Lok Sabha Question No. 4321 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-18
Subject: Merger of Post Offices
Ministry: COMMUNICATIONS
Asked by: Shri Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT OF POSTS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4321 TO BE ANSWERED ON 18 TH  MARCH, 2026

## MERGER OF POST OFFICES

| 4321.        | SHRI JAGADISH CHANDRA BARMA BASUNIA:                                                                                               |
|--------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| (a)          | the total number of post offices in the country, circle-wise;                                                                      |
| (b)          | the number of post offices merged or closed down since 2014, year and circle-wise;                                                 |
| (c)          | whether the minimum distance norm between two post offices have been followed in all such mergers and closure of post offices; and |
| (d) and if   | whether any deviation from the minimum distance norms has been permitted in such mergers so, the details of all such cases?        |
| ANSWER       | ANSWER                                                                                                                             |
| (a)          | Total number of post offices in the country, circle-wise is attached as Annexure-I .                                               |
| (b) attached | Details of number of post offices merged or closed down since 2014, year and circle-wise are as Annexure-II .                      |
| (c)          | Yes Sir.                                                                                                                           |
| (d)          | No Sir.                                                                                                                            |

## Annexure-I

Annexure referred to in reply of para (a) of Lok Sabha Unstarred question No. 4321 to be answered on 18 th  March, 2026 regarding 'Merger of Post Offices'

| Number of Post Offices in the Country   | Number of Post Offices in the Country   | Number of Post Offices in the Country   |
|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|
| Sl. No.                                 | Circle Name                             | Number of Post Offices                  |
| 1                                       | Andhra Pradesh                          | 10,670                                  |
| 2                                       | Assam                                   | 4,064                                   |
| 3                                       | Bihar                                   | 9,361                                   |
| 4                                       | Chhattisgarh                            | 4,469                                   |
| 5                                       | Delhi                                   | 514                                     |
| 6                                       | Gujarat                                 | 8,889                                   |
| 7                                       | Haryana                                 | 2,703                                   |
| 8                                       | Himachal Pradesh                        | 2,805                                   |
| 9                                       | Jammu &Kashmir                          | 1,737                                   |
| 10                                      | Jharkhand                               | 4,587                                   |
| 11                                      | Karnataka                               | 9,661                                   |
| 12                                      | Kerala                                  | 5,062                                   |
| 13                                      | Madhya Pradesh                          | 10,275                                  |
| 14                                      | Maharashtra                             | 14,037                                  |
| 15                                      | North East                              | 4,482                                   |
| 16                                      | Odisha                                  | 8,912                                   |
| 17                                      | Punjab                                  | 3,838                                   |
| 18                                      | Rajasthan                               | 11,042                                  |
| 19                                      | Tamil Nadu                              | 11,829                                  |
| 20                                      | Telangana                               | 6,270                                   |
| 21                                      | Uttar Pradesh                           | 17,957                                  |
| 22                                      | Uttarakhand                             | 2,737                                   |
| 23                                      | West Bengal                             | 9,098                                   |
| Total                                   |                                         | 1,64,999                                |

Annexure-II

## Annexure referred to in reply of para (b) of Lok Sabha Unstarred question No. 4321 to be answered on 18 th  March, 2026 regarding 'Merger of Post Offices'

| S. No .   | Name of Circles   | Financial Year   | Financial Year   | Financial Year   | Financial Year   | Financial Year   | Financial Year   | Financial Year   | Financial Year   | Financial Year   | Financial Year   | Financial Year   | Financial Year   | Financial Year   |
|-----------|-------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|------------------|
| S. No .   | Name of Circles   | 20 14 - 15       | 2015 -16         | 2016 -17         | 2017- 18         | 2018 -19         | 2019 -20         | 2020 -21         | 2021 -22         | 2022 -23         | 2023 -24         | 2024 -25         | 2025 till date   | Total            |
| 1         | Andhra Pradesh    | 0                | 0                | 1                | 2                | 7                | 47               | 6                | 7                | 3                | 0                | 1                | 50               | 124              |
| 2         | Assam             | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 2                | 0                | 3                | 0                | 0                | 14               | 19               |
| 3         | Bihar             | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 2                | 10               | 12               |
| 4         | Chhattisgar h     | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 3                | 3                |
| 5         | Delhi             | 0                | 0                | 0                | 2                | 2                | 12               | 4                | 2                | 3                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 25               |
| 6         | Gujarat           | 0                | 4                | 1                | 36               | 51               | 44               | 20               | 12               | 5                | 2                | 0                | 14               | 189              |
| 7         | Haryana           | 2                | 1                | 2                | 2                | 1                | 0                | 0                | 1                | 3                | 2                | 1                | 10               | 25               |
| 8         | Himachal Pradesh  | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 2                | 0                | 1                | 3                |
| 9         | Jammu& Kashmir    | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                |
| 10        | Jharkhand         | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 4                | 4                |
| 11        | Karnataka         | 12               | 9                | 4                | 13               | 19               | 13               | 10               | 8                | 4                | 1                | 1                | 32               | 126              |
| 12        | Kerala            | 0                | 0                | 3                | 0                | 1                | 0                | 1                | 2                | 4                | 3                | 3                | 70               | 87               |
| 13        | Madhya Pradesh    | 0                | 36               | 8                | 4                | 3                | 3                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 4                | 58               |
| 14        | Maharashtra       | 0                | 1                | 3                | 3                | 4                | 2                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 2                | 28               | 43               |
| 15        | North East        | 0                | 3                | 3                | 0                | 0                | 1                | 0                | 2                | 0                | 0                | 7                | 13               | 29               |
| 16        | Odisha            | 2                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 2                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 5                | 9                |
| 17        | Punjab            | 4                | 0                | 1                | 0                | 2                | 0                | 2                | 11               | 25               | 4                | 2                | 2                | 53               |
| 18        | Rajasthan         | 1                | 10               | 5                | 8                | 0                | 2                | 20               | 1                | 2                | 0                | 10               | 12               | 71               |
| 19        | Tamil Nadu        | 6                | 12               | 3                | 5                | 1                | 7                | 5                | 9                | 11               | 17               | 26               | 90               | 192              |
| 20        | Telangana         | 1                | 4                | 5                | 1                | 3                | 11               | 5                | 1                | 2                | 0                | 37               | 10               | 80               |
| 21        | Uttarakhand       | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 3                | 3                |
| 22        | Uttar Pradesh     | 0                | 1                | 1                | 0                | 1                | 1                | 0                | 2                | 12               | 6                | 0                | 39               | 63               |
| 23        | West Bengal       | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 0                | 1                | 0                | 4                | 1                | 0                | 56               | 62               |
|           | Total             | 28               | 81               | 40               | 76               | 97               | 143              | 76               | 58               | 81               | 38               | 92               | 470              | 1,280            |

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