Telangana Postal Circle introduces OTP based delivery and revised speed post tariff from October 1

Starting October 1, Telangana Postal Circle will implement OTP-based delivery for Speed Post across 6,000 plus post offices. Speed Post rates are being revised for the first time since 2012. New features include discounts for students and secure delivery options

Hyderabad: The Telangana Postal Circle is set to implement OTP-based delivery for Speed Post services in over 6,000 post offices across the state starting October 1.

Recipients of Speed Post parcels will receive a One-Time Password (OTP) on their registered mobile numbers, which they must provide to the delivery personnel to receive their parcels, ensuring deliveries are made to the correct recipients.

---

The speed post was introduced on August 1, 1986, and until October 2012, the tariff continued unchanged. Now, after a gap of 13 years, the revised tariff will take effect from October 1, a senior Telangana Postal Circle official told ‘Telangana Today‘.

Recently, the Department of Posts, working under the Ministry of Communication, has revised the Inland Speed Post (Document) tariff and introduced new features to improve reliability, security, and customer convenience.

“According to the revised tariff, in local areas, the new Speed Post rates will be Rs 19 for items weighing up to 50 gm, Rs 24 for items weighing between 50 gm and 250 gm, and Rs 28 for items weighing between 250 and 500 gm,” the official said. Additionally, for items weighing up to 50 gm and traveling distances of 200 to 2000 km, the revised tariff of Rs 47 will be charged.

Goods and Services Tax (GST) will also be applied to Speed Post items. The Ministry has introduced a 10% discount on the Speed Post tariff to enhance accessibility for students. Moreover, a special discount of 5 per cent will be provided to new bulk customers, the postal official explained.

Registration is now available as a value-added service under Speed Post for both documents and parcels.

“A nominal charge of Rs 5 per Speed Post item, plus applicable GST, will be levied for the registration service, wherein the item will be delivered exclusively to the addressee or a person duly authorised by the addressee,” stated the Ministry of Communications’ orders.

Postcards and inland letters continued in the post office, but usage declined:

Yellow postcards and blue inland letters, which were introduced by the Department of Posts several decades ago, continued their sales in post offices.

However, there was a noticeable decrease in demand for these traditional forms of communication, with people preferring digital means of communication over physical mail.

Telegrams: Discontinued across India in 2013 due to advanced technology

Telegrams, which were used to send urgent messages, were permanently discontinued in India in 2013. Once, telegrams were used for announcing births and deaths, as well as sending job postings. However, they were forced to discontinue their use due to the introduction of more advanced technology.