Postal services in Jharkhand have, finally, come of age.
The GPO in Jamshedpur's Bistupur, as well as 12 other head post offices in the state, will soon issue debit cards to enable savings account holders to withdraw money from automated teller machines (ATMs) and even shop online.
N. Sarkar, senior superintendent of the Jharkhand postal department's Singhbhum division, told The Telegraph that an ATM kiosk was being built at the GPO.
"The teller machine will be installed by Infosys and become operational in another couple of months. We are getting down to the nitty-gritty for a smooth launch. Forms for debit cards will be issued to all customers from the first week of April," Sarkar said, adding that currently there were 7,000 savings account holders at the GPO and efforts would be made to increase the number.
Last year, the Union government had issued a gazette notification to allow some general post offices, which are part of the core banking solution (CBS) network, to issue ATM cards to customers.
"Our GPO is already connected to CBS. Once the debit cards are issued, customers will be able to withdraw and deposit money from and into their accounts at any post office ATM in the country. For instance, a savings account holder from Jamshedpur can withdraw money from a post office ATM in Delhi, provided the latter is linked to CBS," Sarkar explained.
Jharkhand has seven postal divisions in Ranchi, Jamshedpur, Dhanbad, Dumka, Hazaribagh, Giridih and Daltonganj. Postal department sources revealed that work to install ATMs was also in progress at head post offices in capital Ranchi, Deoghar, Giridih, Dhanbad and Dumka towns and Bokaro steel city among others.
The Ranchi postal division has three head post offices - two in the city including one in Doranda and the third in Gumla town.
People with savings accounts at the Bistupur GPO as well as those who have monthly income schemes are elated.
"I am required to queue up for my MIS interest at the post office every month. Once the ATM is operational, I will open a savings account and get the interest amount transferred there. That done, withdrawing money will be much easier," said A.K. Ganguly, a retired employee of Tata Steel and resident of Sonari.
Sudhakar Singh, a banker who frequents the Bistupur GPO, was equally glad. "When post offices offer good banking standards, beneficiaries will be many. I am happy," he said.
Bistupur homemaker Indu Sharma was happier. "I shop frequently with my three bank debit cards. It will be a new experience to go shopping with a post office debit card," the 45-year-old shopaholic said.