India Post launches scheme to ensure 100% rural coverage

In an effort to ensure 100 per cent coverage of postal services across the rural areas of the country, the Department of Posts has launched a scheme called the Five Star Villages scheme.

The scheme is aimed at bridging the gaps in the reach out of postal services, especially in interior villages, says a government press release. "All postal products and services will be made available and marketed and publicized at the village level.”

Branch offices will function as a one-stop shop to cater to all post-office-related needs of villagers. The schemes include the availability of various schemes in the branch—the savings bank accounts, recurrent deposit accounts, NSC/KVP certificates, Sukanya Samridhi Accounts/PPF accounts, funded post office savings account linked India Post Payments Bank Accounts, Postal Life Insurance Policy/Rural Postal Life Insurance Policy and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana Account/Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana accounts.

If a village attains universal coverage for four schemes from the above list, then that village gets four-star status; if a village completes three schemes, then that village get three-star status and so on.

Launching the scheme on pilot basis in Maharasthra, Sanjay Dhotre, Minister of State for Communications, said, “Postman and Postal Department are a vital part of the ordinary citizen's life. India Post has been serving the people in an extraordinary way in the difficult situation which has emerged due to Covid-19, by bringing them medicines and financial assistance.”

“Prime Minister Narendra Modi not only brought schemes, but has been ensuring their effective implementation as well. The postal department has been playing a major role in the implementation of government schemes, leveraging the immense strength of its vast network. Postal schemes are known for providing highly secured deposits, they provide higher return of interest with low risk.”

A total of 50 villages in each district will be covered in the first phase of the scheme.

Presently, the schemes is launched in Akola and Washim in Nagpur Region, and Parbhani and Hingoli in Aurangabad Region, Solapur and Pandharpur in Pune Region, Kolhapur and Sangli in Goa Region, Malegaon and Palghar in Navi Mumbai Region.

The scheme will be implemented by a team of five Gramin Dak Sevaks who will be assigned a village for the marketing of all products, savings and insurance schemes of the department of posts.

The team will be headed by the Branch Post Master of the concerned Branch Office..