MOBILE MONEY ORDER

RANCHI: Jharkhand neither qualifies as a state, which generates maximum money orders, nor as one that receives too many money orders like Punjab and Bihar, which have long earned the distinction of doing so. This could well have been the reason behind the delay in the launch of the mobile money order service (MMOS) that was launched in Bihar and Punjab much earlier in May 2011.

Jharkhand office of India Post is gearing up for the modern facility that is expected to make money transactions easier for those who do not have an account in a bank or post office.

"A requisition is pending with the office of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) for registration of SIM card to be used in this service. BSNL is acting as a partner in the project. We expect the service to be launched for the customers in Jharkhand within a month," said an officer of the business development section in Ranchi.

The postal department nationally has entered into an agreement with BSNL to provide MMOS using mobile phones. For this purpose, necessary input based on the requirements of the department was furnished to BSNL for development of software.

Under MMOS, money can be transferred to any location in the country once the service is made available in post offices across the country. Sources in the postal department said, "For transactions up to Rs 5000, the postal department charges a fee of 5%, which includes the share of service provider (in this case, BSNL).

While the customers can possess SIM cards of any mobile service provider, BSNL helps generate a code in the post office where a customer deposits money along with a form. The form should contain details of the receiver along with a valid mobile number. Once deposit is made in the post office, a machine-generated code is messaged to the recipient's mobile. The recipient, after producing this code and a proof of identity, can collect the money from any designated branch of the post off