Retired Postal Officer Urges Major POSB Reforms, Seeks Horizontal Passbooks and Automatic Printing Kiosks
Retired Postal Officer Seeks Major Reforms in POSB Operations, Urges Redesign of Passbooks and Introduction of Automatic Passbook Printing Kiosks
A comprehensive representation highlighting long-pending operational issues in the Post Office Savings Bank (POSB) has been submitted to Shri Subrat Das, Secretary, Department of Posts, by Shri Vilas Ingale, Retired Assistant Director Postal Services (A&V), Foreign Post Office, Mumbai, and former General Secretary of the All India Association of Inspectors and Assistant Superintendents of Posts.
In his letter dated 24 July 2026, Shri Ingale has called for urgent reforms in POSB operations, including the redesign of POSB passbooks, installation of Automatic Passbook Printing Kiosks, and proper regulation of passbook supply across post offices.
Concern Over Vertical Passbook Design
The representation points out that the existing vertical, centre-stitched POSB passbooks frequently damage dot-matrix printer heads because the print head repeatedly strikes the stitched portion during printing. According to Shri Ingale, this results in frequent printer failures, increased maintenance costs, and inconvenience to customers who often encounter "Passbook Printer Out of Order" notices at post offices.
He contrasted this with nationalized and private banks, which use horizontal passbooks designed to avoid contact with the stitched portion, thereby extending printer life and ensuring uninterrupted service.
Proposal for Automatic Passbook Printing Kiosks
Shri Ingale has also urged the Department to modernize POSB services by introducing Automatic Passbook Printing Kiosks, similar to those widely used in banks. Such kiosks would enable customers to update their passbooks independently without waiting in long queues, particularly in busy Head Post Offices.
According to the representation, introducing self-service kiosks would improve customer convenience, reduce staff workload, and support the Government's Digital India initiative.
Proper Supply of Passbooks
The representation further highlights irregularities in the supply and distribution of POSB passbooks. While the POSB Manual provides for single-page passbooks for schemes such as Time Deposit, NSC and KVP, and multi-page passbooks for accounts like Savings Bank, RD, MIS and SCSS, many Divisions have reportedly not fixed authorized quotas for Sub Post Offices.
Shri Ingale has requested that every Divisional Head should prescribe and notify the authorized quota of both categories of passbooks under Rules 5 and 6 of the POSB Manual Volume-I, ensuring monthly replenishment strictly as per departmental rules. He believes this would reduce wastage of stationery and improve inventory management.
Earlier Suggestions Yet to Be Implemented
The retired postal officer recalled that during his tenure as Head Postmaster, Chembur Head Post Office (2005–2008) and Senior Postmaster, Thane Head Post Office (2015–2016), he had proposed adopting a horizontal passbook design. He also stated that, during his tenure as General Secretary of the All India Association of Inspectors and Assistant Superintendents of Posts (2012–2017), the matter was formally taken up with the Department and discussed personally with the then Deputy Director General (Savings Bank), who had assured that the proposal would be examined. However, according to him, no decision has been implemented so far.
Key Requests to the Department
In his representation, Shri Ingale has requested the Department of Posts to:
- Redesign POSB passbooks in a horizontal format to prevent printer head damage.
- Launch a pilot project for Automatic Passbook Printing Kiosks in major city post offices.
- Direct all Divisional Heads to fix authorized quotas of passbooks and ensure strict compliance with the provisions of the POSB Manual Volume-I.
Copies of the representation have also been forwarded to the Director General, Postal Services, Member (Customer Satisfaction), Postal Services Board, DDG (CS, QA & I, MM), and all Chief Postmasters General for information and necessary action.
The proposed reforms, if implemented, are expected to reduce maintenance costs, improve operational efficiency, minimize customer waiting time, and significantly enhance the overall customer experience in Post Office Savings Bank services.