23/02/2016
In six months, postal debit cards will work at bank ATMs
In six months, those having accounts with post offices
can use their postal debit cards to withdraw cash from Automated Teller
Machines (ATM) operated by banks too.
With the
inauguration of an ATM facility at the Park Town head post office on
Monday, all the city’s nine head post offices, including the ones at
Mylapore, Avadi and St.Thomas Mount, have ATMs now.
In
the Park Town head post office, to start with, 250 customers will be
provided with debit cards and more customers will get theirs soon.
Charles Lobo, chief postmaster general, Tamil Nadu circle, inaugurated
the ATM and distributed debit cards.
Once the
facility of interoperable ATMs are in place, bank customers can withdraw
cash from ATMs at post offices too, said Mervin Alexander, postmaster
general (Chennai City Region) at the function.
At
present, there are 52 lakh postal savings account holders in the Chennai
city region. Of these, nearly 16,000 account holders have been provided
with debit cards.
Officials of the postal department
say that such cards were given to those who maintain a minimum balance
of Rs. 500. Steps are being taken to create more awareness about postal
ATMs among customers.
Customers are likely to soon
enjoy the benefits of net banking with the department now operating it
on a trial basis. Post offices in the Chennai north division are
conducting a campaign to get residents, especially autorickshaw drivers
and vendors in the Park Town area, to take up Pradhamar Natchathra
Paadhukappu.