With the popular demand, India Post will soon introduce the mechanism that would help its customers track Registered Posts on the internet on the lines of Speed Post, Postmaster General (Southern Region), B. Selvakumar, has said. Addressing reporters here on Wednesday, Mr. Selvakumar said that the new facility would be launched on June 1 in a phased manner. All Post Offices would be covered within a month. The Registered Posts would bear a bar code and its status could be known by logging into the India Post web site.
Mr. Selvakumar said that India Posts had introduced its own vehicles for transporting of mails between Dindigul and Nagercoil, which has resulted in quicker delivery of mails. “At least 90 per cent of the mails were being delivered the very next day,” he said. Earlier, the mails were being transported through the railways. All the computerised post offices were accepting payment of electricity bills in the Tamil Nadu circle, he added.
Electronic money order facility was introduced in six post offices in the southern region.
The money transfer that used to take 10 to 12 days through ordinary money order facility was now reduced to one week, he added.
Mr. Selvakumar said that the overall postal revenue in the southern region had gone up by 15 per cent last year. One lakh saving bank accounts were added. The number of rural life insurance policies also went up by one lakh, he added.
India Post that started sale of gold coins through select post offices in October 2008, has introduced gold coins weighing 10 grams and 50 grams in connection with Akshaya Tritiya festival.
The post offices also offered six per cent discount on the sale.
Besides, it offered 0.5 gram free for every 10 grams of gold purchased. Director of Post Services, V.S. Jayashankar, said that there was tremendous response from the public to the India Post gold coin sale. The coins were available in the denominations of 0.5 grams, 1 gram, 5 grams, 8, 10, 20, and 50 grams.
Senior Superintendent of Post Offices, S. Ramamoorthy, was present.
From banks
Two nationalised banks have come up with offers for sale of gold coins for ‘Akshaya Trithiya.' The Regional Manager of State Bank of India, G. Ramanujam, told a news conference here on Wednesday that the bank, for the first time this year, had come up with the offer of advance booking for gold at the day's prevailing rate.
Booking for gold coins of weight ranging from two grams to 50 grams started on Wednesday. A special discount of 1.5 per cent would be offered for purchase of 24 carat gold coins weighing two, four and eight grams.
One per cent discount would be allowed for coins of five, 10, 20 and 50 gram weight. The offer would be valid till May 7.
Mr. Ramanujam said that gold coins would be sold through the Main, Tallakulam, Personal Banking, Anna Nagar and Bypass Road branches of the SBI in the city. Registration could be made for purchase ahead of Akshaya Trithiya and the coins would be delivered on May 6. The Regional Manager said that last year gold coins weighing 14, 000 grams were sold in the region.
Sale of gold bars accounted for 1, 110 kg. This year, the SBI expected a sale of 20, 000 grams of gold coins and 1500 kg of gold bars. About 3000 grams of gold coins were sold during Akshaya Trithiya last year and this year a sale of 5000 to 6000 grams was expected, Mr. Ramanujam added. The Indian Overseas Bank has planned a special campaign on May 6 for sale of gold coins. According to a press release, 24 carat gold coins, weighing two, four, eight, 20, 50 and 100 grams, sourced from Switzerland, will be sold through all branches of the bank.
A discount of Rs five per gram over the daily card rate will be offered for purchases above 500 grams at a time. For IOB-SB gold account holders and for purchases above 1000 grams, the discount will be Rs 15 per gram.
