No provision to privatize post-offices, says Ashwini Vaishnaw; Post Office Bill 2023 passed in Rajya Sabha

Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Minister of Communications, Electronics and Information and Technology, made the statement during a discussion on the Post Office Bill, 2023 in the Rajya Sabha. The Bill was subsequently passed by the Upper House of the Parliament on Monday.

New Delhi: Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Monday said that there is no provision to privatize post offices in the country.

Vaishnaw, the Minister of Communications, Electronics and Information and Technology, made the statement during a discussion on the Post Office Bill, 2023 in the Rajya Sabha, in the presence of Chairman and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar.

"The aim of the Bill is to expand services of the post offices," Vaishnav said, adding that after the Narendra Modi-led government several new post-offices were made.

The minister said in the last nine-and-a-half years, postal services, post offices and postmen have been transformed into a service-delivery institution from being merely a mail-delivery mechanism.

"Some members alleged that there were no recruitment in the post office. However, this is not the truth. In the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) times, they thought of finishing post-office. (Now) Congress has become irrelevant," Vaishnaw said.

"This new legislation is a reflection of the way post offices and postal institutions have been revived in the last nine years. In the last nine-and-a-half years, the postal services, post offices and postmen have been transformed into a service-delivery institution from being merely a mail-delivery mechanism, and the post offices have been practically converted into banks," he added.

"From 2004 to 2014, 660 post offices were closed but from 2014 to 2023, around 5,000 post offices were opened and about 5,746 new ones are in the process of being opened," Vaishnaw said.

Further, 1.6 lakh post offices have been connected with core-banking and digital-banking facilities, he said, adding that in accordance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision, 434 post offices have processed more than 1.25 crore passport applications and 13,500 "post office Aadhaar Seva Kendra" have been opened.

Vaishnaw also pointed out that the India Post Payment Bank, a big medium of converting the postal system into a banking system, has opened 3.5 crore accounts for women. He further said that postal services are affordable as they have a social obligation. "Post prices will always be kept affordable," he quipped.

According to the statement of objects and reasons of the bill, over the years, the services available through post offices have diversified beyond mail and the post office network has become a vehicle for delivery of a variety of citizen-centric services. It has necessitated the repeal of the Indian Post Office Act, which was enacted in 1898 to primarily address the mail services provided through post offices.

After an elaborate debate and discussion, the Rajya Sabha passed the Post Office Bill 2023.

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