Proposal Calls for Modernising POSB Passbook System to Improve Customer Experience
A fresh representation has been submitted to the Secretary, Department of Posts, urging the Department to modernize the Post Office Savings Bank (POSB) passbook system and address operational challenges that affect both customers and postal staff. The representation, submitted by Shri Vilas Ingale, a retired postal officer and former General Secretary of the All India Association of Inspectors and Assistant Superintendents of Posts, outlines several practical reforms aimed at improving efficiency and customer service.
One of the key issues highlighted is the design of the existing POSB passbooks. According to the representation, the current vertical, centre-stitched passbooks cause repeated contact between the printer head and the stitched portion during printing. This results in frequent printer head failures, increased maintenance costs, and regular interruptions in passbook updating services at post offices.
The representation suggests that the Department adopt a horizontal passbook design, similar to those used by many commercial and nationalised banks. Such a design would reduce mechanical stress on printers, improve equipment life, and ensure smoother passbook printing operations.
Another major recommendation is the introduction of Automatic Passbook Printing Kiosks in busy Head Post Offices and other major locations. The proposal notes that self-service passbook updating machines have become common in the banking sector, allowing customers to update their passbooks instantly without standing in long queues. Introducing similar kiosks in post offices would help reduce waiting time, improve customer satisfaction, and enable postal staff to focus on other important services.
The representation also raises concerns regarding the supply and distribution of POSB passbooks. It recommends that every Divisional Head should fix an authorized quota of single-page and multi-page passbooks for each Sub Post Office in accordance with the provisions of the POSB Manual Volume-I. Proper monitoring of monthly replenishment, it argues, would prevent unnecessary wastage of stationery and ensure uninterrupted availability of passbooks.
Shri Ingale also recalled that he had proposed the adoption of horizontal passbooks during his tenure as Senior Postmaster, Thane Head Post Office, and later pursued the matter with senior officers in the Postal Directorate. Although the proposal received a positive response at the time, he stated that the suggested reforms have not yet been implemented.
The representation concludes by urging the Department of Posts to initiate these reforms at the earliest, stating that modernizing the POSB passbook system would reduce maintenance costs, improve operational efficiency, minimize customer inconvenience, and strengthen public confidence in Post Office Savings Bank services.
