Post Office Bank’s first ATM facility launched in city -VISAKHAPATNAM

The HinduIndia Post's first ATM in Visakhapatnam Region inaugurated at the Velampeta Head Post Office in Visakhapatnam on Thursday. -Photo: C.V. Subrahmanyam

15 more automated teller machines will become operational in the Visakhapatnam region covering the five north coastal districts by month-end.

Post Office Bank, which has achieved 70 per cent integration with the Core Banking System (CBS) in the Visakhapatnam region, has taken the next logical step by launching its automatic teller machine (ATM).

The first ATM in the region, covering Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, and East Godavari districts, was inaugurated on Thursday at the Velampeta Head Post Office here by District Collector N. Yuvaraj.

“The post office has a target of achieving 100 per cent CBS coverage, and 15 more ATMs would be operational in the region by the end of the month,” Visakhapatnam Region Postmaster General M. Sampath said after the ATM was inaugurated.

India Post has a target of migrating all the 25,000 post offices across the country to the CBS. Thereafter, ATMs would be integrated with other bank networks.

“Following a suggestion made by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, the India Post is exploring the possibility of making the ATMs give audio instructions in local language as most of the India Post ATMs are located in rural and semi-urban areas and a large number of users are illiterate,” Mr. Sampath toldThe Hindu .

The department is also exploring options of making the India Post ATMs provide more services like cash deposits, thereby improving access to banking services in the remote areas.

India Post has successfully adopted technology in the implementation of its three major operations — Insurance, Banking and Mail handling, Mr. Sampath said.

The technology migration of postal insurance has enabled receipt of premium in any of the branches and payment of maturity at head post offices.

Congratulating India Post for successfully integrating technology in its operations, Dr. Yuvaraj said that India Post continued to play an important role in the lives of common persons and in remote areas.

“Once India Post ATMs are integrated with other banks, it would enable persons in remote places access banking services,” he added.

Visakhapatnam Region Senior Superintendent of Post Offices K.V.L.N. Murty, officials and staff of India Post, and customers were present.

Following the CM’s suggestion, the possibility of making ATMs give audio instructions in local language being explored

M. Sampath

Visakhapatnam Region Postmaster General