Question : EXTENSION OF POSTAL NETWORK IN NINTH PLAN



(a) Whether the Government have a proposal for expansion of postal network during the Ninth Plan period;

(b) If so, the norms prescribed for the establishment of new post offices; and

(c) The number of new post offices proposed to be set up and the existing post offices expanded during the said Plan, state-wise?

Answer given by the minister


MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS(SHRI TAPAN SIKDAR)

(a) Yes Sir,

(b) the norms prescribed for the opening of new post offices are at Annexure-A

(c) Achievement during first three years of 9th Plan in expansion of Postal Network, circle wise is given in Annexure-B. The Targets fixed for the purpose for the current year 2000-2001 is given in Annexure-C.

Annexure-B

CIRCLE WISE BREAK UP OF POST OFFICES OPENED DURING 9TH FIVE YEAR PLAN

S.No.	Circles	TARGET	OPENED	TARGET	OPENED	TARGET	OPENED	1997-98	1997-98	1998-99	1998-99	99-2000	99-2000	BO	SO	BO	SO	BO	SO	BO	SO	BO	SO	BO	SO
1 ANDHRA 10 2 10 3 10 2 10 2 15 2 4 3 2 ASSAM 25 2 18 3 54 5 54 5 50 4 24 7 3 BIHAR 40 5 31 4 72 2 72 2 50 3 51 nil 4 DELHI 5 2 5 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 5 GUJARAT 25 2 18 3 31 2 31 2 30 3 28 2 6 HARYANA 15 2 13 2 13 3 13 3 15 2 12 1 7 HIMACHAL 10 2 4 nil 7 1 7 1 7 1 2 1 8 J & K 15 1 11 1 23 1 23 1 15 1 14 1 9 KARNATAKA 30 5 24 5 12 4 12 4 21 3 21 3 10 KERALA 10 2 7 1 12 3 12 3 4 2 4 2 11 M.P. 37 2 41 2 50 5 50 5 40 4 40 4 12 MAHRASHTRA 35 3 34 4 69 3 69 3 50 2 50 3 13 NORTH EAST 25 3 18 3 54 3 54 3 40 2 19 3 14 ORISSA 27 2 21 3 10 2 10 2 14 2 14 2 15 PUNJAB 17 2 12 2 12 2 12 2 10 1 9 1 16 RAJASTHAN 33 2 33 1 30 1 30 1 27 2 24 1 17 TAMIL NADU 21 2 21 3 10 2 10 2 15 2 15 2 18 U.P. 70 6 57 6 82 3 82 3 50 3 10 2 19 W.BENGAL 50 3 24 4 43 4 43 4 43 9 41 9 TOTAL 500 50 402 52 598 50 598 50 500 50 386 49


Annexure C
Targets for opening of Post Offices for the year 2000-2001
S.No. Name of Circle EDBOs DSOs 1 Andhra Pradesh 15 2

2. Assam 30 3

3. Bihar 75 7

4. Delhi 04 2

5. Gujarat 20 3 6. Haryana 15 2

7 Himachal Pradesh 07 1

8. Jammu & Kashmir 05 1

9. Karnataka 21 2 10. Kerala 04 2 11. Madhya Pradesh 40 3 12. Maharashtra 60 2 13. North East 40 2 14. Orissa 10 2 15. Punjab 14 2 16. Rajasthan 20 2 17. Tamil Nadu 15 2 18. Uttar Pradesh 50 3 19. West Bengal 55 7 Total 500 50
Annexure-A
NORMS FOR OPENING POST OFFICES:
1. Norms for opening Extra Departmental Branch Post Offices:
1.1 Population :
(a) In Normal Areas:
3000 population in a group of villages (including the PPO village)
(b) In Hilly, Tribal, Desert and Inaccessible Areas:
500 population in an individual village or 1000 population in a group of villages.
1.2 Distance :
(a) In Normal Areas:
The minimum distance from the nearest existing post office will be 3 Kms.
(b) In Hilly, Tribal, Desert and Inaccessible Areas:
The distance limit will be the same as above except that in Hilly Areas, the minimum distance limit can be relaxed by the Directorate in cases where such relaxation is warranted by special circumstances which should be clearly explained while submitting a proposal.
1.3 Anticipated Income:
(a) In Normal Areas:
The minimum anticipated revenue will be 33 1/3 % of the cost.

(b) In Hilly, Tribal, Desert and Inaccessible Areas:
The minimum anticipated income would be 15 % of the cost.

2.Criteria for upgrading/opening Departmental Sub Post Offices:
(a) In Rural Areas:
The minimum work load of the Extra Departmental Branch Post Office, proposed to be upgraded, should be five hours per day. The permissible limit of annual loss is Rs. 2400/- in Normal Rural areas and Rs. 4800/- in Tribal and hilly areas.
(b) In Urban Areas:
In Urban areas, the post office should initially be self-supporting, and, at the time of the first annual review, it should show a 5% profit to be eligible for further retention.
The minimum distance between two post offices should be 1.5 Kms. in cities with a population of 20 lakhs and above, and 2 Kms. in other Urban Areas. No two-delivery offices, however, should be closer than 5 Kms. for each other.
Heads of Circles have powers to relax the distance condition in 10% of the cases.
A Delivery Post Office in Urban Area should have a minimum of 7 Postmen`s beats.