Government assures modernisation of postal services

New Delhi, May 11: The faceless postman — once portrayed poetically by Rabindrath Tagore — and the need to revamp the postal services in the country figured prominently during question hour in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Answering supplementary questions from members, Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who holds charge of the department of posts, said efforts are on “to make use of the vast network of postal platform all over the country for better growth and fincial inclusion”. He said at the directive of Prime Minister rendra Modi, the government is working hard to reinforce the infrastructure, connectivity and modernisation programme of the postal services and substantial progress has been made since 2014. “Nearly 21,000-plus branches (of post offices) have been given core banking solution in only two years. It was only 230 in 2014. I am not saying that everything has been done,” he said, adding that his ministry will also give “hand-held device to all postmen across India by March 2017”. Raising supplementaries, Trimool Congress member Pratima Mondal recalled Nobel laureate Tagore’s famous short story where the chief protagonist is a postman and also the film of maestro Satyajit Ray. “We have noticed the importance of post office in village life. At the same time we have noticed the indescribable condition of rural post offices. We are in 2016, but no remarkable development has taken place in the infrastructure of post offices,” she said. (IANS)