NEW
DELHI: The Department of Posts (DoP) is likely to soon start a Rs 1,370-crore
mega project that will allow India's 1.3 lakh postmen in rural regions to use
network-connected handheld terminals for postal delivery.
The project, awarded last year to a consortium that includes state-run Telecom Consultants of India (TCIL), system integrator Ricoh India and Hyderabad-based VisionTek, which provides handheld devices, was delayed due to unavailability of components.
Big IT
companies such as HP and Wipro were also in the running for the contract rolled
out by the ministry of communications & information technology. "Based
on terminal devices on network, the DoP initiative is likely to happen later
this month. The project was delayed as the private company took time to deliver
the components," TCIL's chairman and managing director Vimal Wakhlu told
ET.
The
devices will have a biometric module to authenticate an individual's identity
using the Aadhaar number, solar-powered panel for charging terminals and a
thermal printer to instantly print receipts.
"This
is completely an indigenous project, including devices and components, and
strengthens the concept of 'Make in India'," said Wakhlu.
The
initiative is aimed at preventing postal losses and minimising procedural
delays. The service will require a digital signature of the addressee that can
be automatically transferred to a central server and an acknowledgement sent to
the person.
TCIL is
roping in state-owned telecom operator Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd for providing
network connectivity.
The
movement of postmen can be tracked using GPS on this device. It will help
monitor the entire system and ensure more efficiency as post offices play a
vital role in India's rural economy, Wakhlu said. "This programme is a
step towards financial inclusion of the people of rural India as it will
facilitate financial transactions. Money can be delivered and accepted through
this device, with proper bank account and receipts delivery," he said.
Ricoh
will act as the systems integrator, managing installations, maintaining
hardware and supplying peripheral devices for the project.
"We
have won the Rs 1,370-crore contract from DoP for the supply of hardware
solutions under the department's modernisation initiatives. Ricoh will be
providing maintenance services for rural ICT devices for a period of five
years," said Ricoh India's managing director Manoj Kumar.
//copy// EconomicTimes
