EXCEPTION.- See however Rule 110-A.
65. Deleted.
66. Articles with undecipherable or incomplete address. - (1) Articles
fond in the course of sorting with destinations that are illegible or imperfect or written
in an unknown character, or without envelopes or wrappers so that the destination
cannot be ascertained, should be placed in the compartment of the sorting case labeled
"Undecipherable". When the sorting is competed, these articles should be examined
and every endeavour should be made to decipher the addresses; if necessary, the
assistance of other Assistants or Sorting Assistants should be obtained or the List of
Indian Post Offices should be consulted.
(2) If the destinations can be ascertained, the names of the post-towns
should be written clearly on the articles by the Sorting Assistant and they should then
be disposed of in the usual course. Articles, the covers of which are so overlaid with
writing or with postmarks as to leave no room for the clear entry of destination should
be forwarded to the Postmaster of the office of destination in an ordinary
correspondence envelope. If the destinations cannot be ascertained, the articl3es, after
having been shown to the Postmaster or Head Sorting Assistant, as the case may be
should if they are nto fully prepared be closed in an ordinary correspondence
envelope addressed to the R.L.O. and marked "Undecipherable" in the upper left-hand
corner. This envelope should then be sorted for the Post Office which serves the
R.L.O. Articles found in the office of posting or in the course of sorting wit hout the
addressee’s name or post -town of destination and the articles which are fully paid but
destinations of which cannot be ascertained should be returned to the sender, if his
name and address appear on the outside; in all other cases, such articles should be sent
to the R.L.O. in the same way as those with undecipherable or incomplete addresses.
The Postmaster or Head Sorting Assistant should satisfy himself that the action
proposed to the taken by the Sorting Assistant is correct. He should impress on he
latter that it is preferable to send articles, the destinations of which are doubtful, to the
R.L.O than to forward them to Post Offices merely on the change of their reaching the
addresses. When necessary, a small bag should be used instead of envelope. In such
cases, a label should be pasted to the bag addressed to the R.L.O. and marked
"Undecipherable" in the upper left-hand corner.
EXCEPTION 1. - This rule does not apply to correspondence addressed
"Camp" (or other prescribed address with no post-town) for certain high officers on
tour, the disposal of which is governed by the special rules on the subject. When
articles of any kind addressed "Camp" or "Camp Post Office" are received by an
office or section which has not been specially instructed how to dispose them of, they
should be sent to the office or section working towards the camp if authentic
information is available regarding the movements of the "Camp": or "Camp Post
Office". If no such information is available, the articles should be forwarded to the
first sorting office on the route to the headquarters station of the address, or direct to
the headquarters station if no sorting office intervenes.
DEXCEPTION 2.- This rule does not also apply to correspondence for
persons serving in any Indian Navy Ship and addressed merely to the Squadron, Fleet
or Naval Station to which the ship attached or to the ship itself, without the addition
of the name of a post town. Such articles should be disposed of in accordance with
instructions in Appendix.
EXCEPTION 3. - A telegram bearing an incomplete or undecipherable
address found in the course of sorting should be sent to the Post Office of the place
where it was posted. When the office of posting cannot be determined owing to
indistinct or illegible date stamp impression, the telegram should be sent to the R.L.O.
for disposal.
(3) Articles received for delivery with addresses which cannot be easily
read or are so incomplete that they cannot at once be distributed, should be put aside
till the close of the distribution, and then every endeavour should be made to decipher
or complete the addresses with the assistance, if necessary, of other staff and the
Postmen. If the addresses cannot be deciphered or completed, the articles should be
shown to the Postmaster who will decide whether they are to be transferred to the
deposit department for transmission to the R.L.O. or to the sender.
67. Preparation of labeled bundles.- (1) A labeled bundle should not
normally contain more than 50 to 60 letters and postcards. Large articles, such as
newspapers and packets, should be separately bundled and, when such articles are to
form a station bundle and cannot conveniently be tied together, the bundle with its
check slip should be enclosed in a dosuti bag, to which should be tied a label, showing
the name of the place for which the articles are intended.
