Lok Sabha Question No. 996 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-02-08
Subject: Modernisation of Post Offices
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: SIRAJUDDIN AJMAL

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF POSTS

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.996 TO BE ANSWERED ON 8 TH  FEBRUARY, 2017

## MODERNISATION OF POST OFFICES

996.   SHRI SIRAJUDDIN AJMAL:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) the status of modernization, upgradation of the Post Offices particularly in rural areas;
- (b) the total investment made in the project during the last two years and the current year, year-wise and State/UTs-wise;
- (c) the time by which the modernisation/upgradation of all the Post Offices is likely to be completed including in Assam; and
- (d) the  new  scope  of  activities  assigned  to  the  Post  Offices  under  the  modernization process?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) & (b) Madam, the current status of modernization, upgradation of the Post Offices particularly in rural  areas  under  Information  Technology  (IT)  Modernization  project  of  Department  of  Posts  is  at Annexure A.

The  IT  Modernization  Project  of  Department  of  Posts  is  pan  India  programme  and implementation of this project is centrally monitored and the expenditure on account of this Project is made centrally. No expenditure is incurred State/UTs-wise. The expenditure incurred for the Project for the last two years and the current year till January-2017 is furnished below:-

| Year                      |   Expenditure ( In Crores of Rs) |
|---------------------------|----------------------------------|
| 2014-15                   |                            88.84 |
| 2015-16                   |                           307.19 |
| 2016-17 (Till January 17) |                           163.19 |

The look and feel of the Post offices is also being modernized and upgraded under 'Project Arrow' programme.  The number of post offices covered under the above project and funds spent thereon Postal Circle wise is at Annexure B & C.

An amount of Rs.42 Crore was also spent for procurement of Desktop Computers for supply to post offices in the year 2015-16 and Rs.82.49 Crores has been earmarked for supply of Computers and other hardware to post offices for the year 2016-17. Circle wise details of supply of hardware are at Annexure D.

Department of Posts is also implementing a Plan Scheme - 'Rural Business and Access to Postal  Network'  under  which  basic  infrastructure  equipments  like  table,  chair,  almirah,  signage boards  and  cash  chests  are  provided  to  rural  branch  post  offices  to  meet  the  basic  infrastructure requirements. Postal Circle wise details of funds made available are at Annexure E.

- (c) Implementation of the IT Modernization Project, including Assam, is likely to be completed by December-2017.
- (d) As  new scope of activities, the Department of Post has set up India Post Payments Bank as a Public  Limited  Company  with  100%  Government  equity  under  the  Department  of  Posts.  The Payments bank will leverage the physical and IT infrastructure of the Post office and will focus on lowcost, low-risk, technology based solutions to extend access to formal banking especially in rural, unbanked and under-banked areas.

The India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has launched two branches in Raipur and Ranchi on 30/01/2017 with limited banking services in partnership with Punjab National Bank.

