In order to take economic development and technology to large masses of
the country, the Indian government is contemplating to install especially designed
Gramtells (rural ATMs) at post
offices.




The suggestion to set
up Gramtells at post offices formed part of the recommendations of the Steering
Committee on Micro Finance and Poverty Alleviation, which is being considered by
the Planing Commission for incorporation in the Eleventh Plan
(2007-12).

Gramtellers are rural ATM
machines developed by Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras. They operate
by using smart cards and fingerprints in place of conventional personal
identification numbers and magnetic
cards.

"The post office network
in the country should be used to deliver banking services, especially in the
rural areas," the Committee
suggested.

They should further
be encouraged to work as business facilitators and banking correspondents in
accordance with Reserve Bank guidelines, it
said.

The Common Service
Centres (CSC), developed by the Information Technology Department to take
electronic services to villages, may also be linked to post Offices to synergise
the technology to handle financial products, the Steering Committee
proposed.

It recommended that
multi-purpose, unique ID-based smart card system should also be utilised for
effective delivery of micro-credit.

Via Times of India