Now, India Post to sell biscuits, photo frames and mugs - NEWS CHENNAI: After introducing auxiliary mail services in an attempt to salvage its sinking fortunes, India Post will now sell biscuits, photo frames and mugs. After opening in Bengaluru and Mysore, Chennai's first Post Shoppe will come up at the head post office on Anna Salai next month. Postmaster General Shri Merwin Alexander said the store would also sell pens, markers, gum, books and souvenirs with the India Post logo. It will be located next to the multiple counters for postal and banking operations, so that customers can pick up stationery, and more. "Post Shoppe is aimed at bringing various items of selected utility on sale under one roof. There will also be greeting cards," said Alexander. "Despite the internet, there are still many takers for greeting cards as it makes a difference to the receiver who would cherish it and keep it as a fond memory from a loved one," said Alexander. There was also a plan to have coffee vending machines at the shop, he added. The postmaster general said the facility would augment the needs of the customer and also add value to the place. "If a customer walks in and finds that he is not carrying a pen, he can quickly get it from the Post Shoppe. And then there are other things he can buy. It is all about customer delight," said Alexander. "In short, it is expected to be a shelf of aesthetics and utility." After seeing the response in Chennai, India Post will decide whether to replicate the store in tier two cities. Customers are welcome to send in suggestions on the content and feel of Post Shoppe, said an official. Against the onslaught of email and instant communication using computers and smart phones, India Post has been trying to reinvent itself through a variety of improvised communication services such as e-post, e-money order and e-tracking.

No proposal to introduce flexi-time option for employees: Government -- NEWS New Delhi: In what may not sound as a good news to government employees, the Centre on Wednesday said there is no proposal to introduce 'flexi-time' option for them. "No madam," Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said in a written reply in Lok Sabha. He was asked whether government proposes to introduce flexi-time option for its employees. There were reports that the government could introduce this system to lessen the burden on employees who have been putting in more hours after the introduction of Aadhaar-based biometric attendance system. The standard time in central government offices is 9 am to 5.30 pm. But several employees are putting in more hours. Against this backdrop, some Secretaries have allowed their personal staff to leave early on rotation basis as they also sit late with senior officials and even work on weekends. Attendance system indicated that government employees who moved to the biometric system are already working 20 minutes longer than they did in September last when the system was introduced, some reports had suggested. Most employees who come in late, also stay well past 5.30 pm to work more than the mandated 8 hours, senior officials have maintained. The sixth Pay Commission had recommended flexi-timings for women if they put in the requisite 40 hours every week. India News Desk