|   Sl No . | Name of the segment & its scope                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Present position ( as on 31-1-17)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | Expected time lines for completion                                                       |
|-----------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|         1 | Change Management (CM): Preparing the workforce for the complete change in Departments' working after implementation of IT Project.                                                                                                                      | Training activities are in progress.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Completed                                                                                |
|         2 | Data Centre Facility ( DCF): Hosting Primary Data centre and building Disaster Recovery centre for the DoP                                                                                                                                               | Data Centre is operational from 3 rd April 2013 at Navi Mumbai. DRC has been powered on at Mysore on 15 th May, 2015.                                                                                                                                                                       | Completed                                                                                |
|         3 | Financial Services Integrator (FSI): Implementation of solutions for Core Banking and Core Insurance in all Post Offices. Providing multiple delivery channels- internet banking, mobile banking, ATM and Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and SMS etc.  | Core Banking Solution (CBS) in 23147 post offices and Core Insurance Solution (CIS - PLI) in 25406 post offices have been implemented. 970 ATMs have been installed at various locations.                                                                                                   | Roll out completed in all technically feasible Post offices having network availability. |
|         4 | Net work Integrator (NI): Providing connectivity for each departmental post office location in order to ensure uninterrupted network connectivity through one single WAN                                                                                 | 28259 locations have been net worked on a single Wide Area Net work (WAN).                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | Roll out is being completed in all technically feasible locations                        |
|         5 | Core System Integrator (CSI): Implementation of the solutions for Mail Operation, Retail, logistic Post, Philately, Finance and Accounts & Human Resources and integration with other SIs.                                                               | Implementation has started. Pilot roll out has been completed in Mysore Division of Karnataka Circle. Further roll out in Pune in Maharashtra circle has started on 23-1-17.                                                                                                                | Scheduled to be completed by December-17                                                 |
|         6 | Rural Hardware (RH): Providing connectivity, hardware & solar power panels to Branch Post Offices in rural areas. Rural System Integrator (RSI): Implementation of the solution for integrating all the FSI/CSI applications to the Branch Post Offices. | Dispatch of Rural Information & Communication Technology (RICT) Hand Held Devices has started. So far 20003 main computing devices have been dispatched to BOs. 8729 Rural Branch Post Offices have been rolled out.                                                                        | Roll out is taken up in phased manner. Likely to be completed by December-17             |
|         7 | Mail Operation Hardware (MOH): Providing hardware to Mail Offices and handheld devices to Postmen.                                                                                                                                                       | Procurement of Mail Operations Hardware is in progress. Supply of Desk top computers has been completed. Supply of UPS, weighing scale and Generator sets is in progress and in its final stage. Procurement of Tag Printers, Barcode Scanners and Postmen handheld devices is in progress. | Likely to be completed by March-17                                                       |

## Number of Post Offices covered under 'Look & Feel' state/UT wise under Project Arrow:

| Circle              |   In Rural Areas |   In Urban Areas |   Total Offices covered |
|---------------------|------------------|------------------|-------------------------|
| AP                  |               52 |               97 |                     149 |
| Assam               |               23 |               45 |                      68 |
| Bihar               |              119 |               58 |                     177 |
| Chhattisgarh        |                2 |               50 |                      52 |
| Delhi               |                0 |               98 |                      98 |
| Gujarat             |               34 |              135 |                     169 |
| HP                  |               13 |               44 |                      57 |
| Haryana             |                8 |               61 |                      69 |
| J&K                 |               01 |               46 |                      47 |
| Jharkhand           |               15 |               52 |                      67 |
| Karnataka           |              101 |               72 |                     173 |
| Kerala              |               53 |               89 |                     142 |
| MP                  |               15 |              205 |                     220 |
| Maharashtra         |               48 |              200 |                     248 |
| Odisha              |               57 |               93 |                     150 |
| Punjab              |               16 |               85 |                     101 |
| Rajasthan           |               75 |              180 |                     255 |
| Tamilnadu           |              109 |              183 |                     292 |
| UP                  |               50 |              195 |                     245 |
| Uttarakhand         |               12 |               49 |                      61 |
| W Bengal            |               41 |              126 |                     167 |
| Telangana           |               24 |               72 |                      96 |
| Daman & Diu         |                0 |                2 |                       2 |
| Pondicherry         |                3 |                4 |                       7 |
| Goa                 |                1 |                9 |                      10 |
| Chandigarh          |                0 |               12 |                      12 |
| Mizoram             |                8 |                7 |                      15 |
| Nagaland            |               16 |                5 |                      21 |
| Meghalaya           |               12 |               13 |                      25 |
| Arunachal Pradesh   |               10 |               12 |                      22 |
| Tripura             |               17 |               19 |                      36 |
| Manipur             |                8 |                9 |                      17 |
| Sikkim              |                1 |                1 |                       2 |
| Andaman and Nicobar |                0 |                1 |                       1 |
| Lakshadweep         |                1 |                0 |                       1 |
| Total               |              945 |             2329 |                    3274 |

