M A I N   N E W S

Kulu gets computerised PO
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Nov 30 — The head post office, Kulu, today became the first fully computerised post office in northern India.

Stating this here today, Mr Vijay Bhushan, Chief General Manager, Himachal postal circle, said all operations, including sub-accounts, treasuries and counter operations had been computerised and it had virtually become a paperless post office. He said four more post offices at Dharamsala, Nahan, Dehra and Kangra would be fully computerised by March, 2001.

Already head post offices in Shimla, Parwanoo, AGPO, Solan, and Mandi have been computerised.

Of the five post offices in the country which were brought under the national speed post grid this year, three were in Himachal at Solan, Dharamsala and Hamirpur.

He said various services of the Department of Post were picking up. During 1999 the premium services revenue collection was about Rs 67 lakh, but during 2000 it had crossed the Rs 65-lakh mark by October 31.

The department also proposed to open a departmental sub-post office, seven extra departmental branch offices and 50 Panchayat Sanchar Seva Kendras during the current financial year. All three VSAT stations in Himachal, namely Shimla, Mandi and Dharamsala would be upgraded to 64 kbps capacity during the year.

The extended satellite money order services at Barsar and Chamba would be commissioned shortly. Customer-care centre at Una would be computerised shortly and with this the total number of computerised customer-care centre would go up to six.

Besides, nine more post offices at Dharamsala, Rampur Bushair, Dehra, Gopipur, Sundernagar township, Nahan, Kangra, Kulu, Nalagarh and Paonta Sahib would be fully modernised during the current financial year.