EXCEPTION -- Separate station or sorting bundles should be prepared for
(i) first class and surcharged second class articles and (ii) un-surcharged second class
articles . The words ‘First Class’ and ‘Second-Class’, as the case3 may be, should
invariably be written in blue pen on the check slip M-10 (a) of all station and sorting
labelled bundles.
NOTE.- When drill bags are used f or enclosing labeled bundles, the
postal or Sorting Assistant by whom the mail list is prepared should be asked to note
the number of such bags in words and figures, at the top of the list. Where a mail list
is not prescribed, the Registration Assistant or Sorting Assistant should be asked to
make this note at the top of registered list.
(2) Deleted.
(3) The letters "TD" should be added after the name of all Post towns
having more than one Town Delivery Office, in the address of the check slip of
labeled bundles for those towns when they are likely to contain articles for more than
one Town Delivery Office. Labelled bundles containing articles for only one Town
Delivery Office should have the name of that office or its Delivery Zone number/PIN.
The TD bundles will be opened by the offices that perform town delivery sorting
work for the town or those that prepare direct bags for the Town Delivery Offices in
the particular towns.
(4) Separate labeled bundles should be closed for Foreign Air Mail book
packets, sample packets, printed papers, newspapers, etc., whenever the number of
such articles is not less than five. A blue check slip should be tied to each bundle
marked boldly ‘A.O.’ In the case of unpaid or sorting articles, the necessary indication
in manuscript should be made in the check slip.
(5) Territorial Bundles should be prepared in the case of Foreign Air
Mail articles when the number of articles for any country is not less than five.
68. Deleted.
69. Contents of a station mail bag for a head or sub-office.- A station
mail bag for a head or sub-office may contain the following articles intended for
delivery from the office itself as well as unpaid articles of the letter mail for delivery
from branch offices in account with it:
(a) station bundles, paid and unpaid;
(b) Registered including Insured and V.P./ Parcel mail articles entered
in a parcel list;
(c ) and unregistered parcels.
It must always contain a registered bag. Station mail bags exchanged between a head
Office and any of its sub-offices must also contain an account bag unless there is
more than one dispatch daily to the sub or head office, in which case the account bag
must be enclosed in one of the mail bags.
70. Contents of a station mail bag for a branch office. - A station mail bag
made up by an office for a branch office with which it is not in direct account may
contain only paid station bundles and registered articles (excluding V.P. and articles
on which customs duty is to be realized) of the letter and parcel mail with the
registered and parcel lists and unregistered parcels.
71. Contents of a sorting mail bag. - A sorting mail bags may contain the
following articles intended for onward transmission from the office to which the bag
is addressed:-
Station bundles;
Sorting bundles;
Registered articles including insured and V.P. parcel and mail articles
entered in the parcel list; and unregistered parcels;
It must always contain a registered bag. It may also contain account bag.
NOTE 1.- This rule does not apply to sorting mail bags closed by a Post
Office at the headquarters of a circle for the local R.L.O.
NOTE 2.- In case bag is routed through weighment system, the
instructions contained in Clause 235 of Chapter IV should be followed
72. Contents of a combined mail bag.- A combined mail bag for a Post
Office may contain all the articles mentioned in the preceding rules as forming the
contents both of station and sorting mail bags. The registered bag to be enclosed in a
combined mail bag will contain both station and sorting registered articles.
