Question : OPENING OF POST OFFICES

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (DR. SHAKEEL AHMAD)

(a) The information is being collected and will be laid on the Table of the House.

(b) & (c) Targets were fixed for the first two years of the plan and details in this regard along with achievement are given below:

Year	Target	Achievement
2002-2003	275	266	2003-2004	220	219

The 10th Plan policy imperatives, interalia, require the Department to carry out a comprehensive review of all the existing post officers in a time bound manner to rationalize the network, as part of the efforts for making the Department financially self-sufficient. It also requires the Department to open all new post offices by redeploying existing manpower. Plan support was also restricted to cover only one time non-recurring cost of the post offices.

In pursuance with these directives, review of post offices located at a distance lesser than the prescribed norms are underway in both urban and rural areas. Wherever necessary, they are relocated to those needy areas, which justify a post office, thereby optimising existing resources. Further, new post offices are opened only by redeployment of the existing staff.