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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, speaking exclusively with News Agency, expressed strong personal satisfaction with a key initiative in the Union Budget 2025: transforming India Post into a major logistics player.
In her first interview after presenting the budget, Ms Sitharaman was asked by News Agency's Editor-in-Chief about the scheme, to which she responded, "I'm happy that you asked this question. I get a sense of gratification from this scheme. In India, in every town or village, the only central government person who is directly connected with families is the postman. From good news to bad news, everything comes through the postman."
Ms Sitharaman said the government aims to utilise the existing network of 1.5 lakh rural post offices to enhance connectivity and service delivery. She said that post offices are already functioning as payments banks, but their vast reach remains underutilised.
"Even today, they carry letters and couriers. In every village, there is a post office that also runs as a payments bank. So when there is such a vast network of post offices, are we using it to its full potential? That's why we announced the scheme," she said.
The 2025 Budget - which saw big-ticket announcements on revised income tax slabs and an increase to the rebate ceiling, from Rs 7 lakh to Rs 12 lakh - was a response to the 'voice of the people', Ms Sitharaman said.