Ludhiana: Three years on, service centres at post offices barely find ...
ByRishika Kriti, Ludhiana
Dec 23, 2024 10:33 PM IST
The common services centres (CSC), launched at the post offices three years ago to provide easy access to key public services in the district, are barely finding takers.
Despite offering a wide range of services, including passport application, filing of income tax returns (ITR)and GST returns besides utility bill payments, the initiative is struggling to gain traction among residents.
The CSC programme, introduced in June 2021 after a collaboration between India Post and the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY), was designed to streamline over 15 government services through a single platform. Services available at the centres include Income Tax Return (ITR) filing ( ₹172), GST and TDS returns ( ₹120), EMI payments ( ₹89), passport services ( ₹59), and utility bill payments (starting at ₹30), all at nominal charges, post officials said. Despite extensive efforts to train over 1,200 employees across Ludhiana and nearby areas, customers’ interest has remained low. Postal officials attribute the poor response to several factors, including lack of incentives, inadequate infrastructure and limited public awareness.
Rajesh Sethi, senior postal officer at the city’s head post office, said: “We rarely get customers for the CSC services. The initiative was intended to simplify e-governance and improve access to public schemes, but many urban residents prefer managing such tasks online themselves.”
In rural areas, where digital literacy remains low and accessing similar services can require long travel distances, the programme struggles due to a lack of awareness. Moreover, many residents are unaware of the convenience the CSC offers or remain skeptical about its effectiveness.
An additional challenge lies in the insufficient training provided to postal staff.
According to officials, employees receive only two hours of online training every six months, leaving them underprepared to answer customer queries effectively.
Navin Kumar, another postal official, highlighted the issue. “When our staff encounters issues they cannot resolve, they have to wait for the next training session, which delays services and frustrates customers,” he said.
Moreover, while services like ITR filing and GST returns have no restrictions on tax slabs, staff are not adequately trained to handle complex or high-value transactions, limiting the programme’s potential for growth. With only two trained staff members assigned to each post office, the initiative is struggling to meet the needs of the public effectively.
As the government continues to promote digital inclusion and e-governance, officials are urging residents to make use of the CSC facilities, especially in rural areas where access to services can be more challenging.
