Straight Answers

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal">IMG Khan Chief Postmaster General, UP on the steps taken to modernise postal services in the state:<br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">What are the changes being proposed to stand up to the competition and bring about advancement in modes of communication? </span><br />The age old structure of the post office needs revamping. Keeping that in mind new technology is being used to better existing services. Our post offices now have a number of computerised facilities apart from being fully electronic. These include V-SAT and its extensions, ESMO(Extended Satellite Money order), electronic fund transfer, e-posts, payment of bills in the post offices, Western Union Money Transfer, Warrant payments of dividends and other such incomes, computerised mail sorting and speed posts, improved delivery system, provisions of direct delivery of corporate mail, collection and payments of large cheques and availability of passport and admissions forms of universities around the state etc. The effort is to create a new and improved postal system as we realise that the postal department no longer has a monopoly.<br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">Does that mean that the focus of the postal department has now shifted to becoming a business centre?</span><br />The aim has is to facilitate communication and mail, the only difference is that the focus now will be on creating new business through our department using new technology. Though household mail has reduced there has been a big jump in business to household as well as business to business mail. We are keen to optimise new opportunities and the service we provide at our post offices include a whole range of pre mailing services as well. So you can say we are more of a business centre now.<br /><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">The activities you mention will definitely require more staff. How will you manage that in terms of the manpower available</span>?<br />Yes, manpower and particularly proper use of the human resource we have is what will set us apart. In the UP circle the strategy will be to increase business, we have pooled in the knowledge of our postmen to develop a customer information base of sorts. The manpower we have is being trained in areas relating to technology induction, new services and customer care. To enhance capacity, officials are being deployed at all levels, a Director Business Development has been brought in at the circle level. Gazetted officers have also been made in charge of Speed post centres in Lucknow, Allahabad, Gorakhpur, Kanpur, Agra and Noida. </div> </div>