India Post to launch free digital locker service in Kolkata

For the first time in India, the Department of Posts is introducing a free digital parcel locker service in the city from Thursday to enable customers collect their consignment from specified post offices at their convenience.

The facility will be available in two post offices here-- the Nabadiganta IT Post Office in Sector 5 of Salt Lake City and another in New Town.

Chief Post Master General, West Bengal Circle, Gautam Bhattacharya will inaugurate the service from the Nabadiganta IT Post Office on Thursday.

The facility, which is popular in European countries, will be limited to consignments received through registered post or speed post, the official said.

"This is for the first time that the digital parcel locker service will be introduced in India keeping in mind the benefit of the common man. This facility has been chosen for working people who cannot receive parcels because they have no one at home to receive consignments during office hours," he said.

A customer will be given a specific locker number as the address where India Post will drop the parcel.

Consignments will be dropped into the digital parcel locker and an SMS will be issued along with an OTP number to the customer concerned.

The consignment will remain accessible to customers for seven days during which they can collect the parcel any time of the day, the official said.