Five Star Villages Scheme | UPSC

Five Star Villages Scheme | UPSC

      HEADLINES:

India Post launches Five Star Villages Scheme to ensure 100% rural coverage of postal schemes

      WHY IN NEWS:

Scheme to be implemented nation-wide, based on Maharashtra experience

SYLLABUS COVERED: GS 3: Schemes

      LEARNING: 

For PRELIMS go through aim , features and the concept of Gramin Dak Sewak.

For MAINS do you think most features could be added to Dak Sewa ? How do Amazon , Bluedart or Alibaba manage the services with less networking than Indian Postal Services ?

      ISSUE: 

FIVE STAR VILLAGES SCHEME

AIM

• The Department of Posts has launched a scheme called Five Star Villages.

• The scheme seeks to bridge the gaps in public awareness and reach of postal products and services, especially in interior villages.

FEATURES

• All postal products and services will be made available and marketed and publicized at village level, under the Five Star Villages scheme.
• Branch offices will function as one-stop shop to cater all post office – related needs of villagers.

The schemes covered under the Five Star scheme include:

i) Savings Bank accounts, Recurrent Deposit Accounts, NSC / KVP certificates,

ii) Sukanya Samridhi Accounts/ PPF Accounts,

iii) Funded Post Office Savings Account linked India Post Payments Bank Accounts,

iv) Postal Life Insurance Policy/Rural Postal Life Insurance Policy and

v) Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana Account / Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana Account.

RATING

• if a village completes three schemes, then that village get three-star status and so on.

SIGNIFICANCE

• The scheme is being launched on pilot basis in Maharashtra.
• Based on the experiences in Maharashtra , it will be implemented nation-wide.
• The Postal Department has been playing a major role in the implementation of Government schemes, leveraging the immense strength of its vast network.

PILOT PROJECT

• The entire state of Maharashtra will be covered under the scheme.
• Two rural districts / areas for each region have been identified.

• Regional offices will identify the villages to be covered.

IMPLEMENTATION TEAM

• The scheme will be implemented by a team of five Gramin Dak Sevaks who will be assigned a village .

• This team will be headed by the Branch Post Master of the concerned Branch Office.
• Mail overseer will keep personal watch on progress of team on daily basis.
• The teams will be led and monitored by concerned Divisional Head, Assistant Superintendents Posts and Inspector Posts.

CAMPAIGN

• Wide publicity will be given by displaying the information on notice board of Branch Office.
• Prominent places of targeted villages like Panchayat Offices, schools, markets will also be used for advertising and pamphlets will be distributed.
• Small melas will be organized, considering COVID-19 safety guidelines.

TRAINING AND MONITORING

• Required training and infrastructure, covering all schemes, would be provided to all branch offices in identified villages.
• The scheme progress and target achievement will be closely monitored at Circle, Regional and Divisional levels.
• Monthly progress will be reviewed by the Chief Post Master General.

    IASbhai WINDUP: 

• Postman and Postal Department are a vital part of the ordinary citizen’s life.
• India Post has been serving the people in an extraordinary way in the difficult situation which has emerged due to COVID-19, by bringing them medicines and financial assistance.

     SOURCES:THE HINDU & PIB | Five Star Villages Scheme | UPSC

DISCOVER MORE : SCHEMES

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