In a month or two, people having a post office savings account will be able to withdraw cash from an ATM to be installed at the Anna Salai Head Post Office. This measure is part of the post office modernisation initiative.
“The work on setting up an ATM kiosk has been going on for two months and now the enclosure has been constructed. We are waiting for the machine to be installed. The process should take another two months,” says Mervin Alexander, Post Master General.
The Postal Department has tied up with Infosys Ltd and will use its Finacle Software for operating the ATMs. Those holding an account with the post office will be issued an ATM card.
By brining in the core banking solution, the postal department has allowed customers to operate their accounts and avail account-related services from any post office, regardless of where they maintain their accounts. With the ATM too, the inter-operability option will be provided, whereby customers can use the card in any ATM.
Rengarajan, who works in an office nearby and uses the services of the post office, says such measures will make the post office become more people-friendly and at the same time keep abreast with technology. “If they start the railway reservation counter at this post office, it will help many people, especially senior citizens.”
The country’s first post office savings account ATM was opened in February this year at the T. Nagar head post office.
Among other measures, the mail vans too will soon sport a new look, at least at the rear, with the numbers of ambulance services offered by hospitals being displayed. “It will be for the benefit of people and not as an advertisement. Anna Salai mail vans will have these numbers on the rear of the vehicles soon,” says Alexander.
