By IANS
Ranchi : Looking for ways to generate additional revenues in the face of competition from private couriers, the post department in Jharkhand will soon offer two more services: selling railway tickets and preparing income taxpayers' cards.
Postmen in Jharkhand have already been distributing, along with letters, condoms and contraceptive pills under a tie-up with the Hindustan Latex Family Planning Promotion Trust (HLFPPT).
"Enthused by the response to that scheme, we have decided to step into other fields. From July, railway tickets will be sold through post offices and we will also prepare PAN (permanent account number for income tax) cards," Anil Kumar, director of the Jharkhand postal circle, told IANS.
"We have selected 50 post offices where the railway tickets will be sold. We have already set up computers with broadband internet links. We have trained our staff for the new job.
"Now railways have to provide their software to us and we will selling railway tickets from July," he said.
The department will get commission from railways for the service.
"We have tied up with UTI Technology Services to prepare PAN cards for taxpayers from July. The applicants will have to submit their necessary documents and our postman will deliver the cards to them after getting them prepared at the right place," said Anil Kumar.
The Jharkhand postal circle is exploring more options for extra services – and extra income.