Lok Sabha Question No. 4174 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-26
Subject: Contribution of Post Offices in Rural Economy
Ministry: COMMUNICATION
Asked by: Smt. Bharti Pardhi, Shri Shrirang Appa Chandu Barne

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF POSTS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4174 TO BE ANSWERED ON 26 TH  MARCH, 2025

## CONTRIBUTION OF POST OFFICES IN RURAL ECONOMY

## †4174.  SMT. BHARTI PARDHI: SHRI SHRIRANG APPA CHANDU BARNE:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION be pleased to state:

(a) whether the post offices can contribute to the development of rural economy and helps in reducing the urban and rural divide by providing essential services and financial inclusion in rural areas;

- (b) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken in this regard;

(c) the  manner in  which the post offices can help in  providing  banking services  to  the  rural population;

(d) whether  widespread  network  of  post  offices  is  important  for  the  last  mile  connectivity particularly in remote areas with the emergence of e-commerce; and

(e) if so, the steps taken to connect widespread network of post offices with online business and expand its access to the market?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT (DR. PEMMASANI CHANDRA SEKHAR)

- (a) Yes;
- (b) & (c) The details of the same, including steps taken in this regard are as follows:
- i. The Department through its vast network of around 1.64 lakh post offices, with around 1.39 lakh in  rural  areas,  complemented  by  the  India  Post  Payment  Bank,  and around  2.4  lakh Gramin  Dak  Sevaks,  is  providing  digitally  enabled  postal,  financial  and  citizen-centric services.
- ii. Post offices ensure the timely and reliable delivery of documents and parcels, in every nook and corner in the country.
- iii. All Post Offices in the country are functioning with Core Banking Solution. The following facilities are available to the customers:

- a. Internet Banking & Mobile Banking
- b. National Electronic Fund Transfer (NEFT)/ Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS) services for transfer of funds
- c. Electronic Clearing Services (ECS) facility - for crediting the interest & maturity amount in bank accounts
- d. e-Passbook facility to view the balance and mini-statement
- e. India Post Payments Bank - Post Office Savings Accounts linkage service for all types of digital transactions
- f. Direct  Benefit  Transfer  (DBT)  and  Citizen  Centric  Services  like  Aadhaar enrolment and updation
- iv. India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) provides digital and paperless banking, Aadhaar enabled Payments System (AePS), DBT facility and assisted digital services.
- v. Rural Postal Life Insurance (RPLI) scheme has been designed to provide affordable insurance coverage to people in rural areas.
9. (d) Yes;
10. (e) The  steps  taken  to  connect  widespread  network  of  post  offices  with  online  business  and expand its access to the market are as follows:
- i. Department, with its extensive reach provides complete solutions from induction, transmission and delivery of consignments across the country. Various value-added services like insurance, track and trace, cash on delivery, Application Programming Interface (API) integration, Management Information System (MIS) dashboard, Book Now Pay Later facility (BNPL).
- ii. A dedicated national road transport network has been established to enhance connectivity to tier-2 and tier-3 towns, serving as a critical infrastructure initiative that extends e-commerce benefits  to  urban  and  rural  areas.  These  are  further  supplemented  by  state-level  transport routes.
- iii. To  strengthen  last-mile  delivery,  nodal  delivery  centres  (NDCs)  have  been  set  up  for exclusive and expedited parcel distribution using mechanized modes of transport.

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