72-A. A bulk bag. - The system of ‘Bulk bag’ is available for
dispatch/receipt of special bags of printed papers to/from addressee/senders in foreign
countries except Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and Pakistan. The salient features of the
Bulk bag System are given below:-
Printed papers for the same addressee at the same address may be enclosed
in one or more special bags. The bags shall be so closed as to enable the Post Office
to inspect the contents. Each bag shall weigh not less than 5 kgs and not more than 30
kgs. The bags shall be legibly addressed with rectangular labels not smaller than 125
x 60 mm. In size tied round the neck indicating the full name and address of the
addressee and the weight of the bag including the contents. A similar label shall be
provided by the sender of the items and shall be of canvas strong cardboard with an
eyelet, strong thick plastic material or paper glued to wood. Bulk bags may be sent
either as unregistered or registered. Registered bulk bags, however cannot be sent to
Argentina, Cuba, Peru and the Philippines. Only on registered bulk bags, the bulk
registration fee will be changed at the rate specially prescribed.
The application for the bulk bag facility should be made to the Head of the
Circle through the Post Office where it is proposed to post such bags giving
particulars of average amount per posting and frequency of such postings together
with a general indication of the destinations. The Head of the Circle will decide
regarding the amount of security deposit to be kept in the Post Office depending upon
the approximate amount of postage payable in a month and the cost of one or more
bags to be supplied t a single posting. The se nder of such bags will then deposit the
amount in cash or in a Post Office Savings bank Security Deposit Account or in
national Savings Certificate pledged to the
Head of the Circle or by a guarantee from the State Bank of India. After the security
amount is deposited, the sender will be issued a licence and he will be authorized to
post such bags. He will hand over the bags to the Post Office with an invoice in
duplicate in the prescribed form, one copy of which will be returned to him after due
verification. On the basis of such invoices relating to a month, a bill will be sent to
him on the 10
th of each succeeding month which he has to settle within seven days of
the date of receipt. In the event of the non-payment of the bill as aforesaid, his
licence shall be cancelled immediately and the amount due shall be recovered from
his security deposit, and where necessary under Section 12 of the Indian Post Office
Act, 1989. The licence, is revocable by the Head of the Circle by means of a seven
day’s notice in writing with-out assigning any reason whatsoever. The licence though
terminated may, however, be renewed by the Head of Circle under the terms and
conditions which he may think proper to impose.
If any dispute arises regarding the licence, the matter shall be referred to
the Director-General, Department of Posts, whose decision thereon shall be final.
Empty bags required for packing will be supplied by the Post Office
authorized in this behalf. The postage payable on such bulk bags shall be at the rates
as prescribed from time to time.
The total amount of charges collected on bulk bag is shown on the table
outside the bag. Bags containing items to be submitted to Customs examination must
compulsorily bear the green label C1 on the rectangular label tied round the neck of
the bag.
When a bulk bag is received from a foreign country to an addressee in
India, the Postmaster of the Post Office or Incharge of the Mail Office shall send an
intimation in the prescribed form duty complete d. The addressee or any other person
authorized on his behalf shall produce a receipt duly signed at the Post Office and
accept the bulk bags. He shall undertake to return the empty postal bags used for
packing the bulk bags within three days from the date of their receipt.
The Post Office may pay compensation in the event of a loss of a
registered bulk bag upto a maximum limit prescribed from time to time. Indirect loss
of profit will not be taken into account in calculating the amount the amount
compensation.
For each bulk bag exceeding 500 grammes in weight, a Customs Clearance
fee as prescribed in chargeable instead of a charge per item contained in the bag.
73. Preparation of mail bags for dispatch.- (1) A label bearing the name
of the offic e of destination should be stamped and fastened to the cord with which
each bag is to be tied, and then loosely attached to one of the rings of the bag. The
bags with the labels attached should be placed in a convenient position near the
sorting case, so that the contents of the several compartments may be readily
transferred to them. When all the bags and articles to be enclosed in the mail bags
have been placed in them, they should be closed and sealed with the date seal. If
there are no articles to send in a mail bag, an empty mail bag duly closed and sealed,
and containing a registered bag must be dispatched.
(2) In Post Offices where the same Assistant is not in charge of both the
sorting and mail departments, the Sorting Assistant should use the sorting-seal in
sealing bags closed by him.
