Mangaluru gets its first postal ATM at Hampankatta

July 11, 2015

Mangaluru, Jul 11: The postal department (India Post) on Friday opened its first ATM in the city at Hampankatta Head Post Office. Another ATM is expected to be opened at the Kulashekar Post Office here in the next few months. A third ATM will come up shortly at the Puttur Head Post Office.

These ATMs are part of the core banking solutions being put in place at the post offices. As many as 17 post offices in Mangaluru Division and 14 in Puttur division have so far migrated to Core Banking Solutions (CBS). Savings bank account holders in the CBS post offices in these two divisions and the other CBS post offices in the country can make use this ATM.

Postmaster General (South Karnataka Region) Shirtady Rajendra Kumar said these ATMs were being set up in Head Post Offices and other urban centres where the volume of transactions was more. RuPay Post Office ATM cards will be issued to saving bank account holders with a minimum balance of Rs. 500.

This ATM card can be used only at Post Office ATM but not in ATMs of other banks. Similarly ATM cards of other banks cannot be used at the Post Office ATM. “We are yet to get necessary permission,” Mr. Kumar said.

He said initially ATM cards were given to serving and retired employees. Process has begun to issue these ATM cards to saving bank account holders who apply for this facility. There are around 1.70 lakh savings bank account holders in Mangaluru Division, of which 70,000 persons hold accounts in post offices that have migrated to core banking solutions, he said.

Among the 17 post offices that have migrated to CBS are the offices in Kankanady, in the District Court complex, Mary Hill, Surathkal and Mulky Bazar.

MP Nalin Kumar Kateel inaugurated the new ATM at Hampankatta, which was the sixth Post Office ATM to be opened in the State. Mr. Kateel said opening of the ATM was a step towards taking services of India Post to the public. Retired Senior Superintendent of Post Office S. Gopal was the first to transact from his pension account using the ATM card.

Comments

Add new comment

Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.

QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

News Network

December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

Comments