(a) Whether the Government are aware of the poor quality of essential services being provided by post, Telegraph and Telecom sector in Maharashtra;
(b) if so, whether there is a need to improve the quality of these services; and
(c) if so, the steps being taken by the Government in this regard?
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMUNICATIONS (SHRI TAPAN SIKDAR)
POSTAL SERVICES:
(a) The quality of essential services in Maharashtra is generally satisfactory. The delivery efficiency (mails delivered as per norms prescribed by the Department) in Maharashtra Circle as per the All India Live Mail Survey conducted in Sept. 2000 is 91.36 % in urban areas and 85.13% in rural areas which is quite satisfactory. However, there are occasional instances of delay to mails due to various reasons which are beyond the control of the Department like cancellation/late running of mail carrying planes, trains and buses, natural calamities like floods, landslides, cyclones, civil disturbances like bandhs, and sudden and unexpected spurt in the mail volume, etc.
(b) & (c) Improvement in the quality of postal services is a continuous process and steps taken in this regard, include the following:-
MAIL & DELIVERY SERVICE:
(i) Installation of Automatic Mail Processing Centre at Mumbai with a capacity to sort 30,000 articles per hour for 200 destinations at a time.
(ii) Computerisation of Registration Sorting work at Dadar Sorting office Mumbai and Pune RMS.
(iii) Computerisation of Airport Transit Mail Office at Mumbai.
(iv) Transmission of Money Orders through Very Small Aperture Terminals (VSATs). 6 VSAT stations with 79 Extended Satellite Money Order stations are functioning in Maharashtra Circle.
(v) Progressive mechanisation of delivery by providing mopeds to postmen for delivery work in suitable areas. 64 Mopeds have been supplied to postmen in Maharashtra Circle.
(vi) Rationalisation/restructuring of delivery, with a view to deploying adequate manpower in the expanding urban conglomeration.
(vii) Monthly Live Mail Survey both in rural and urban areas to identify weak links and streamline and improve mail transmission and delivery system.
(viii) Regular co-ordination meetings with Airlines, Railways and State Road Transport authorities to sort out problems relating to transmission of mails.
(ix) Educating the customers for installation of Mail Boxes on the ground floor of multi-storeyed buildings.
(x) Regular monitoring of mail routeing, and delivery by posting Test Letters and Trial Cards.
COMPUTERISATION OF COUNTER SERVICES:
(i) 320 Multi-Purpose Counter Machines (MPCMs) have been installed in various post offices in Maharashtra Circle to reduce the waiting time and to provide multiple services at a single counter.
(ii) Savings Bank operations at 22 Post Offices have been computerised.
TELEGRAPH SERVICES:
(a) The quality of essential service provided by Telegraph Sector in Maharashtra is not poor. The quality of Telegraph Service measured as Percentage of Telegrams delivered within 12 daylight hours, is quite satisfactory in Maharashtra which is 96.8% during the current year against All India target of 95.5%
(b) & (c): The improvement in the quality of service is a continuous process. Efforts are made at all levels to improve the quality of service.
TELECOM. SECTOR:
(a) The Telecom. Services in Maharashtra are working satisfactorily.
(b)&(c): The improvement of telecom service is a continuous process. Following measures have been taken to improve the telecommunication services in a phased manner:
1. Opening of more and more remote line units in order to reduce the cable network up to subscribers premises which is the main contributor in the fault rate.
2. Computerisation of Fault Repair Service in more exchanges for better monitoring of faults.
3. Provision of pagers to line staff for fast communication of fault in some cities to begin with.
4. Use of 5 pair cable in place of drop wire to the extent feasible.
5. Use of Interactive Voice Response System for prompt booking and attention to faults in more exchanges.
6. Connecting increasing number of exchanges on reliable media.