(3) When, in exceptional circumstances, a telegraph cover is forwarded
in a mail bag, the words "Telegraph Cover" should be conspicuously written in red
ink on the label of the mail bag.
(4) When a cash bag enclosed in a registered bag is forwarded in a mail
bag, the symbol ‘F’ should be conspicuously written in red ink on the label of the mail
bag.
NOTE 1 .- In the case of sorting mail bag or a B.O. bag addressed to a
Post Office by a Mail Office, the word "Sorting" or the words ‘B.O. bag", the case
may be should be written conspicuously on the address side of the tag label by Head
Sorting Assistant.
NOTE 2.- In any case in which the due number of account and branch
office bags is not enclosed in a mail bag, the Sorting Assistant or Head Sorting
Assistant, as the case may be, should record on the registered list included in the mail
bag a remark showing the cause of sort dispatch or non-despatch. In cases where
registered lists are not exchanged, a memo, explaining such reasons should be
enclosed in the mail bag.
NOTE 3.- When there are two or more dispatches prescribed daily
between a Post Office and a set of a Mail Office or between Post Offices, or between
sets of different mail offices, the dispatches should be numbered in a consecutive
order and marked on the label of the mail bag as well on the label of the registered
bag, and in the mail list, if any.
NOTE 4.- For giving of receipts, see Rule 64 of Postal Manual, Volume-
VI (Pt. 1).
74. Plural mail bags.- If, as an ordinary circumstance, the bulk of the
correspondence for any office is more than a single mail bag can contain, the use of
two or more mail bags will be ordered in the due mail list. In such cases, the mail
bags should be numbered 1, 2 and so on, and these numbers should be marked on the
labels of the bag. The registered bag should always be placed in mail bag No. 1. The
use of several due mail bags instead of one will also be prescribed whenever it is
desirable to limit the size and weight of the bags to be carried.
75. Extra mail bags.- Whenever, owing to the unusual bulk of the
correspondence to be dispatched to an office or section, it is necessary to use one or
more bags in excess of the number entered in the due mail list, the words "Extra bag"
should be written on the label of each additional mail bag and, in Post Offices, the
Mail Assistant’s attention should be drawn to the circumstance. Extra bags should
contain only unregistered articles, the registered bag being ordinarily placed in the
usual due mail bag.
EXCEPTION.- When the weight of the registered bag to be included in
the Air Mail bag exceeds the prescribed weight of 30kg, a separate registered bag
containing only uninsured articles may be closed (for inclusion in the extra Air Mail
bag). When this is done, an indication to the effect that the extra bag contains
registered bag should be given on the due registered list enclosed in the due Air Mail
bag.
76. Mail Lists.- (1) The due mail list will show in what causes mail lists
are to accompany transit and other loose bags dispatched or received. As a general
rule, mail lists should accompany transit and other loose bags only when the due
mails to be received or dispatched comprise more than one bag; but when transit bags
are made up, mail lists of their contents must always be prepared and placed inside.
(2) In the case of Mails conveyed under contract in a vehicle provided by
a Contractor, unusual mails and special bags must invariably be accompanied by mail
lists.
(3) Mail exchanged by one Transit Section with another and between
Transit Sections and Mail Offices will be accompanied by sectional mail lists
containing details of all the bags, due as well as unusual, invoiced in them; a sectional
mail list must always be prepared, irrespective of the number of bags dispatched; and
in the case of mails transferred at a changing station by a relieved set to a relieving
set, or by one set of mail office to another, the official in charge of the latter is
required to sign the original list in proof of having received the mails correctly.
NOTE.- A Superintendent may, when he considers it advisable, order the
use of sectional mail lists by Post Offices at stations, where a large number of bags,
due and unusual are dispatched to the Railway Mail Service.
