Lok Sabha Question No. 658 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2020-02-05
Subject: Upgradation of Post Offices
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Arvind Ganpat Sawant

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF POSTS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 658 TO BE ANSWERED ON 5 TH  FEBRUARY, 2020

## UPGRADATION OF POST OFFICES

## 658. SHRI ARVIND GANPAT SAWANT:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) the number of post offices upgraded/being upgraded across the country during each of the last three years, State/UT-wise;
- (b) whether  Government  proposes  to  use  vacant  space  at  post  office  premises  for  commercial purpose other than postal services; and
- (c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS, HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND ELECTRONICS & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI SANJAY DHOTRE)

(a) Sir, a total of 197 Post Offices have been upgraded across the country during the last three years.  State/  UT-wise  details  of  post  offices  upgraded  during  each  of  the  last  three  years  are  at Annexure-I .

(b) & (c) Yes, Sir. The Department has formulated guidelines for renting out of excess vacant built-up  space,  at  the  prevailing  market  rent  after  obtaining  bids  based  on  open  tender  and  for granting licenses for installing Telecom Towers on rooftops of suitable Post Office buildings in the country, to any Registered licensed Indian Telecom Service Providers (TSP) and/or registered private Telecom  Infrastructure  Provider  (TIP),  permitted  by  the  Department  of  Telecommunications  to operate in the Country, on limited and non-exclusive basis on payment of license fee.  A summary note on the formulated guidelines is at Annexure II.

Annexure I Annexure referred to in Part (a) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 658 for Answer on

## 5.2.2020 .

| S.No   | Name of State/ UT                                              | Number of Post Offices upgraded   | Number of Post Offices upgraded   | Number of Post Offices upgraded   | Number of Post Offices upgraded   |
|--------|----------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
|        |                                                                | 2016-17                           | 2017-18                           | 2018-19                           | 2019- 20(Till Date)               |
| 1      | Andhra Pradesh                                                 | 1                                 | 1                                 | 4                                 | 1                                 |
| 2      | Assam                                                          | 0                                 | 0                                 | 0                                 | 0                                 |
| 3      | Bihar                                                          | 1                                 | 2                                 | 2                                 | 2                                 |
| 4      | Chhattisgarh                                                   | 2                                 | 2                                 | 0                                 | 0                                 |
| 5      | Delhi                                                          | 0                                 | 0                                 | 0                                 | 0                                 |
| 6      | Gujarat                                                        | 4                                 | 4                                 | 5                                 | 7                                 |
| 6.1    | Dadra &Nagar Haveli                                            | 0                                 | 0                                 | 0                                 | 0                                 |
| 6.2    | Daman &Diu                                                     | 0                                 | 0                                 | 0                                 | 0                                 |
| 7      | Haryana                                                        | 0                                 | 0                                 | 0                                 | 0                                 |
| 8      | Himachal Pradesh                                               | 6                                 | 6                                 | 6                                 | 0                                 |
| 9      | Jammu &Kashmir                                                 | 0                                 | 0                                 | 0                                 | 0                                 |
| 10     | Jharkhand                                                      | 0                                 | 1                                 | 0                                 | 0                                 |
| 11     | Karnataka                                                      | 21                                | 13                                | 15                                | 0                                 |
| 12     | Kerala                                                         | 1                                 | 3                                 | 1                                 | 0                                 |
| 12.1   | Lakshadweep                                                    | 0                                 | 1                                 | 0                                 | 0                                 |
| 13     | Madhya Pradesh                                                 | 4                                 | 1                                 | 1                                 | 2                                 |
| 14     | Maharashtra                                                    | 1                                 | 2                                 | 2                                 | 0                                 |
| 14.1   | Goa                                                            | 0                                 | 0                                 | 0                                 | 0                                 |
| 15     | (Arunachal Pradesh Manipur Meghalaya Mizoram Nagaland Tripura) | 0                                 | 0                                 | 0                                 | 0                                 |
| 16     | Odisha                                                         | 1                                 | 2                                 | 4                                 | 0                                 |
| 17     | Punjab                                                         | 1                                 | 0                                 | 0                                 | 1                                 |
| 17.1   | Chandigarh                                                     | 0                                 | 0                                 | 0                                 | 0                                 |
| 18     | Rajasthan                                                      | 1                                 | 3                                 | 3                                 | 0                                 |
| 19     | Tamil Nadu                                                     | 2                                 | 3                                 | 2                                 | 1                                 |
| 19.1   | Puducherry                                                     | 0                                 | 0                                 | 0                                 | 0                                 |
| 20     | Telangana                                                      | 1                                 | 1                                 | 7                                 | 21                                |
| 21     | Uttarakhand                                                    | 2                                 | 3                                 | 1                                 | 0                                 |
| 22     | Uttar Pradesh                                                  | 2                                 | 4                                 | 1                                 | 1                                 |
| 23     | West Bengal                                                    | 3                                 | 0                                 | 1                                 | 0                                 |
| 23.1   | Andaman &Nicobar                                               | 0                                 | 0                                 | 0                                 | 0                                 |
| 23.2   | Sikkim                                                         | 0                                 | 0                                 | 0                                 | 0                                 |
|        | Total                                                          | 54                                | 52                                | 55                                | 36                                |

Annexure referred to in Part (b) of the Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 658 for Answer on 5.2.2020.

