'Data Post' likely in March

By Our Staff Correspondent

MANGALORE, OCT. 14. Postmaster General of South Karnataka, Ms. K.N.K.Karthiayani, said here on Saturday that the department would introduce "data post".

The service had been received well in the West. The department was all set to launch the service in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka by March 2001, she said.

Speaking to presspersons after the launch of "Greetings Post", Ms. Karthiayani said efforts would be made to popularise "Data Post" in the State. The department had one of the largest networks and compilation of the necessary data, for commercial ends, could be easily attained. The department had sought the services of Ogilvy Worldwide and had signed an MoU with the firm for consultation on the service. The cost for compilation of the data collected and storing it in a computer retrieval system, for the Bangalore alone, was likely to cost about Rs. 40 lakhs.

Ms. Karthiayini announced the opening of 10 branch offices in rural areas of South Karnataka region -- five in Dakshina Kannada. Under the programme, a branch would be opened at Nithyanand Nagar here.

Explaining the "Greetings Post" service, she said on the occasion of Diwali, greeting cards had been brought out in premium and ordinary categories priced at Rs. 15 and Rs. 12 respectively in 33 varieties. The unique feature of the card was that the cover that comes along with the card had a picture of the card inside in the form of a postage stamp of Rs. three and the value of card included postage. Special discount offers of up to 20 per cent was also allowed on bulk purchases, she said.

To popularise the cards, the department would put up cards for sale through retail outlets.

Ms. Karthiayani spoke on "Media Post", another revenue earner service for the department. Under the service, advertisers were allowed to advertise their products or messages on letters received for delivery from the post office on a 2 inch x 1 inch space. The response to the service had been overwhelming as the advertising space on the 70 post boxes in the City had already been sold out. The reach of the Postal Department had been converted into a profitable media for advertising, she said.

To ensure quick delivery of money orders, VSAT facility in the city of Mangalore and Mysore would be upgraded to 64 kbps. Similarly, the department was working on a software to track and trace all speed post articles at the Software Centre of Postal Training, Mysore.

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Section  : Southern States
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