Karnataka postal circle to expand

The Karnataka postal circle, which comprises 9,843 post offices (1,249 in urban areas and 8,594 in rural areas) plans to expand its reach in the state.

Speaking on the occasion of the World Post Day here on Tuesday, principal chief postmaster general (Karnataka Circle) Meera Datta said they planned to open around 25 post offices across the state over the next year.

"We plan to open 10 post offices in Bangalore and another 15 in rural areas," she told reporters. Post office employees are currently provided incentives to sell financial products such as mutual funds and postal life insurance (PLI).

The department is looking to offer more financial services in the coming years. "But we will not sell products that are in direct competition with services we offer, such as life insurance," she said.

On the occasion, nine development officers were felicitated for exceptional performance in sales of PLI over the last two years.

The highest business worth Rs 16.60 crore in 2004-05 was achieved by Sukumar Naik, district officer, Dharwad. The postal department has agreements with Reliance Mutual Fund, Franklin Templeton, and Principal Mutual Funds to retail their products.