Ms. Suneeta Trivedi, Member (Planning), Postal Services Board, Department of Posts, Government of India, belongs to the Indian Postal Service. Prior to her elevation as Member (Planning), she has held many senior posts in the India Post and handled them with distinction. The India Post, with over 155, 300 post offices spread over far-flung areas and with its presence in remote areas of India, is the most widely distributed post office system in the world.
A high rate of economic growth opens up opportunities for expansion and participation in the new economic activity. With growth of business transactions into and from India, the role of multinational firms as competitors to India Post poses a major challenge.It also opens up India Post’s formerly protected internal market to competition from multi-national providers with international brand images, deep pockets and experience in modern and technologically driven methods of doing business. With the entry of private sector in the traditional monopoly business of India Post a level playing field needs to be established by legislative action. While the multi-national providers are providing high priced and speedy service in mail delivery, the low priced services offered by domestic couriers are under cutting India post’s business.
It is in the wake of these new challenges, Dr Arvind Kumar, Editor of Focus Global Reporter, conducted an interview with Ms. Suneeta Trivedi, Member (Planning) Postal Services Board, Department of Posts, Government of India, to ascertain as to how the India Post is meeting these challenges. Following are excerpts from the interview:
Editor: How the rapid spread of telephony, Internet and modernized banking services has affected the services of India Post and how has managed to meet these technological challenges to the satisfaction of its clients?
ST: It is a fact that there has been a rapid development in the field of Information Communication Technologies (ICTs) in India and these developments have been spread to a sizable geographical territory of India. However, the coverage of modernized Banking Services is yet to percolate down to semi urban, rural and remote areas. Despite ICTs developments, there is an increase in the growth of traditional mail originating from corporate sector to household sector and that kind of mail is business for India Post. The challenge before India Post is from both front i.e. ICTs and private couriers. The mail sector in India completely lacks regulation and enabling thousand of private couriers to operate without any responsibility and obligation towards the customer and concerns for community. The sector needs to be formalized and Universal Service Obligation of Government rendered through India Post needs to be adequately supported.
Editor: What measures have been taken in recent years to provide customers’ expressed expectation of higher quality of services in the post offices?
ST: India Post is working towards induction of technologies like Core Banking Solutions in rendering banking and financial services. The Track and Trace System of Speed Post consignments, electronic transmission of money orders, instant money transfer, ePayment are certain initiatives of India post which are aimed towards meeting the expectations of customer with modern technology. In so far as mail related services are concerned, India Post is setting up technology driven solutions for speedy and accurate sorting of mails and in this direction, metro cites with Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai are provided state of the art letter and packet sorting machines. It is hoped that with these technology inputs India Post would be able to provide efficient mail and financial services to its customers. Further, India Post is amongst the first few organizations in the Central Government to frame Citizen’s Charter way back in the year 2001-02, fixing service standards and setting up a dynamic Grievance Redress Mechanism covering every office in the country. It also launched a project under the name ‘Project Arrow’ to improve core functional areas and look and feel of Post Offices. This project has been implemented in over 10,000 Departmental Post Offices across the country and Department was conferred Prime Minister Award for this initiative in the year 2010.
Editor: Please describe in brief the main functions of the India Post, with particular emphasis on new services added in recent years?
ST: The main function in India Post is to provide mail and other services to the people in this country irrespective of their place of habitation, at reasonable access, affordable prices and with quality parameters. The policy of the India Post offers a basket of traditional mail and money remittance related services along with modern premium services like Speed Post, Logistic Post, Direct Post, Media Post, Business Post, E-Post, IMO, E-Payment and money transfer services etc. The services like e-post, IMO, E-payment are offered by using Modern Information Technology.
Editor: Has there been a decline or increase in number of customers availing of the services rendered by the India Post in recent years?
ST: There has not been any recent survey done with regard to the number of customers availing various services offered by India Post in recent times. Now one report is awaited from an organisation that has been commissioned to undertake Market Survey. However, it is pertinent to point out that India Post has been playing a very vital role in disbursement of benefits to the citizens under schemes like MGNERAGA, BPL families and to the old age pension payment. While participating in these schemes, a large number of customers have been added by India Post in its nab.
Editor: Recent media reports indicate declining phase of Postal Department in the United States. Is the similar trend becoming discernible for India Post in India?
ST: The spread of telephone, internet and banking services and increased used of internet in performing banking, insurance and other transactions would have its impact on traditional mail business but that stage has not come into this country. Therefore, there has been a growth, in the mail originating from corporate sector to household sector in India. A very exhaustive regulation and statutory protections given by US Congress governs the sector in that country. However, such regulatory regime is yet to set up in this country.
Editor: What have been the main achievements of India Post During the past five years?
ST: India Post has successfully implemented Project Arrow covering more than 10,000 Departmental Post Offices and brought out a perceivable change in the Look and Feel core functional areas in those offices. Department was honoured with Prime Minister Award for this initiative. India Post revised and updated service norms, customer obligation and introduced a dynamic Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) System for the benefit of all the stakeholders. The system set up by India Post was adjudged one of the best operating in the Central Government. India Post is first organization in the Central Government whose operative outlet had attained Service Quality Certification under IS Standards 1500700:2005. This programme is now being implemented in over 100 Head Post Offices across the country during this year.
