Now, govt plans to use India Post to extend weather, health services

The Union Ministries of Earth Sciences and Health are in talks with the Department of Posts to use the resources of the latter to extend weather and medical services to citizens across the country.

According to B V Sudhakar, Secretary, Department of Posts, the Ministry of Earth Sciences would like to use the manpower of Department of Posts to provide and also disseminate information on weather.

"Ministry of Earth Sciences...What we are doing is, we are going to provide them weather data (on locally prevailing climate conditions) and also if they want any data to be disseminated to the farmers or to the fishermen in coastal areas, the post offices will play the role of disseminating this information," Sudhakar said in Hyderabad.

The technical details of the proposed arrangement have been finalised and the financial details are being worked out, he said.

The arrangement is expected to be rolled out in another two months, he said.

"It should be in another two months. Because, technically, it is over. Only financially, we are discussing with them," he said.

The Ministry of Health wants the India Post to supply general medicines in remote and inaccessible areas of the country, the senior official said.

"Ministry of Health, we are talking with them to supply general medicines in remote rural areas where access is difficult. It has not been finalised. We hope we will be able to finalise shortly," he said.

The Ministry of Health is examining what type of medicines are to be supplied and where to supply and it needs to communicate on the matter to India Post, Sudhakar added.