Department of Posts will deliver essential items through National Road Transport Network with 22 routes of over 500 kilometres. This initiative will give a fillip to movement of essential items within the country as Department of Posts is capable of delivering parcels carrying essential items anywhere in the country.<br />''<br />''Due to the lock down due to COVID-19, the supply chain management of essential items in the country got disrupted as the passenger airlines, railways and state roadways stopped plying.<br />''<br />''Commmunications Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had encouraged Department of Posts to think out of the box in the crisis period. As a result of this, the idea of starting a road network with the existing fleet of departmental vehicles, primarily used for intra- city delivery, was conceived. Department of Posts has already taken a number of initiatives to ensure supplies of essential items including medicines , Covid- 19 testing kits, masks, sanitizers, PPEs and medical equipments to all corners of the country. It has also been delivering cash at doorsteps specially of old, divyangjan, pensioners through Aadhar enabled payment system. <br />