Bihar at fifth position in terms of inward remittance

PATNA: Bihar figures at fifth position in the country in terms of receiving foreign remittances, with a total of over Rs 200 crore sent through post offices in the last fiscal. Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh are ahead of Bihar in terms of remittance sent by Indians to their home through Western Union money transfer with assistance from post offices, Anil Kumar, Director, Business Development, Bihar postal services told PTI.

Like other states, remittances to Bihar also came mostly from gulf countries, he said.  Within Bihar, major share of remittance was sent to post offices of Siwan, Bhojpur, Muzzafarpur, Gopalganj and Patna, the Director said.

Due to large sums of money coming from abroad, these districts are popularly referred as "money order districts."  Kumar said in Bihar, more than one lakh people sent remittance though western union money transfer.

Out of 9,614 post offices in the state, 225 of them have the facility of money transfer.  Across the country there are 1.55 lakh post offices out of which 1.20 lakh have money transfer facility.

The official said the department has started mobile money transfer (MMT) in rural areas of the state for making transfer of money even more easier.

This service was launched in 118 post offices in rural areas of Bihar, he added.