Lok Sabha Question No. 3414 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-22
Subject: Army Postal Service
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: SUMEDHANAND SARASWATI, JANARDAN MISHRA, RODMAL NAGAR, OM PRAKASH YADAV

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF POSTS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.3414 TO BE ANSWERED ON 22 ND   MARCH, 2017

## ARMY POSTAL SERVICE

†3414. SHRI SUMEDHANAND SARSWATI: SHRI JANARDAN MISHRA: SHRI NAGAR RODMAL: SHRI OM PRAKASH YADAV:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) the names of various facilities provided by the Army Postal Service Core;

- (b) the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  for  making  the  said  facilities  more effective;

- (c) the names of various service postal service locations where the said facilities are available, State/UT-wise;

- (d) whether the Government has launched any portal to make the Army Postal Service Core more convenient; and

- (e) if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  to make this service accessible to the rural areas and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) I. The following services of the Department of Posts (DoP) are provided mutatis mutandis by the Army Postal Service Core:
- (i) Mails  Services  to  defence  personnel  and  their  families  (i.e.  Speed  Post, Registered letter, Registered Parcel, Insured letter, Insured Parcel).
- (ii) Financial Services :-Post Office Savings Bank and Savings Certificates (i.e. Saving Bank, Recurring Deposit, Monthly Income Scheme, Public Provident Fund, Senior Citizen Savings Scheme, Sukanya Samriddhi Accounts, Kisan Vikas Patra, & National Savings Certificate and other banking facilities of Post Offices).
- (iii) Philately.
- (iv) Postal Life Insurance.
- II. In addition to above, the following services are provided by Army Postal Service to Armed Forces with the approval of DoP:
- (i) Debit Army Post Logistics
- (ii) Debit Army e-Post
- (iii) News Paper & periodicals
- (iv) Registered/ Unregistered Schedule Despatch Service

- (v) Electronic Savings Bank Money Order(Commission Free Money Orders)
- (vi) Field Postal Orders (FPOs)
- (b) The following steps have been taken to make the facilities more effective:-
- (i) Approval  of  Ministry  of  Defence  has  already  been  accorded  for  inclusion  of Army Postal Service Corps into 'IT Modernization Project' of Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications vide their letter No PC to MF  92301/APS-8/R-365/214/D(Mov) dated 27 th January, 2016.
- (ii) On introduction of above services, Army Postal Service will be in a position to provide real time on line banking/Postal Life Insurance services along with provision of ATM facilities to troops and formations.
- (iii) In  addition,  the Army Postal Service is extending the benefits of Government schemes & facilities through its Field Post Offices which also includes Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana aimed at empowering the girl child.
- (c) The services are being provided through 474 X Field Post Offices across the country where Army Units are located. Due to security reasons, the locations cannot be divulged.
- (d) Yes, Madam. There are two portals launched by Army Postal Service. Army Postal Service  web  page  is  available  through  Internet  i.e. www.indianarmy.nic.in and  through Army Intranet.
- (e) To create more awareness about the services available through Field Post Offices, standees,  information  kiosks  have  also  been  installed  at  prominent  places  at  Army  HQ, Command HQ, Corps HQ and Division HQ. The APS is not serving rural areas as that is not part of its mandate

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