E-commerce is way forward for Postal department: Sinha

E-commerce is way forward for Postal department: Sinha

Ranchi, Jun 4 (UNI) Union Minister of State for Telecom Manoj Sinha today said with changing times the postal department too needed to change and suggested that the way forward for the department is the area of e-commerce.

Addressing a function here after inaugurating the Postman Mobile App he said with changing times India Post was also changing and added that during the last three years many steps have been taken to improve customer facilities at the post offices.

Mr Sinha said the tradition letter writing has come to an end and e-commerce is the way forward.

He said share of the railways and the postal department in the parcel handling segment in the country which was estimated to around 2 lakh crore was very less.

The union minister said talks have been held between the senior officials of both department to think on ways to increase the share in segment.

He said the postal department around the world has faced challenges, however the achievements in the e-commerce sector was far greater than than witnessed due to the downfall in the post handling.

Mr Sinha said as per the requirement of the customer the department was changing. The Postman mobile app has been developed by the Center for Excellence in Postal Technology Mysore which would enable real time update of delivery made.

He said the department was also working on network optimisation and said that the department was working with e-commerce majors such as Amazon and Snapdeal and Jabong in the e-commerce segment.

The minister said work on IT modernisation was on and in 980 locations ATMs have been installed.

Mr Sinha said in the country in several states the postal banks have been set up in rural areas while at 125 places passport seva kendras would be made functional.

He said passport seva kendras in the GPO of Jamshedpur and Deoghar were now operational and soon the facility would be present in Dhanbad.

Chief Post Master General (Jharkhand Circle) Shalini Sashi Kujur and other officials of the Post and Railways Department were present on the occasion. UNI AK BM