RANCHI:
Jharkhand neither qualifies as
a state, which generates maximum money orders, nor as one that receives too
many money orders like Punjab and Bihar, which have long earned the distinction
of doing so. This could well have been the reason behind the delay in the launch
of the mobile money order service (MMOS) that was launched in Bihar and Punjab much
earlier in May 2011.
Jharkhand office of
India Post is gearing up for the modern facility that is expected to make money
transactions easier for those who do not have an account in a bank or post
office.
"A requisition is
pending with the office of
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) for registration of SIM card to be used in
this service. BSNL is acting as a partner in the project. We expect the service
to be launched for the customers in Jharkhand within a month," said an
officer of the business development section in Ranchi.
The postal
department nationally has entered into an agreement with BSNL to provide MMOS
using mobile phones. For this purpose, necessary input based on the
requirements of the department was furnished to BSNL for development of
software.
Under MMOS,
money can be transferred to any location in the country once the service is
made available in post offices across the country. Sources in the postal
department said, "For transactions up to Rs 5000, the postal department
charges a fee of 5%, which includes the share of service provider (in this
case, BSNL).
While the customers can possess SIM cards of any
mobile service provider, BSNL helps generate a code in the post office where a
customer deposits money along with a form. The form should contain details of
the receiver along with a valid mobile number.
Once deposit is made in the post
office, a machine-generated code is messaged to the recipient's mobile. The
recipient, after producing this code and a proof of
identity, can collect the money from any designated branch of the post office.