In less than two months of assuming charge as the minister of state for communications and IT, Jyotiraditya Scindia has drawn up big plans to revamp the dusty old post offices. In a major initiative termed ‘Project Arrow’ to modernise and digitalise post offices, the department of post (DoP) has appointed McKinsey to reorganise the business and operations and O&M for the touch and feel, that is brand makeover. Around 500 post offices will be revamped in the first phase by December.Making it clear, that this isn’t just a part of another election manifesto, given the looming general elections, Scindia said that he wanted to finish his groundwork before making any announcement. Now with plans on track, the project to modernise the first 50 post offices would be launched on August 17, he said. The remaining 450 post offices would be modernised by the year-end.Apart from the changes in look and feel, improving the core efficiency such as ensuring timely delivery of money orders, removing problems in cash availability and providing instant, electronic and international money order services is going to be thrust of this revamp drive. To begin with, the postal department will sport a new slogan. The main aim of the revamp drive is to fix core responsibilities of the department. “We want to bring in efficiency and professionalism and ensure both employee as well as customer satisfaction,” Scindia said. The post offices in their new avtaar are being envisaged as the points of convergence for IT, telecom and physical infrastructure. Post offices will have an IT kiosk with broadband connectivity, scanners, printers and other such equipment. “We want post office to be a customer-friendly service provider rather than a daunting task where a person finds himself in a maze and doesn’t have clue about where to get what from and till what time can he send his mails for a timely delivery,” he added.The entire project has been structured to ensure that changes are felt at the grassroots level, Scindia said. “There are over a lakh gram dak sewaks in this country and until a transformation is brought about at their level, no initiative can be successful,” Scindia noted, adding that empowering a gram dak sewak was pivotal to the employee reforms he sought to make.The department along with NIC and BSNL is working to establish an electronic payment system for the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, under which the workers would be allotted smart cards. 500 The number of post offices to be revamped in the first phase by December800 The number of people getting special training to man the revamped post officesProject Arrow•Post offices to be points of convergence for IT and telecom •Improving the core efficiency — ensuring timely delivery, removing problems in cash availability and providing instant, electronic and international money order services •To make post offices offer a new experience to consumer with a smart look and feel•New logo and slogan•Employee reforms for more efficiency and satisfaction•The post offices will enable villagers to take full benefit of social schemes such as National Rural Employment guarantee scheme and National Old Age Pension Scheme PartnersDepartment of Post has appointed business consulting firm McKinsey to reorganise the business and operations and advertising agency O&M for a brand makeover.We want post office to be a customer-friendly service provider rather than a daunting task where a person finds himself in a maze and doesn't have clue about where to get what from and till what time can he send his mails for a timely delivery.Jyotiraditya Scindia, minister of state for communications and IT
