The Department of Posts, under the Ministry of Communications, recently launched the Five Star Villages scheme. This initiative aims to increase the public’s awareness and accessibility of postal products and services, particularly in rural areas. The intention is to bridge the existing gap and provide universal coverage of flagship postal schemes in rural regions of the country.
Objective of the Five Star Villages Scheme
The purpose of the Five Star Villages scheme is to ensure that a range of flagship postal schemes become universally accessible to people living in rural areas. These schemes provide various financial services, including savings accounts and insurance policies.
Features of the Scheme
The Five Star Villages scheme includes three primary components: Product and Service Availability, Product and Service Publicity, and Product and Service Marketing. As part of this scheme, branch offices will function as comprehensive one-stop centres, catering to all post office-related needs of the villagers.
Schemes Included in the Initiative
The Five Star Villages Scheme covers a variety of schemes: Savings Bank Accounts, Recurring Deposit Accounts, NSC/KVP certificates, Sukanya Samridhi Accounts/PPF Accounts, Funded Post Office Savings Account linked India Post Payments Bank Accounts, Postal Life Insurance Policy/Rural Postal Life Insurance Policy, and Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana Account/Pradhan Mantri Jeevan Jyoti Bima Yojana Account.
Rating System Under the Scheme
A unique feature of this initiative is its rating system. Each scheme corresponds to one star of rating. Therefore, if a village achieves universal coverage for four schemes, it will earn a four-star status.
Pilot Implementation
Currently, the Five Star Villages scheme is being launched on a pilot basis in Maharashtra. Based on the insight and experience gained from this preliminary stage, the scheme will be implemented across the country.
Implementation Strategy
The scheme’s implementation strategy involves a team of five Gramin Dak Sevaks who will be tasked with marketing all products, savings, and insurance schemes of the Department of Posts in one assigned village. The Branch Post Master of the concerned Branch Office will lead this team, while mail overseers monitor the progress daily.
Significance of the Five Star Villages Scheme
The scheme’s launch is timely, given how the India Post has been providing critical services during the difficult Covid-19 period. By delivering medicines and financial assistance, the Postal Department has exemplified its significant role in implementing government schemes. Postal schemes are renowned for their secure deposits, offering higher returns with low risk.
By converging various schemes under a single umbrella, the Five Star Villages scheme supports the broader national goal of Aatmanirbhar Bharat (Self-reliant India), which seeks to promote financial inclusion.
