GRAMEEN SANCHAR SEWAK SCHEME

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The Grameen Sanchar Sewak (GSS) Scheme is gaining popularity with around 80 lakh metered calls being made during the period from December 24, 2002 till the end of August, 2003. As per the available information, 1962 Grameen Dak Sewak Delivery Agents (GDSDAs) covering about 8200 villages have been provided with fixed wireless terminals having display facility in a carrybag to offer door-to-door facility to the villagers.

The Grameen Sanchar Sewak (GSS) Scheme was launched in December last year through a pilot scheme to provide WLL facilities to villages devoid of telecom facilities through rural postmen carrying WLL mobile phones. This pilot scheme has been implemented through the GDSDAs of the Department of Posts (DoP) to be called as ‘Grameen Sanchar Sewaks’ who were willing to work as franchisees for the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) attached to the rural post offices. The telephone facility has been provided to the villages through the GSSs who carry a mobile fixed wireless terminal (FWT) with display unit facility in a carrybag and visits door-to-door to provide telephone facility to the rural population in his routine beat in the villages. The FWT costing around Rs.10,000/- has been supplied by the BSNL. In this pilot project, 1800 GSSs have been selected to extend telephone facility in about 8000 villages of the country. The scheme has been implemented in all the telecom circles, except Andaman and Nicobar, Haryana and Punjab. The scheme is applicable on the existing STD/ISD/PCO franchisee basis. The GSSs are entitled to 20% commission on all outgoing calls whereas DoP is entitled to 5% commission. The GSSs can charge Rs.5/- for passing on the message to the concerned persons in the villages.