Centre reveals plans to deliver sacred Ganga water direct to your doorstep using India Post
The Modi government is making arrangements to courier sacred “Gangajal” (Ganga water) to people's doorsteps.
India Post, the country’s oldest courier service run by the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology, could soon offer subscribers the option of dispatching Ganga Jal by postman.
Telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, who rolled out the plan, said that the department of posts can also use e-commerce platforms to send Ganga Jal.
Holy water: BJP spokesperson Anil Baluni said Ganga jal "is in huge demand in Indian families".
“I used to get several requests asking me if with the vast network of India Post, Ganga water could be delivered at doorsteps. I have directed the Department of Posts to utilise the e-commerce platform and make arrangements for providing pure Gangajal from Haridwar, Rishikesh to people. They have assured me that they will take proactive steps to address this cultural need,” Prasad said.
The ‘holy’ initiative by the ministry has received huge applause.
BJP spokesperson Anil Baluni, who belongs to Uttarakhand (where the Ganga originates), welcomed the proposal.
“This is a very welcome initiative by the ministry. Ganga jal is in huge demand in Indian families. But many people could not source it from Rishikesh or Haridwar. Now, with this initiative, even people at faraway places would be able to get the holy water.”
The minister said parcel revenue at post offices has increased by 80 per cent during the NDA regime by delivering e-commerce products.
“If a postman can deliver mobile phones, sarees, jewellery, apparels, then why not Ganga water?”
Prasad said that even the CAG has said in its report that the Speed Post courier service of the Indian Post is the best courier service in the country.
He added that the department's speed post revenue has increased from Rs 1,372 crore in 2013-14 to Rs 1,600 crore in 2015-16, and cash on delivery collections for e-commerce parcels has increased from Rs 100 crore to Rs 1300 crore in the same period.
Speaking about the efforts of India Post in the banking sector, Prasad said: “Today, core banking network of post offices is more than that of State Bank of India. SBI has 1,666 core banking branches while 22,137 post offices now have core banking facility,” Prasad said.
Prasad said the ministry is determined to empower postmen working in both rural and urban areas.
“By the end of this year all postmen in urban centres will be given smartphones, and hand-held devices will be provided to postmen in 1.3 lakh rural post offices by March 2017. Four thousand hand-held devices have already been given. This move will help in financial inclusion. It will be a moving ATM. Postmen of urban centres will get smartphones. We will provide (smartphones) by end of this year,” Prasad said.
Apart from empowering the postmen, the new gadgets will further improve the postal services in the country. With the help of these gadgets, postmen can give real time information about the posts and many other things, said an official.