| Circle               | Year    | Year    | Year                       |
|----------------------|---------|---------|----------------------------|
| Circle               | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 (as on 31.01.2017) |
| AP                   | 135.20  | 104.40  | 10.0                       |
| Assam                | 0       | 139.0   | 0                          |
| Bihar                | 226.23  | 318.85  | 0                          |
| Chhattisgarh         | 21.52   | 34.01   | 0                          |
| Delhi                | 20.38   | 35.08   | 12.19                      |
| Gujarat              | 235.03  | 237.50  | 8.42                       |
| HP                   | 41.52   | 46.40   | 2.36                       |
| Haryana              | 27.62   | 41.51   | 5.80                       |
| J&K                  | 11.05   | 28.63   | 0                          |
| Jharkhand            | 5.25    | 39.42   | 0                          |
| Karnataka            | 337     | 268.79  | 36.60                      |
| Kerala               | 38.17   | 218.93  | 25.170                     |
| MP                   | 197.27  | 180.30  | 11.05                      |
| Maharashtra          | 414.95  | 289     | 0                          |
| Odisha               | 245.79  | 173.35  | 0                          |
| Punjab               | 156.34  | 93.02   | 0                          |
| Rajasthan            | 268.22  | 173.38  | 24.40                      |
| Tamilnadu            | 322.48  | 150.24  | 12.20                      |
| UP                   | 334.70  | 271.97  | 0.84                       |
| Uttarakhand          | 0       | 28.66   | 0                          |
| W Bengal             | 105.31  | 172.71  | 19.80                      |
| Telangana            | 86.92   | 69.60   | 0                          |
| Daman & Diu          | 0       | 0       | 0                          |
| Pondicherry          | 0       | 0       | 0                          |
| Goa                  | 0       | 0       | 0                          |
| Chandigarh           | 39.1    | 23.25   | 2.6                        |
| Mizoram              | 0       | 5.01    | 0                          |
| Nagaland             | 0       | 10.34   | 17.23                      |
| Meghalaya            | 0       | 28.34   | 3.76                       |
| Arunachal Pradesh    | 0       | 37.80   | 8.38                       |
| Tripura              | 0       | 45.66   | 0                          |
| Manipur              | 0       | 32.55   | 0                          |
| Sikkim               | 0       | 0       | 0                          |
| Anadaman and Nicobar | 0       | 0       | 0                          |
| Lakshadweep          | 0       | 0       | 0                          |
| Total                | 3270.05 | 3297.7  | 200.8                      |

## The break-up showing supply of hardware during 2015-16 is as follows:

| Sl No .   | Name of the Circle                   |   No. of Computers supplied from Non- Plan funds | No. of computers procured by Circles under Project Arrow Plan funds   |   Total |
|-----------|--------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|---------|
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh (including Telangana) |                                              525 | 137                                                                   |     662 |
| 2         | Assam                                |                                              168 | 208                                                                   |     376 |
| 3         | Bihar                                |                                              248 | 129                                                                   |     377 |
| 4         | Chattisgarh                          |                                               85 | ---                                                                   |      85 |
| 5         | Delhi                                |                                              218 | ---                                                                   |     218 |
| 6         | Gujarat                              |                                              504 | ---                                                                   |     504 |
| 7         | Haryana                              |                                              163 | 73                                                                    |     236 |
| 8         | Himachal Pradesh                     |                                              143 | ---                                                                   |     143 |
| 9         | Jammu & Kashmir                      |                                               67 | ---                                                                   |      67 |
| 10        | Jharkhand                            |                                              147 | ---                                                                   |     147 |
| 11        | Karnataka                            |                                              560 | ---                                                                   |     560 |
| 12        | Kerala                               |                                              526 | ---                                                                   |     526 |
| 13        | Madhya Pradesh                       |                                              275 | ---                                                                   |     275 |
| 14        | Maharashtra                          |                                              843 | 137                                                                   |     980 |
| 15        | North East                           |                                               93 | 555                                                                   |     648 |
| 16        | Odisha                               |                                              262 | ----                                                                  |     262 |
| 17        | Punjab                               |                                              279 | ----                                                                  |     279 |
| 18        | Rajasthan                            |                                              295 | ----                                                                  |     295 |
| 19        | Tamilnadu                            |                                              893 | ---                                                                   |     893 |
| 20        | Uttar Pradesh                        |                                              598 | 137                                                                   |     735 |
| 21        | Uttarakhand                          |                                              139 | ---                                                                   |     139 |
| 22        | West Bengal                          |                                              205 | 62                                                                    |     267 |
|           | TOTAL                                |                                             7236 | 1438                                                                  |    8674 |

|                             | 2016-17                           | 2016-17                           |
|-----------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
|                             | Laser Printers (Already supplied) | Pass Book Printers (Under supply) |
| All Circles including Assam | 13500                             | 17000                             |
| Assam Circle                | 222                               | 298                               |