(4) No correction, may on any account be made in totals of the entries in
mail list prepared; if an incorrect total has been entered, the list should be destroyed
and a fresh one prepared.
(5) An official, whether of Post Office, Railway Mail Service, or mail
motor organization, entrusted with the work of exchanging mails should Mail
Contractors or from other mail carriers. When he receives the bags, he must bring to
the notice of the official in charge of the Post Office, Mail Office section, or the
official concerned scrutinize the seals on bags made over to him and check the
number of bags entered in the mail lists. He will be responsible for the number and
the condition of bags received by him from the Post Office, Railway Mail Service,
any defects in the condition of the bag seal, card, label or any discrepancy in the
number of bags and obtain a suitable endorsement on the mail list when prescribed or
on a separate memo. The discrepancies and defects should also be brought to the
notice of the official in charge of the Post Office or Railway Mail Service or the Mail
Motor Organization on his arrival at the office.
(6) Mail list in normally prepared in duplicate. But when a non-postal
agency is involved in transmission of mail, mail list is to be prepared in triplicate or
quadruplicate depending on the number of agencies involved.
76/1. Entry of forward mail lists in the mail lists for intervening offices
and Transit Sections.- (1) When mails are forwarded by one office to another
through one or more intervening Transit Sections or offices, the forward mail list
should be entered in the mail list for the next intervening section or office under the
head ":Due Mails" in the column for "Transit Bags" against entries of the names of
the section or office of dispatch and that of destination and followed by an entry of the
total number of forward bags invoiced in the forward mail list thus:-
"J-3. Out (to) A-13. IN. 1 Mail List with 4 bags"
These entries should be similarly repeated by all the intervening sections
or offices. The forward mail list should, in each case be included in the total of the
due mails entered in the mail list for the intervening office or section.
(2) When special bags with mail lists are forwarded through one or more
intervening offices, the mail list should be entered under the head "Unusual Mails" in
the column for "Special Bags" thus:- Coimbatore RMS/2 (to) The Governor of
Tamilnadu 1. mail list with one bag.
76/2. Inland air mail delivery bill.- (1) The due mail list will show in
what cases inland air mail delivery bills are to accompany the mail dispatched or
received through air services. As a general rule, inland airmail delivery bill must be
prepared for dispatch of air bags to each port of call, irrespective of the number of air
mail bags dispatched.
(2) Air mail bags are exchanged by a Post Office or a Mail Office with the
air carrier at the port or at any other place prescribed for the purpose.
(3) Six copies of the inland air mail delivery bills M-57, M-57 (a), M-57
(b)] in respect of dispatch of air mail bags for each port of call of the air service
should be prepared and signed by the Despatching Officer. Four copies of the
delivery bill should be handed over to the Agent or representative of the air carriers
along with the mails and his receipt should be taken on the office copy of the delivery
bill which should be filed with the work-papers. The first copy of the delivery bill
should sent to the Air Mail Accounts Section of the Postal Directorate. The Air
Carriers will hand over one copy of the delivery b8ill at destination along with the
mails to the Postal Officer. The same should be signed by the receiving officer and
kept as office records. A receipt for the mails should also be given by the receiving
officer to the air carriers on their copy of the delivery bill at the space provided for the
purpose in the form.
(4) No corrections may, on any account be made in the delivery bills
prepared. If any incorrect total has been made, the delivery bill should be destroyed,
and a fresh one prepared.
(5) All the rules relating to the security of mails lists will apply mutates
mutandis to the security of inland delivery bills.
(6) When air mail bags, advised in a direct delivery bill, have to pass
through an intermediary office, the office of dispatch of he bags should also make a
suitable indication in the "Remarks" column of its direct delivery bill, to the
intermediary office, regarding the particulars of the forward delivery bills in respect
of which the intermediary office has to arrange for the onward transmission of the
bags. These remarks should be made as in the specimen below:-
Palam T.M.O. (to) Patna -1 Delivery bill with 3 bags.
