Karnataka - Bidar   

`Breakfast post' gaining popularity in Bidar district

Staff Correspondent

The service will be introduced across the State in phases

Bidar: A thoughtful re-engineering of the mail delivery system has made people get letters before they leave for office in certain parts of the State. This facility, christened "Breakfast post", was launched in north Karnataka for the first time in the country and is said to be very successful. It will introduced across the State in phases, a senior official at the Postal Department said here on Thursday.

The service was first introduced in Dharwad, Raichur, Bellary, Gadag and Sirsi. It will be extended to other parts of the State based on availability of manpower, local demand and a few other factors, said Charles Lobo, Director of Postal Services (North Karnataka).

"We were able to introduce the service after making a few minor changes in the way we work. Post offices in cities and major towns receive mail by bus or train at 7 a.m. We handle two types of mail — ordinary letters, registered post and money orders. Some time is spent on recording and processing special mail. Delivery of ordinary mail is quick as sorting does not take much time. Postmen usually go around town twice a day to deliver the mail. We asked them if they could deliver ordinary mail as soon as it was received in the morning. They will deliver the special mail in the afternoon," he said. He said there will not be any additional burden on the staff.

Other services

A few post offices in residential areas were kept open on Sundays, which helps those who are busy on weekdays. "I have observed that most people are forced to take a day off to run domestic errands, such as visiting post offices and banks. We wanted to target such people and I think we have succeeded," Mr. Lobo said. The first post office to be kept open was in Dharwad. Now the Sunday service is being provided in a few post offices in Bellary, Belgaum, Gadag, Sirsi, Raichur, Mysore and Bangalore. "According to a study, the system has helped the customers as well as the department. It has helped the department retain customers," he said.

The e-post system where letters are scanned and sent as e-mail attachments and delivered to the doorsteps of people is also working well.

Reputed companies, including the Tatas, are using it to communicate with their employees. It is also popular with the non-resident Indians who have access to the internet, but whose relatives in India, living in remote villages, may not.

Other services such as sale of BSNL recharge coupons and KSRTC bus passes are also popular. They will be extended to all districts, based on local demand and need of the participating agencies, he said. He commended the Bidar post office staff for achieving the lead in the Western Union money transfer facility in the State.

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