Question : BANKING FACILITIES IN POST OFFICES

(a) whether the Government has any proposal to provide banking facilities to the customers in the post offices;

(b) if so, whether the Government has assessed the growth rate of customers of post offices in rural areas of the country during 2006-07;

(c) if so, whether the Government has received any complaints from the customers regarding long wait for carrying out cash transactions;

(d) if so, the details thereof;

(e) whether the Government proposes to computerise the post offices of the country particularly in the districts of Vidharba region of Maharashtra in view of the increasing number of customers; and

(f) if so, the details thereof?

THE MINISTER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (SHRI DAYANIDHI MARAN)

(a) to (f) A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

STATEMENT TO BE LAID ON THE TABLE OF THE LOK SABHA IN RESPECT OF PARTS (a) TO (f) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 127 FOR 7TH MARCH, 2007 REGARDING BANKING FACILITIES IN POST OFFICES

(a) In Post Offices, banking facilities are provided as per The Government Savings Bank Act, 1873, The Government Savings Certificates Act, 1959 and The Public Provident Fund Act, 1968. A proposal for setting up of a Post Bank of India to provide full- fledged banking facilities through Post Offices is at a conceptual stage.

(b) No, Sir.

(c) & (d) Information on the details of complaints received is being collected from the field offices and will be laid on the Table of the House.

(e) & (f) Yes, Sir. Computerization of Post Offices in the country is an ongoing process. Under the 10th Plan computers have been provided to 8163 Post Offices. 170 Post Offices in Vidhraba Region are computerized as on 27.2.2007. (List at Annexure-A).