Tirupati postal division seeks solutions via tech

TIRUPATI: , November 14, 2015

The Tirupati postal division is well ahead in its efforts towards offering technology-based financial solutions to its customers.

From hitting a low a decade ago towards its emergence as the ‘Post Bank of India’, India Post has extensively relied on technology to offer state-of-the-art solutions. On its part, the Tirupati postal division has 12 out of its 73 branches in the Core Banking Solutions (CBS) network. Now, work is on for adding seven more branches by the end of November as part of the mission towards getting all branches covered under CBS by the end of March 2016.

The Tirupati East sub-division is at the top with six branches in CBS, followed by Tirupati West with four, while Puttur and Srikalahasti have one each. The far-flung Piler and Vayalpad sub-divisions are yet to open account. Once in CBS, customers will get all services offered by nationalised banks. While post offices already offer social security schemes, the latest is the Sovereign Gold Bonds, which are now offered through designated post offices. Recently, insurance business was also made available online, where policies are finalised at the level of the Postmaster, and customers make payments online. The Tirupati division achieved 100 per cent migration vis-à-vis the insurance platform, while several divisions in the Rayalaseema region still grapple with troubles. Incidentally, the Tirupati division is already ahead in the issuance of the Rs. 300 special darshan ticket offered by the TTD.

Laying emphasis on technology, a solid team of 12 system administrators has been formed with tech-savvy employees at various levels. “From the level of branch Postmaster to postman, we have identified engineering graduates with a nose for creativity to nurture technology,” T.A.V. Sarma, Superintendent of Post Offices (Tirupati division), said.

Mr. Sarma also thought of training his staff in use of computers. “While there is a full-fledged Postal Training Institute in Mysuru and similar, but smaller centres at the Hyderabad circle office and Kurnool regional office, a Workplace Computer Training Centre (WCTC) was opened recently in Tirupati to train staff on a continuous basis and ensure long-run preparedness. The fifth batch is currently undergoing training now,” he added. After getting the mandatory training under MGNREGS and other social security schemes, employees are now being trained in finance and insurance, considered the real ‘game changers’.

The division has 12 out of its 73 branches in Core Banking Solutions network

Source :  http://www.thehindu.com/