Gutur: Union Minister for Communications Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia addressed over 9,000 Gramin Dak Sevaks at the GDS Sammelan held in Guntur on February 22, 2026.
The Department of Posts, Andhra Pradesh Circle, organised the GDS Sammelan with participation from Gramin Dak Sevaks across the state. The large turnout reflected their role in rural postal services.
Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Shri N. Chandrababu Naidu attended the event. Minister of State for Communications & Rural Development Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar also joined the programme. Member (Personnel), Postal Services Board, Shri Suvendu Kumar Swain, MLA Shri Mohammed Naseer Ahmed, and Mayor of Guntur Shri Kovelamudi Ravindra were present.
In his address, Scindia said India Post managed nearly 38 crore Post Office Savings Bank accounts with deposits of about ₹22 lakh crore. He added that around 3.8 crore Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana accounts held deposits of approximately ₹2.27 lakh crore. According to him, these figures showed the scale of financial inclusion through the postal network.
He described Gramin Dak Sevaks as a vital link between government services and rural citizens. At the same time, he outlined steps to modernise the mail and logistics network.
India Post introduced conveyor systems and scientific sorting. It also deployed RFID, barcodes and QR-code tracking to improve efficiency. In addition, drone-based delivery systems were introduced in hilly regions such as Jammu & Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh to strengthen last-mile connectivity.
GDS Sammelan focuses on reforms and recognition
During the GDS Sammelan, ten best-performing Gramin Dak Sevaks received recognition for their work. They were honoured for excellence in Post Office Savings Schemes, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, Postal Life Insurance, Rural Postal Life Insurance and Direct Benefit Transfer services.
Dr. Pemmasani Chandra Sekhar said the Department operated about 1.65 lakh post offices nationwide with over 4.5 lakh employees. He stated that annual expenditure stood at around ₹35,000 crore, while revenue was about ₹13,000 crore. In Andhra Pradesh, expenditure was around ₹1,800 crore against revenue of ₹600 crore last year. This year, revenue rose to nearly ₹850 crore.
He further noted that continuous monitoring reduced ‘nil transaction’ post offices from about one lakh earlier to around 1,500. As a result, operational efficiency improved significantly.
Addressing the gathering, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu highlighted the role of GDS employees in grassroots governance and welfare delivery. He said their human touch remained crucial despite rapid technological change. Moreover, he stressed the importance of green initiatives, including support for electric mobility for GDS staff.
The Department said the GDS Sammelan recognised the contribution of Gramin Dak Sevaks in delivering citizen-centric services to the last mile.
