Onlykashmir.in News Desk
SRINAGAR: India Post has begun National Postal Week, running from October 9 to 15, and the Jammu and Kashmir Circle is using the occasion to showcase its role in banking, digital services, last-mile delivery and export facilitation across the Union Territory and Ladakh. The week opens with World Post Day, which commemorates the founding of the Universal Postal Union in 1874.
Addressing the media at the Srinagar GPO Complex, Chief Postmaster General of the J&K Circle, Sagar Hanuman Singh, extended greetings to the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. He reaffirmed the Department’s commitment to reliable, technology-driven postal, banking, insurance, parcel and citizen-centric services. He noted that the network reaches urban centres, rural villages, border areas and remote pockets, including Doda, Kishtwar, Reasi, Rajouri, Gurez, Machil, Tetwal, Keran and Zanskar, places where few other institutions maintain a permanent presence.
On financial inclusion, Singh said the Department has opened more than 17 lakh Post Office Savings Bank accounts in Jammu and Kashmir. Core banking, digital banking, e-KYC and India Post Payments Bank services, including doorstep banking, are widening access for households that have long depended on the post office as their only formal financial link. He also underlined the role of the Sukanya Samriddhi Account in securing the financial future of the girl child.
Digitalisation, he said, is changing the customer experience. Modern postal software, track-and-trace facilities, computerised operations and self-booking kiosks are cutting waiting times and improving convenience. The Department also offers Speed Post, parcel and logistics services, Aadhaar enrolment and updation, Postal Life Insurance and Rural Postal Life Insurance, along with passport services through Post Office Passport Seva Kendras. India Post also supports government initiatives by delivering PMEGP kits to artisans and beneficiaries.
On exports, Singh said the Dak Ghar Niryat Kendra helps exporters, artisans, craftsmen, MSMEs and small businesses reach international markets through assistance with export documentation, customs clearance, packaging, booking and tracking. Local products such as walnuts, saffron, handicrafts, carpets, Pashmina and handloom goods stand to benefit from this channel. He also cited the Department’s reported 99 per cent insurance claim settlement rate.
The Circle also highlighted its work in preserving regional heritage through commemorative stamps and special covers. Of the 32 stamps it cited, 18 carry Kashmir-based themes, nine Ladakh-based themes and four Jammu-based themes, while one covers all three regions. Subjects include the Chinar Tree, Hangul, Pashmina, Mehjoor and Sindhu Darshan.
Singh encouraged participation in the annual Dhai Akhar Letter Writing Competition, for which the last date for submissions is October 31, 2026. Acknowledging the dedication of officers and staff in maintaining uninterrupted public services, he said India Post was embracing modern technology while preserving its legacy of trust, accessibility and public service.