The bags indicated in the forward delivery bills should not , however, be
included in striking the total or in arriving at the total weight of bags indicated in the
direct AV-7 prepared for the intermediary office.
(7) In the event of misconnection of the connecting air service, the
forward delivery bills should be opened by the intervening airport sorting office at
which the misconnection occurred, and the misconnected air mail bags dispo0sed of
expeditiously. Such misconnected mails should be shown in the monthly statement
"B" sent to C.A.O., I.A.C., New Delhi and DA (A/c) Section of the Postal
Directorate, New Delhi, as laid down in Rule 32 of Air Mail Accounts Manual.
77. Plural transit bags.- If, as an ordinary circumstance, the bulk of the
mail to be dispatched to any office is more than a single transit bag can contain, the
use of two or more transit bags will be ordered in the due mail list. In such cases, the
due transit bags should be numbered 1, 2 and so on, and these numbers should be
marked on the labels of the bags. Each plural transit bag closed should contain its
separate mail list showing the particulars of bags enclosed therein.
78. Extra transit bags.- Whenever, owing to the unusual bulk of the mails
for an office or section it is necessary to use one or more transit bags in excess of the
number entered in the due mail list, the words "Extra bag" should be written on the
label of each additional transit bag. The number of extra transit bags should be
included in the number of due mails entered in the mail list as actually dispatched and
a note should be written on the mail list specifying the number of extra transit bags
made up. Each extra transit bag closed should contain its separate mail list showing
the particulars of bags enclosed therein.
79. Deleted.
89. Water-proof bags.- (1) When the use of water-proof bags by a Post
Office or for mails conveyed by boat or runners, during the rainy season, is ordered
by the Superintendent, the Mail Assistant concerned will be responsible that such
bags are used only during the period fixed. At the end of the rains, the bags should be
kept in the office to which they were supplied, and not returned to the Stock Depot
nor should they be used during the dry section except in wet weather.
(2) Water-proof bags are not supplied to the RMJS but if such bags are
received by a Transit Section or Mail Office from a Post Office, they should be
utilized for the dispatch of return mails to that office.
81. Immediate examination and verification of mails.- (1) The immediate
examination of the mails received is the most important duty of the Mail Agent/Mail
Guard. In Post Offices, the Mail Assistant and in sections and , in sections and mail
offices, the Mail Agent or Guard or the Head Sorting Assistant or the Mail Sorting
Assistant in sets in charge of a section guard Head Sorting Assistant, to whom the
duty of receiving mails has been delegated must carefully and closely examine seal,
cord, label and the condition of each bag and satisfy himself that the correct number
of bags is received without any signs of damage or tampering. If a mail list
accompanies a dispatch, the bags actually received should be compared with the
entries in the mail list.
NOTE.- If any one of the bags shows signs of damage or tampering, the
procedure prescribed in Rule 193 should be followed.
(2) If the Mail Assistant, the Mail Guard or Head Sorting Assistant or the
Mail Sorting Assistant in sets in change of a selection grade Head Sorting Assistant,
to whom the duty of receiving mails has been delegated takes delivery of the mails as
correct and in good condition and permits the carrier to leave the office without a
written explanation for any discrepancies noticed or does not question in writing the
official in charge of the Transit Section from which the mails were received, the
carrier or the official will be free from all responsibility, which will then rest entirely
on the Mail Assistant, ma il Agent or Guard or the Head Sorting Assistant or the Mail
Sorting Assistant in sets in charge of a Selection Grade Head Sorting Assistant, to
whom the duty of receiving mails has been delegated as the case may be, in the event
of a bag being-subsequently found to be missing or to have been tampered with.
