                                      | Maharashtra                                                                                                                                                          | 10                                                                                                                                                                   | 10                                                                                                                                                                   | 14 21                                                                                                                                                                |
| North East                                                                                                                                                           |                                                                                                                                                                      | 14                                                                                                                                                                   | 8                                                                                                                                                                    | 15 2                                                                                                                                                                 |
| Orissa                                                                                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                      | 10                                                                                                                                                                   | 11                                                                                                                                                                   | 16 13                                                                                                                                                                |
| Punjab                                                                                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                      | 2                                                                                                                                                                    | 7                                                                                                                                                                    | 17 9                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 18                                                                                                                                                                   | Rajasthan                                                                                                                                                            | 10                                                                                                                                                                   | 7                                                                                                                                                                    | 16                                                                                                                                                                   |
| 19 Tamil                                                                                                                                                             | Nadu                                                                                                                                                                 | 12                                                                                                                                                                   | 8                                                                                                                                                                    | 9                                                                                                                                                                    |
| 20 Telangana                                                                                                                                                         |                                                                                                                                                                      | 4                                                                                                                                                                    | 5                                                                                                                                                                    | 14                                                                                                                                                                   |
| 21                                                                                                                                                                   | Uttarakhand                                                                                                                                                          | 4                                                                                                                                                                    | 4                                                                                                                                                                    | 5                                                                                                                                                                    |
| 22                                                                                                                                                                   | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                                                                                        | 6                                                                                                                                                                    | 11                                                                                                                                                                   | 16                                                                                                                                                                   |
| 23                                                                                                                                                                   | West Bengal                                                                                                                                                          | 3                                                                                                                                                                    | 5                                                                                                                                                                    | 9                                                                                                                                                                    |
| Total                                                                                                                                                                | Total                                                                                                                                                                | 168                                                                                                                                                                  | 153                                                                                                                                                                  | 260                                                                                                                                                                  |

The budget allocated for opening of Branch Post Offices (BOs) and Sub Post Offices (SOs) during the last three financial years i.e 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18:

| Sub Scheme                                |   Budget allocated during 2015-16 (Rs in Crores) |   Budget allocated during 2016-17 (Rs in Crores) |   Budget allocated during 2017-18 (Rs in Crores) |
|-------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|
| Rural Business & Access to Postal Network |                                            1.619 |                                            1.002 |                                             3.16 |

## AN INDICATIVE LIST OF VARIOUS FACILITIES (PRODUCTS/SERVICES) AVAILABLE IN POST OFFICES

## 1.         Traditional Mail:

-  Post card
-  Inland letter card
-  Book post
-  Envelopes
-  Business Reply Service
-  Parcels.
-  Add on features -  Registration, cash on delivery, VPP & Insurance

## 2.         Premium Products:

-  Speed Post
-  Business Post
-  Express Parcel Post
-  Logistic Post

## 3.         E-enabled services:

-  e-Post
-  E-Bill Post

## 4.         Money Transfer:

-  Electronic Money Order (eMO)
-  Instant Money Order (iMO)
-  International Money Transfer

## 5.         Financial Services:

-  Post Office Savings Bank Accounts - on CBS Platform - Saving Bank, Recurring  Deposit,  Time  Deposit,  Monthly  Income  Scheme,  Senior  Citizen Savings Scheme, PPF, NSC, KVP, Sukanya Samriddhi yojana.
-  ATM Cards.

## 6.         Life Insurance:

-  Postal Life Insurance - for urban /semi urban areas
-  Rural Postal Life Insurance - for rural areas

## 7.         Retail Services:

-  Bill collection.
-  Data collection / Survey
-  Forms of Universities, etc.
-  Payment  of  wages  to  beneficiaries  of  MGNREGS,  Payment  of  Social Security Pension, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana yojana etc.
-  Booking of Railway Tickets (service available in selected post offices)
-  Post office Passport Seva (service available in selected post offices)
-  Aadhaar Enrolment and Updation(service available in selected post offices)
-  Employment Registration (available in Head Post Offices)

