Mobile money order service to be launched on August 16

PATNA: Buoyed by the success of the pilot project of mobile money order service, launched about two months back, the postal department is set to launch this service in 2300 post offices across the state on August 16 and a total of 3,000 post offices by October.

This was stated by Brigadier G Bhuyan, state chief postmaster general, Bihar, while addressing a press conference here on Wednesday.

Since the launch of the pilot project in four states of the country, Bihar has received and sent the highest number of money orders. After the success of pilot project in Bihar, Haryana, Kerala and Delhi, the service would be made functional in five more states - Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Jharkhand - from August 16.

"In Bihar, the pilot project was initially launched in 18 post offices only. After a month, it was introduced in 123 more post offices and another 105 post offices after three more weeks. Since the launch of this service, we have completed over 1,000 mobile money order transactions, sending over Rs 11 lakh and receiving more than Rs 18 lakh," said Brigadier Bhuyan.

Parimal Sinha, director, postal services, Bihar, said, "We have given special training to postal employees to carry out the service." Mobile money orders allow a person to send up to Rs 10,000 at a go. The postal department charges Rs 45 as commission for money order of Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,500, Rs 79 for transaction of Rs 1,501 to Rs 5,000 and Rs 112 for Rs 5,001 to Rs 10,000.

To avail the service, the sender has to go to post office and fill up a form giving the mobile number of the recipient. Once the form and cash is deposited at the originating post office, four SMSes are generated by postal department, of which one each is received by the sender and recipient of the money order while the remaining two SMSes are received by the sender and recipient post office. When the receiver of the money order withdraws the money from the nearest post office, again four SMSes are generated and sent to the same mobiles confirming withdrawal of the money. However, the receiver has to show his identity card to withdraw the money. Also, a special code is generated while the money is being deposited by the sender, which can be used by the recipient if his location shifts from the recipient post office.

Anil Kumar, marketing director, postal department, Bihar said, "BSNL is our technical partner in the service while a private Gurgaon-based firm, Maverick Mobile, is the application partner." Thought the postal department is using BSNL network, the sender and the recipient of the mobile money order can use any mobile network of their choice.