The launching ceremony of Blue Book of the India Post by Jyotiraditya Scindia being shown during a video-conference in Ranchi on Thursday. Picture by Prashant Mitra

Ranchi, Jan. 29: As many as 33 modernised post offices in the state today joined the 5,500 others being renovated across the country. These post offices “bearing the corporate look and feel” would display the brand image of India Post.

While Union minister of state for communications and information technology Jyotiraditya Scindia today released the Blue Book of the India Post at a function in Delhi, postal officials in Jharkhand promised excellent service in the new modernised post offices.

“The Blue Book of the India Post would act like the department’s Bible,” Scindia told journalists in Ranchi through video-conferencing from Delhi.

He said the modernised post offices would work according to the specifications mentioned in the Blue Book. The book includes specifications about the look and structure of a post office, infrastructure and uniforms of the employees, timeframe about delivery of mails, service delivery in savings banks, remittance and office service levels.

“Sitting in Delhi, a minister can monitor the performance of each of the modernised post offices across the country daily,” he added.

The postal department has completed the first phase of modernisation under which 500 post offices have been upgraded. The second phase — in which another 5,500 post offices have already been taken up — is nearing completion.

“Under the modernisation plan, each post office — even in rural areas — would have broadband connection and a printer,” said Abhay Sekhar Prasad, the postmaster-general of Jharkhand. He said they were planning to give laptops to rural post offices.