Sharma said, "We have recently completed delivery through drones in Gujarat. The government has asked us to take forward the IT project that we started in 2012. The postal and various government services will be soon given on doorsteps," adding, "rather than people coming to post offices, with the help of technology, services will be delivered on their doorsteps," as reported by PTI.
Further, Sharma highlighted that digital transformation is going to be the way forward and the government is very bullish on using technology to provide services to citizens.
He revealed that the government has given India Post permission to enhance its reach and open more post offices. He added that they have got permission to open 10,000 more post offices. The Centre wants banking and financial services to be available to people within 5 kilometres of their dwelling.
According to Sharma, the new post offices will be brick-and-mortar structures in far-flung areas.
The new 10,000 post offices that are planned to be opened this fiscal year, will take the total number to around 1.7 lakh post offices.
India Post provides services like delivering mails, accepting deposits under Small Savings Schemes, providing life insurance cover under Postal Life Insurance (PLI) and Rural Postal Life Insurance (RPLI), and providing retail services like bill collection, sale of forms, etc.
Further, India Post also acts as an agent for the Government of India in discharging other services for citizens such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) wage disbursement and old age pension payments.
Small Savings schemes offered by India Post are - Post Office Savings Account, National Savings Recurring Deposit Account, National Savings Time Deposit Account, National Savings Monthly Income Account, Senior Citizens Savings Scheme Account, Public Provident Fund Account, Sukanya Samriddhi Account, National Savings Certificates, and Kisan Vikas Patra.