## A. Summary of Guidelines for renting out vacant built up space

Department has formulated guidelines for renting out of vacant built-up space, in excess of Schedule of Accommodation (SoA) required for functioning of the office in postal  buildings, on a leave and license basis, for which powers have been delegated to Chief Postmasters General (CPMG) for 7 metro cities, i.e. Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad and Postmasters General (PMG) for other cities or regions.  As per the guidelines, the excess vacant builtup space may be given at the prevailing market rent in the area of location (called as license fee) by issue of open tender, to the following only (individuals are not allowed):

- a) Central Government
- b) State Government
- c) Central Government PSUs
- d) State Government PSUs
- e) Nationalized Banks
- f) Foreign Bank of repute
- g) National and International Financial Institutions of repute
- h) Company or corporate Body of repute
2. Circle  Heads,  after  assessing  the  excess  vacant  space  available  in  their  office,  would  fix  a minimum reserve license fee to be recommended by a Committee.  On opening of the tender, the highest bidder can be rented out with the excess vacant space for a period of three years by execution of an agreement and license fee fixed so, is to be enhanced by 10% every year.  Further, renting out of the space is subject to the following conditions:
- a) Charging  of  Service  Charges,  etc.  at  commercial  rate  by  the  State  government  or  Local Authority  if  the  building  proposed  to  be  used  partially  for  commercial  purpose  was  earlier constructed on a land given by the State government or Local Authority concerned on concessional rate for extending public utility service only, may be kept in view.
- b) The building proposed to be rented out to institution/body is not detrimental to the rules of the town planning of the area.
- c) Tenant's activities which are not conducive to the residential colony, if the building is situated in the area, should be ideally avoided.
- d) The proposed renting out should not disturb the functioning of postal operations and also the required security arrangement of the post office.

## B. Summary of Guidelines for installing Telecom Towers on roof tops of Departmental buildings.

3. Department has formulated guidelines for granting license for installing Telecom Towers on rooftops  of  suitable  Post  Office  buildings  in  the  country  to  any  registered  private  licensed  Indian Telecom  Service  Providers  (TSP)  and/or  registered  private  Telecom  Infrastructure  Provider  (TIP), permitted by the Department of Telecommunications to operate in the Country, on limited and nonexclusive basis, subject to the following conditions:
- a) TSP /TIP has to satisfy that general public areas around the tower are within safe prescribed EMR exposure limit as per peak traffic measurement after the antenna starts radiating.
- b) TSP/TIP has to maintain the radiation limit emitted from the tower within the prescribed limit and not harmful to the human health.
- c) TSP/TIP has to obtain clearance for installation of tower from Municipality/Area Development  Authority,  Fire  Service  Department,  State  Environment  and  Forest  Department, Pollution Control Board, Archeological Survey Department, National Highway Authority/Railways/Airport  Authority  and  any  other  Central  and  State  organization  as  may  be required depending on the location.
- d) TSP/TIP has to obtain approval of the design of the tower.
- e) Circle has to examine the structural soundness/stability/aesthetics etc. of the building due to the proposed installation tower and allied equipment. The stability certificate is to be obtained from the authorized structural engineer of State/Local bodies/Central Building Research Institute, Roorkee/ IIT/NIT or any other authorized agency, for which the applicant TSP/TIP has to pay onetime nonrefundable processing fee of Rs. 10,000/- per tower per building.
- f) Height of the building should be preferably between 15-30 meters with clear available rooftop area of 50 square meters.
- g) Circle has to ensure that the rooftop area earmarked for installation of mobile tower is lying unutilized  and  there  is  no  such  proposal  of  utilization  of  that  area  in  near  future.  It  may  also  be ensured that the access of personnel of the TSP/TIP for maintenance purpose to the postal building would not disturb the functioning of the office and also the security arrangement of the post office.
- h) The licence  to  be  given  to  the  TSP/TIP  on  the  basis  of  payment  of  monthly  license  fee  as fixed and also on execution of an agreement for a period of 3 years and for which power has been delegated to the CPMsG concerned.

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