Lok Sabha Question No. 1831 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-07-30
Subject: Performance of Post Offices in Rural Areas
Ministry: COMMUNICATION
Asked by: Com. Selvaraj V

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF POSTS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1831 ANSWERED ON 30 TH  JULY, 2025

## PERFORMANCE OF POST OFFICES IN RURAL AREAS

## 1831.   COM. SELVARAJ V:

Will the Minister of COMMUNICATION be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that mail business has come down sharply the world over and India is not an exception and the postal department is running at heavy losses;
- (b) if so, the details thereof; and

(c) the measures being considered to run the existing post offices particularly in rural areas by improving the finances of the Department of Posts?

## ANSWER

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

(a) No,  Sir.  The  traffic  and  revenue  of  Speed  Post  Letter  and  Registered  letter  have  been increasing over the years. Total revenue (Speed Post Letter and Registered letter) has grown from Rs. 2057.84 crores in 2018-19 to Rs. 2352.55 crores in 2024-25. At the same time total traffic (Speed Post Letter and Registered letter) has grown from 72.61 crores in 2018-19 to 87.64 crores in 202425.

- (b) Does not arise in view of (a) above.

(c) The Department of Posts is undertaking the following measures to enhance its revenue across the  country  including  rural  areas.    The  Department  has  undertaken  a  range  of  technological, operational and other reforms that are aligned with current market requirements:

- (i) End to end tracking and real-time delivery updation for all accountable items through a mobile-based  delivery  app  and  SMS  notification  system  to  keep  customers  informed about booking and delivery status.
- (ii) Volume-based  discounts  are  provided  to  contractual  customers  who  meet  minimum monthly revenue thresholds, incentivizing bulk usage.
- (iii) The  National  Account  Facility  allows  major  clients  to  manage  billing  and  payments centrally through a single nodal office, simplifying multi-location operations.

- (iv) API-based integration for seamless exchange of data for pick-up, booking, determining tariff, ascertaining Pin codes etc. with contractual customers for improved operational efficiency.
- (v) Aadhaar enrolment  and updating  services  especially  in  rural  areas  using  mobile  kits. These portable units are deployed at local schools, panchayat offices, and health centers, making services easily accessible.
- (vi) Verification  services  for  various  government  and  other  financial  institutions  such  as Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) under Prime Minister's Employment Generation  Programme  (PMEGP)  scheme,  mutual  fund  investors  etc.  to  enhance financial inclusion by helping rural citizens meet mandatory compliance requirements and ensuring that genuine beneficiaries receive timely assistance and subsidies.
- (vii) All post offices across India, including those in rural areas, are functioning under Core Banking Solutions (CBS), providing services such as ATMs, Internet Banking, Mobile Banking,  National  Electronic  Funds  Transfer  (NEFT),  Real-Time  Gross  Settlement (RTGS), Electronic Clearing Services (ECS), Interactive Voice Response System (IVRS) and e-Passbook facilities to the customers for seamless transactions. Additionally, India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) has supplied mobile devices in branch post offices to support digital  inclusion  and  financial  empowerment  in  rural  areas,  while  contributing  to  the Department's revenue.

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