India Post goes hi-tech to track ordinary letters

Ranchi: The Department of Posts in India has introduced a high-tech facility—electronic information of delivery (e-IOD)—in 4,000 post-offices across the country to help consumers keep track of delivery of even ordinary letters.

Under the pilot project, the consumers would require pasting barcode stickers on ordinary letters to avail the facility. The stickers can be procured from the post offices upon registration for the service.

Presently, only bulk letter senders and those dealing in bill delivery could have the facility under the pilot project. The same could be extended to general customers, if pilot project drew good response.

Giving the details of the new facility, the Jharkhand Director of Postal Services (DPS) Anil Kumar said that all post offices through which barcoded letters would pass scan the code and save the record in the main server of the Postal Department in New Delhi.

"The senders would be provided information about the non-delivered letters, since the quantum of delivered letters is very high and keeping records of delivered letters would be a stupendous work," Kumar added.

In Jharkhand, as many as 135 post offices have been equipped with the facility of tracking ordinary letters. Delivery of outbound letters could also be tracked as post offices of other states have also the same facility.