## ANNEXURE - E

| Postal Circle-wise Plan Funds allocated for infrastructure equipments, signages and cash chests to rural Branch Post Offices(BOs) under the Plan Scheme - "Rural Business & Access to Postal Network" during last two financial years   | Postal Circle-wise Plan Funds allocated for infrastructure equipments, signages and cash chests to rural Branch Post Offices(BOs) under the Plan Scheme - "Rural Business & Access to Postal Network" during last two financial years   | Postal Circle-wise Plan Funds allocated for infrastructure equipments, signages and cash chests to rural Branch Post Offices(BOs) under the Plan Scheme - "Rural Business & Access to Postal Network" during last two financial years   | Postal Circle-wise Plan Funds allocated for infrastructure equipments, signages and cash chests to rural Branch Post Offices(BOs) under the Plan Scheme - "Rural Business & Access to Postal Network" during last two financial years   | Postal Circle-wise Plan Funds allocated for infrastructure equipments, signages and cash chests to rural Branch Post Offices(BOs) under the Plan Scheme - "Rural Business & Access to Postal Network" during last two financial years   |
|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Sl. No.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | Postal Circles                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | and current financial year 2016-17 Funds allocated for basic Infrastructure Equipments, Signages and Cash Chests (amount in Rupees)                                                                                                     | and current financial year 2016-17 Funds allocated for basic Infrastructure Equipments, Signages and Cash Chests (amount in Rupees)                                                                                                     | and current financial year 2016-17 Funds allocated for basic Infrastructure Equipments, Signages and Cash Chests (amount in Rupees)                                                                                                     |
| Sl. No.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | Postal Circles                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | 2014-15                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 2015-16                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 2016-17                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 1                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | Andhra Pradesh including Telangana                                                                                                                                                                                                      | 24009500                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | 23074370                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | 7825000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 2                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | Assam                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 18620000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | 4240000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 2900000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 3                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | Bihar                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 14031000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | 19302500                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | 7186000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 4                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | Chhattisgarh                                                                                                                                                                                                                            | 4603000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 5255000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 1916000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 5                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | Delhi                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 446500                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | 650000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | 73000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| 6                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | Gujarat including Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu                                                                                                                                                                                  | 12513500                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | 12307500                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | 4248000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 7                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | Haryana                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 3202500                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 3667000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 889000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| 8                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | Himachal Pradesh                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | 3852500                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 3980000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 1429000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 9                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | Jammu & Kashmir                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | 2252500                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 2663000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 913000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| 10                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | Jharkhand                                                                                                                                                                                                                               | 4255000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 4805000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 1620000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 11                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | Karnataka                                                                                                                                                                                                                               | 14630000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | 13441000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | 4760000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 12                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | Kerala including Lakshadweep                                                                                                                                                                                                            | 4997500                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 5351500                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 1821000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 13                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | Madhya Pradesh                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | 17665000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | 14005500                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | 5178000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 14                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | Maharashtra                                                                                                                                                                                                                             | 26537500                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | 19374500                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | 7522000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 15                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | North East [States include Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Tripura]                                                                                                                                        | 14616500                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | 3360000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 7803000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 16                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | Odisha                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | 11317500                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | 12081000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | 4168000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 17                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | Punjab including Chandigarh                                                                                                                                                                                                             | 5402000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 5316000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 1920000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 18                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | Rajasthan                                                                                                                                                                                                                               | 14935000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | 14678000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | 4977000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 19                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | Tamil Nadu including Puducharry                                                                                                                                                                                                         | 13941500                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | 14772500                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | 5112000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 20                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | Uttar Pradesh                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | 17353500                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | 17068000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | 5610000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 21                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | Uttarakhand                                                                                                                                                                                                                             | 4026500                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 5265000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | 1773000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| 22                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | West Bengal including Sikkim and Andaman& Nicobar Islands                                                                                                                                                                               | 14058500                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | 21460000                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | 4629500                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| Total                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | Total                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | 247267000                                                                                                                                                                                                                               | 226117370                                                                                                                                                                                                                               | 84272500                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |

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