FEATURE
Project Arrow is an initiative to
transform India Post into a vibrant and responsive organization and to make a
visible and positive difference in postal operations to benefit the
customers. It has been launched with
objective of modernizing the post and makes visible, tangible and noteworthy
differences in the post office operations that matter to “Aam Aadmi”.
In specific terms, Project Arrow
entails comprehensive improvement of the core operations of the Post Offices as
well as the ambience in which postal transactions are undertaken. Enhancing the quality of services in ‘core
areas’ envisages focus on Mail Delivery, Remittances, Savings Bank and Office
service Levels. This is helping the
Department of Posts to emerge as a one-stop shop for retail products and offer
a single window facility for banking, money remittances and other financial
products and services including social and civic initiatives. At present Monitoring of performance ‘Core
Operations’ is done in 15,584 Post Offices and ‘Look & Feel’ has been
improved in 1,843 Post offices.
Project Arrow will benefits Customers through - Direct communication with the outside world and development benefits in
rural areas; Simpler and faster Money transactions
through instant money order; ‘Local Citizens’ Forums’ formed who decide the
performance norms for the respective post offices; Online public grievance
handling and Monitoring through Video Conferences ensured sustainability and
higher performance.
The Project Arrow experience is a
working model for ushering in an integrated and lasting improvement in the
postal system and awarded with “Prime ministers’ award for Excellence in Public
Administration for 2008-2009” in 2010.
In the future it is proposed to include 3,000
more computerized post offices for monitoring of ‘Core Operations’ under
Project Arrow Phase-VI during 2012-13 and later complete all 24,000
computerized Post offices during 12th Plan.
‘Look & Feel’ activity
is proposed to be undertaken in 400 more Post offices during the financial year
2012-13 and expand in 2,500 post offices during 12th Plan in
addition to existing 1843 post offices.
(PIB Features.)
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*Inputs
from the Department of Posts.
SS-171/SF-171/17-09-2012
RTS/HSN