Postal automation hits bump

Talha Bin Habib | Published: March 18, 2016 00:00:00 | Updated: March 17, 2016 22:09:42

Non-availability of land has been hampering the government initiative to build one thousand new post- offices (POs) with automation facilities, officials said.
Bangladesh Post Office (BPO) is now implementing "Process Automation of Postal Department" project, aiming to digitise postal operation intended to provide faster services. Â
The project is supposed to build 1,000 new post offices, while refurbishing 1,500 old ones. This project primarily aims to automate postal offices across the country, including nearly 100 head offices and main and sorting offices through integrated web-based application software.
The project, which got approval in 2011, was launched in April 2012. It was scheduled to complete in 2013. The initial allocation for the project was Tk 1.22 billion (Tk 2,295.60 lakh).
But the project was initiated one year afterÂ Â approval because of the delay in appointing officials, forcing the authority to extend its timeline to June 2017.
The BPO has set a target to build 250 new post offices and refurbish 500 during the current fiscal year (FY) 2015-16.
The postal agency needs to secure land for building new post offices either through acquisition or donation from local people. But due to high prices, land donation by philanthropists has become rare.
Besides, the money allocated (only Tk 50,000) by the government for land acquisition (three decimal) is insufficient, which makes it difficult for the authorities to build new post offices.
The BPO gets lukewarm responses from the builders as it follows schedule of rates for construction, which was set back in 2011.
SS Bhadra, an additional post master general of the BPO, said they had taken the move to revise the DPP to hike the rates. The BPO could build one hundred offices last year only, he added.
He said 250 new post offices will be built and 500 old ones will be repaired in the financial year 2015-16.
Already, work order for 100 post offices was given, while the rest is under process, he added.
Â Â Â talhabinhabib@yahoo.com