## Annexure-V

| State/UT-wise number of Branch Post Offices rolled out under Digital Advancement of Rural Post offices for a New India (DARPAN) as on 18.07.2018   | State/UT-wise number of Branch Post Offices rolled out under Digital Advancement of Rural Post offices for a New India (DARPAN) as on 18.07.2018   | State/UT-wise number of Branch Post Offices rolled out under Digital Advancement of Rural Post offices for a New India (DARPAN) as on 18.07.2018   | State/UT-wise number of Branch Post Offices rolled out under Digital Advancement of Rural Post offices for a New India (DARPAN) as on 18.07.2018   |
|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl. No.                                                                                                                                            | States/UTs                                                                                                                                         | No. of Branch Offices Rolled out                                                                                                                   | Post                                                                                                                                               |
| 1                                                                                                                                                  | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                                                                     | 2,229                                                                                                                                              |                                                                                                                                                    |
| 2                                                                                                                                                  | Arunachal Pradesh                                                                                                                                  | 21                                                                                                                                                 |                                                                                                                                                    |
| 3                                                                                                                                                  | Assam                                                                                                                                              | 3,266                                                                                                                                              |                                                                                                                                                    |
| 4                                                                                                                                                  | Bihar                                                                                                                                              | 2,944                                                                                                                                              |                                                                                                                                                    |
| 5                                                                                                                                                  | Chhattisgarh                                                                                                                                       | 1,940                                                                                                                                              |                                                                                                                                                    |
| 6                                                                                                                                                  | Goa                                                                                                                                                | 138                                                                                                                                                |                                                                                                                                                    |
| 7                                                                                                                                                  | Gujarat (including UTs of Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli)                                                                                    | 6,969                                                                                                                                              |                                                                                                                                                    |
| 8                                                                                                                                                  | Jharkhand                                                                                                                                          | 2,618                                                                                                                                              |                                                                                                                                                    |
| 9                                                                                                                                                  | Haryana                                                                                                                                            | 2,122                                                                                                                                              |                                                                                                                                                    |
| 10                                                                                                                                                 | Himachal Pradesh                                                                                                                                   | 1,866                                                                                                                                              |                                                                                                                                                    |
| 11                                                                                                                                                 | Jammu & Kashmir                                                                                                                                    | 1,232                                                                                                                                              |                                                                                                                                                    |
| 12                                                                                                                                                 | Kerala (including UT of Lakshadweep)                                                                                                               | 3,495                                                                                                                                              |                                                                                                                                                    |
| 13                                                                                                                                                 | Karnataka                                                                                                                                          | 3,105                                                                                                                                              |                                                                                                                                                    |
| 14                                                                                                                                                 | Nagaland                                                                                                                                           | 230                                                                                                                                                |                                                                                                                                                    |
| 15                                                                                                                                                 | Meghalaya                                                                                                                                          | 274                                                                                                                                                |                                                                                                                                                    |
| 16                                                                                                                                                 | Maharashtra                                                                                                                                        | 3,299                                                                                                                                              |                                                                                                                                                    |
| 17                                                                                                                                                 | Manipur                                                                                                                                            | 388                                                                                                                                                |                                                                                                                                                    |
| 18                                                                                                                                                 | Madhya Pradesh                                                                                                                                     | 6,301                                                                                                                                              |                                                                                                                                                    |
| 19                                                                                                                                                 | Mizoram                                                                                                                                            | 224                                                                                                                                                |                                                                                                                                                    |
| 20                                                                                                                                                 | Orissa                                                                                                                                             | 2,609                                                                                                                                              |                                                                                                                                                    |
| 21                                                                                                                                                 | Punjab (including UT of Chandigarh)                                                                                                                | 3,057                                                                                                                                              |                                                                                                                                                    |
| 22                                                                                                                                                 | Rajasthan                                                                                                                                          | 6,224                                                                                                                                              |                                                                                                                                                    |
| 23                                                                                                                                                 | Sikkim                                                                                                                                             | 0                                                                                                                                                  |                                                                                                                                                    |
| 24                                                                                                                                                 | Tamil Nadu(including UT of Puducherry)                                                                                                             | 0                                                                                                                                                  |                                                                                                                                                    |
| 25                                                                                                                                                 | Tripura                                                                                                                                            | 592                                                                                                                                                |                                                                                                                                                    |
| 26                                                                                                                                                 | Telangana                                                                                                                                          | 2,883                                                                                                                                              |                                                                                                                                                    |
| 27                                                                                                                                                 | Uttarakhand                                                                                                                                        | 619                                                                                                                                                |                                                                                                                                                    |
| 28                                                                                                                                                 | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                                                                      | 7,143                                                                                                                                              |                                                                                                                                                    |
| 29                                                                                                                                                 | West Bengal (including UT of Andaman & Nicobar Islands)                                                                                            | 650                                                                                                                                                |                                                                                                                                                    |
| 30                                                                                                                                                 | Delhi NCT                                                                                                                                          | 88                                                                                                                                                 |                                                                                                                                                    |
|                                                                                                                                                    | Total                                                                                                                                              | 66,526                                                                                                                                             |                                                                                                                                                    |

## Postal Circle-wise number of Departmental Post Offices Computerized as on 18.07.2018

| Sl.No.   | States / UTs (Circle)                                                                                   | No. of Post Offices Computerized   |
|----------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh                                                                                          | 1,594                              |
| 2        | Assam                                                                                                   | 625                                |
| 3        | Bihar                                                                                                   | 1,058                              |
| 4        | Chhattisgarh                                                                                            | 349                                |
| 5        | Delhi NCT                                                                                               | 407                                |
| 6        | Gujarat(including UTs of Dadra & Nagar Haveli& Daman Diu)                                               | 1,341                              |
| 7        | Haryana                                                                                                 | 504                                |
| 8        | Himachal Pradesh                                                                                        | 469                                |
| 9        | Jammu & Kashmir                                                                                         | 266                                |
| 10       | Jharkhand                                                                                               | 463                                |
| 11       | Karnataka                                                                                               | 1,717                              |
| 12       | Kerala (including UT of Lakshadweep)                                                                    | 1,507                              |
| 13       | Madhya Pradesh                                                                                          | 1021                               |
| 14       | Maharashtra (Including Goa State)                                                                       | 2,216                              |
| 15       | North East Region (including Meghalaya, Manipur, Tripura, Nagaland, Mizoram & Arunachal Pradesh States) | 340                                |
| 16       | Odisha                                                                                                  | 1,204                              |
| 17       | Punjab (including UT of Chandigarh)                                                                     | 768                                |
| 18       | Rajasthan                                                                                               | 1,335                              |
| 19       | Tamil Nadu (including UT of Puducherry)                                                                 | 2,834                              |
| 20       | Telangana                                                                                               | 852                                |
| 21       | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                           | 2,554                              |
| 22       | Uttarakhand                                                                                             | 393                                |
| 23       | West Bengal (including UT of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Sikkim State)                                | 1,768                              |
|          | Total                                                                                                   | 25,585                             |

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