You can pay power, gas, water bills at select post offices across Karnataka

BENGALURU: In over 800 post offices across the state, you can pay electricity, gas and water bills, renew life insurance and general insurance policies, pay EMIs and submit online application forms for loans from now on. After a threemonth trial run, the Postal Department on Tuesday launched Jan Sewa Kendras (PO-JSK) at over 10,000 post offices across the country, including 851 in the state. India Post signed an MoU with the Common Services Centre, a special purpose vehicle of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to set up the Kendras.

Chief Postmaster General, Karnataka Circle, Sharda Sampath said, “Around 50 per cent of post offices in Karnataka have got Jan Sewa Kendras. Of them, 345 are in North Karnataka, 386 in South Karnataka and 120 in Bengaluru region.” The Kendras also offer government to citizen services (G2C) that include Pradhan Mantri Street Vendors Atmanirbhar Nidhi Yojana, Pradhan Mantri Jan Aroygya Yojana, National Pension Scheme, Pan Card, e-stamping services and Jeevan Pramaan Patra (digital life certificate) through an app.

Among numerous innovative services is the ‘Dak Niryath Kendra’, which aims to provide traditional artisans an opportunity to despatch their products at better prices, Sharda said. Elaborating, V Tara, Assistant Post Master Gen, Business Development, Karnataka Circle, said, “The service is being launched under a tie-up with the State Government at Bidar, Hubballi, Channapatna, Mysuru and Shivamogga. The role of middlemen will be eliminated and the artisans will get actual value for their products.”