Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 150
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Deprecated (16384): The ArrayAccess methods will be removed in 4.0.0.Use getParam(), getData() and getQuery() instead. - /home/brlfuser/public_html/src/Controller/ArtileDetailController.php, line: 151
 You can disable deprecation warnings by setting `Error.errorLevel` to `E_ALL & ~E_USER_DEPRECATED` in your config/app.php. [CORE/src/Core/functions.php, line 311]
Warning (512): Unable to emit headers. Headers sent in file=/home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php line=853 [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 48]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 148]
Warning (2): Cannot modify header information - headers already sent by (output started at /home/brlfuser/public_html/vendor/cakephp/cakephp/src/Error/Debugger.php:853) [CORE/src/Http/ResponseEmitter.php, line 181]
E Governance | India Post casts you in the net, reaches home by Souvik Sanyal & Harsimran Julka

India Post casts you in the net, reaches home by Souvik Sanyal & Harsimran Julka

Share this article Share this article
published Published on Feb 24, 2011   modified Modified on Feb 24, 2011
The electronic post office launched this week has brought the familiar red and grey counters to your drawing room, making tiring trips and queuing up things of the past.

The website www.epostoffice.gov.in offers money order service, stamps and e-tracking of registered posts to start with. It creates a virtual post office on computer screens and leads customers to the counters.

The decision to launch an electronic post office was part of the post department's strategy to win back urban customers who now use banks to send money.

" The move is part of a set of innovative steps aimed at increasing the post office's brand value," said an official with the department.

Revenues from commission on money orders have been declining in the last few years as people looked to avoid long queues at post offices. There commissions have been declining since 2007 before marking an uptick last year. Higher commissions at 15% were also a reason for the decline.

In contrast, banks launched online demand draft and money transfer services. India Post's money order service will also face competition from mobile money transfers once the Unique ID number becomes prevalent in the country.

Pilot projects for mobile money transfer have been successful in rural villages. Ironically, Post Office Savings Bank, which had 206 million deposit accounts on March 31, 2009 is the largest banking network in the country.

The e-post office will also cater to philately enthusiasts. Payment for stamps and money orders can be made through a secured payment gateway, similar to the way online purchases are made.

A first hand experience of the e-post office highlighted some technical problems in the service. To start with, the e-post office is slow and online registration is a cumbersome process, as many fields don't work currently. But once unleashed fully, the e-post office is expected to cater to a large part of the 50 million internet users in India.

The Economic Times, 24 February, 2011, http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/finance/india-post-casts-you-in-the-net-reaches-home/articleshow/7559466.cms


Related Articles

 

Write Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

Video Archives

Archives

share on Facebook
Twitter
RSS
Feedback
Read Later

Contact Form

Please enter security code
      Close