Dept of Posts to shut extra post offices

Mysore, May 24 (UNI) The Department of Posts has taken up a survey to identify extra post offices in Karnataka for closing down, State Chief Postmaster General Meera Datta said today.

Speaking to newspersons after launching a unique scheme of the TVS Finance and Services Ltd 'Postman Akshaya' here, she said the department had been incurring a huge loss of Rs 1,300 crore, to make up which it had opened its post offices for other businesses.

Complete commercialisation of the sector had led to the department handling less letters and related documents, she added.

Ms Datta said that for the first time in Karnataka, the department had tied up with TVSFS, offering the company's customers in the rural and semi-rural markets the facility of availing loan at their doorsteps. This scheme would be started in Mysore and Nanjangud divisions initially and then extended to other parts of the State. Nearly 200 postmen have been trained for this purpose.

Speaking on the occasion, TVSFS President and CEO V Ramesh said the tie up would further boost their business in rural and semi-rural areas. The company had witnessed nearly 30 per cent growth following the tie up with post offices across the country. It had presence in 150 districts in Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The process of starting operations in other states in North and West India was on.

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