(a) the existing norms for opening new post offices in rural areas;
(b) Whether the Justice Talwar Committee have recommended modifications in the existing norms; and
(c) if so, the details thereof?
(a) the existing norms for opening new post offices in rural areas;
(b) Whether the Justice Talwar Committee have recommended modifications in the existing norms; and
(c) if so, the details thereof?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (DR. SHAKEEL AHMAD)
(a) The norms for opening of new Post Offices in rural areas are given in the Annexure.
(b) The Justice Talwar Committee has not recommended any modifications in the existing norms for opening new post offices in rural areas.
(c) Does not arise in view of (b) above.
Annexure
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 ( % of the cost.
(b) In Hilly, Tribal, Desert and Inaccessible Areas: The minimum anticipated income will be 15% of the cost.
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.