Free e-addresses at post offices soon

As per the proposal, any one can go to his nearby post office and get a free e-mail address after which he can receive e-mail from anywhere in the world at a nominal cost of Rs 10 per printout.

The Government proposes to invest Rs 60,000 on installing computer at each post office to facilitating free e-mailing by the public. Besides, it will have to post staff for operating and maintaining the sophisticated electronic gadgets needed for the scheme. Since post offices also provide banking services to the people, there already was a scheme to computerise them throughout the country within next five years. Free e-mailing would be anadditional services rendered by post offices even in remote and inaccessible areas. The scheme conceived by the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications would shortly be sent to the PM for his approval.

The Government also plans to provide phone-on-phone services to popularise its services in metros which are already providing phone-on-demand without any additional charge. The scheme would be launched shortly in Calcutta on experimental basis before being extended to other cities.

As per the scheme, one will have to ring up a specific number in the local telephone exchange from any phone other than a PCO, to demand installation of a phone at any specified premises. The telecom officials would call back to verify the number from where the call was made before sending their team with a registration form. While filling the registration form, one can also specify his preferences of telephone number besides make and colour of telephone instrument. The telecom department promises to install a new telephone andactivate it as well within 48 hours of the demand being made.

The department of course, would levy additional charges if cost of the telephone set being demanded exceeds Rs 250, the normal cost being levied by the department. The extra cost, however, would be charged in instalments, sources in the telecom department told The Indian Express.