Lok Sabha Question No. 3689 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-12-11
Subject: Building of Post Offices
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Rakesh Singh

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF POSTS

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3689 TO BE ANSWERED ON 11 TH   DECEMBER, 2019

## BUILDING OF POST OFFICES

## †3689. SHRI RAKESH SINGH:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATIONS be pleased to state:

- (a) whether most of the post offices in the country including Jabalpur are being operated from dilapidated buildings and if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor along with the steps taken by the Government in this regard;
- (b) whether new and well-managed buildings are not being arranged for the proper functioning of post-offices due to economic reasons;
- (c) if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) whether the Government proposes to  increase the banking  and financial  functions  with  the intention to operate the post offices on the lines of banks and if so, the details thereof and steps taken by the Government in this regard?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) No, Sir. At present, none of the Post Offices in the country is being operated from a building which has been declared dilapidated by Postal Civil Wing or Municipal Authority.
- (b) & (c) No, Sir. During the last five years, 62 new post office buildings have been constructed across  the  country  and  4114  postal  buildings  have  been  renovated  and  given  face-lifting  with financial  expenditure  of  around ` 730.0  Crore.  Further,  when  a  building  is  taken  on  rent  for  the purpose  of  operating  a  post  office,  it  is  ensured  that  the  building  meets  all  requirements,  like prescribed  schedule  of  accommodation,  connectivity,  good  physical  condition  of  the  building  and other essential facilities. The rent is revised periodically as per the agreement. If any rented building is not found suitable, the post office is shifted to another suitable building.

(d) Yes, Sir. In order to improve the functioning of Department, Core Banking Solution (CBS) has been implemented in 23760 Post Offices and 996 Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) have also been installed. Our ATM cards are inter-operable with the banks. Further, intra-operable Net-Banking and  Mobile  Banking  facilities  have  been  launched  in  Core  Banking  Post  Offices  for  Post  Office Saving Bank (POSB) customers. With this facility, a POSB customer can be able to view balances, view  transaction  details,  open  new  Recurring  Deposit  (RD)/Time  Deposit  (TD)  accounts,  close RD/TD Accounts, make Public Provident Fund deposits, transfer fund to another Post Office Savings Account  and  lodge  stop  cheque  request  etc,  online.  Further,  India  Post  Payments  Bank(IPPB)  has been  incorporated  as  a  public  limited  company  under  the  Department  of  Posts  with  100% Government of India equity on 17 th August, 2016. As on date, 1,36,078 Post Offices have been rolled out as IPPB access points which are currently offering a bouquet of banking services to its customers.

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