20 Bihar post offices to have CBS facility

PATNA: Postal department is coming up with Core Banking Solution (CBS) at 20 post offices located in different parts of the state. These post offices will be inter-connected by April-end.

Through CBS facility at these post offices, customers can access their accounts and carry out simple transactions from any of the member branch offices. CBS is a general term used to describe the services provided by a group of networked bank branches.

Head offices of post offices such as Patna GPO, Bankipore (Patna), Muzaffarpur, Bhagalpur, Gaya, Munger, Ara (Bhojpur), Chhapra (Saran), Motihari (East Champaran), Hajipur (Vaishali), Begusarai, Saharsa, Purnia, Katihar, Darbhanga, Laheriasarai (Darbhanga), Madhubani, Samastipur, Sitamarhi and Bettiah (West Champaran) are going to start CBS facilities.

“Before starting CBS facilities we are verifying and scanning the account details, signatures and photographs of customers, under ‘know your customer (KYC) plan,” director, postal services and marketing, Anil Kumar, informed TOI.

Customers can also avail of ATM facilities at 31 head post offices including Buxar, Nawada, Jamui, Banka, Madhepura, Gopalganj, Siwan, Marhaura (Saran), Biharsharif (Nalanda), and Jehanabad, along with the HOs where CBS is starting.

“For this, we have tied up with IDBI, HSBC and ICICI bank and others will join us in near future,” he said, adding they were not waiting for further tie-ups.

According to Kumar, master cards of post offices will be different from debit cards of other banks. Postal master cards will be prepaid ones that can be refilled or renewed with maximum balance of Rs 50,000. One can withdraw Rs 10,000 only at a time. Maximum transaction including shopping and withdrawal can be done up to Rs 20,000. It can be used at the ATMs of the above three banks, post offices with ATM facilities and at points of sale for shopping purpose.

The infrastructure has been put at place for these ATMs and now the networking part is going on. Post offices are getting connected with the banks’ server.