The postal department (India Post) on Friday opened its first ATM in the city at Hampankatta Head Post Office. Another ATM is expected to be opened at the Kulashekar Post Office here in the next few months. A third ATM will come up shortly at the Puttur Head Post Office.
These ATMs are part of the core banking solutions being put in place at the post offices. As many as 17 post offices in Mangaluru Division and 14 in Puttur division have so far migrated to Core Banking Solutions (CBS). Savings bank account holders in the CBS post offices in these two divisions and the other CBS post offices in the country can make use this ATM.
Postmaster General (South Karnataka Region) Shirtady Rajendra Kumar said these ATMs were being set up in Head Post Offices and other urban centres where the volume of transactions was more. RuPay Post Office ATM cards will be issued to saving bank account holders with a minimum balance of Rs. 500.
This ATM card can be used only at Post Office ATM but not in ATMs of other banks. Similarly ATM cards of other banks cannot be used at the Post Office ATM. “We are yet to get necessary permission,” Mr. Kumar said.
He said initially ATM cards were given to serving and retired employees. Process has begun to issue these ATM cards to saving bank account holders who apply for this facility. There are around 1.70 lakh savings bank account holders in Mangaluru Division, of which 70,000 persons hold accounts in post offices that have migrated to core banking solutions, he said.
Among the 17 post offices that have migrated to CBS are the offices in Kankanady, in the District Court complex, Mary Hill, Surathkal and Mulky Bazar.
MP Nalin Kumar Kateel inaugurated the new ATM at Hampankatta, which was the sixth Post Office ATM to be opened in the State. Mr. Kateel said opening of the ATM was a step towards taking services of India Post to the public. Retired Senior Superintendent of Post Office S. Gopal was the first to transact from his pension account using the ATM card.