82. Disposal of mail lists received.- As soon as the mails received have
been compared with the entries in the mail lists which accompany them, these
documents must be signed by the Mail Assistant, mail Agent or Guard or Head
Sorting Assistant or the Mail Sorting Assistant in sets in charge of a selection grade
Head Sorting Assistant, to whom the duty of receiving mails has been delegated as the
case may be, who may hen put them aside and at his leisure, stamp them and place
them or record, provided that this is done before the close of the working hours, in the
case of Post Offices and Mail Offices or before arrival at the terminal station, in the
case of Transit Sections.
REGISTRATION AND PARCEL DEPARTMENTS
83. Meaning of the expression "Registered articles of the letter mail" and
"Parcel mail articles".- Whenever in the Manual Rules these expressions are used,
they include, respectively, the following classes of articles, unless it is clear from the
context that any of them is excluded:-
I
Ordinary registered letters and packets
V.P. registered letters and packets,
Insured letters (ordinary and v.p.)
Insured envelopes
Registered bundles, and
Insured bundles
II
Unregistered parcels,
Ordinary registered parcels,
V.P. registered parcels and
Insured parcels (ordinary and v.p)
84. Conditions regarding registration, insured, etc. - The conditions
regulating the posting of parcels, the registration of articles of letter and parcel mail,
their insurance and dispatch under the value payable system, and allied information,
"in respect of inland articles and, foreign articles" are contained in Indian Post Office
Rules, 1933 as corrected from time to time. Articles should be accepte d only if they
satisfy these conditions. In the matter of insurance of a registered letter or a parcel, it
should be ascertained, as the case may be, if insurance service is available to the
office or country to which the article is addressed.
(2) Registered and insured article addressed to foreign countries should be
treated in the same way as inland articles of the same classes and forwarded to the
office of foreign exchange concerned. An acknowledgement for a foreign insured
article should, however, be prepared only if the prescribed fee for such an
acknowledgement is paid by means of stamps affixed to the article in addition to the
postage and the fees for registration and insurance.
NOTE.- "The name and address of the sender of a foreign insured lette r
should be recorded in the space provided for the purpose on the receipt in the
registered journal".
85. Distinguishing letters placed before numbers.- The classes of
registered articles of the letter and parcel mails named below are distinguished by the
following letters placed before the numbers:-
Insured articles – by "Ins",
V.P. articles – by "V.P."
Postal service registered articles – by cipher "O", and the same mode fo
distinguishing these classes of articles should be adopted wherever the numbers are
recorded.
NOTE. - In the case of registered or insured bundles, the distinguishing
letters "R.B." or "I.B." are used as part of the number.
86. Number slips printed with names of offices of posting.- When the
number of articles of any class for which number slips are used, posted at an office,
averages fifty a day or more, the name of the office will, under the orders of the Head
of the Circle, be printed on the number slips for that particular class of articles
supplied to the office, but not on any other number slips.
NOTE. – See Note below Rule 22 (1)d of the Postal Manual, Volume VI,
Part-I.
87. Acknowledgements for registered articles and enquiries re -grading
foreign registered articles of the letter mail and foreign parcels.- If the sender of an
uninsured registered article desires to obtain an acknowledgement of its delivery, he
must affix postage stamps to the article inn payment of the prescribed fee. The
acknowledgement from filled in by the sender should be impressed with the namestamp
in the space provided for the purpose and the name of the office of destination
should be clearly noted on it in ink below the word "Acknowledgement". The entry
regarding number ion the acknowledgment should in all cases be made in ink.
(2) An abbreviation "A.D." should be written in bold letters in red ink on
the face of the article and on the number slip. It should also be written across the
receipt in the center and reproduced on the note of the receipt in the registered journal.
(3) Registered articles of the letter mail and parcels addressed to foreign
countries for which acknowledgements of receipts are required by the sender should
be marked on the face very clearly with the words "NOTICE OF RECEIPT" or
stamped with the letter ‘AR’ completed by the mention "BY AIR" (by air) if the
sender wants the article to be sent by air. The same entry should also be made on the
dispatch note in the case of foreign parcels which are required to be accompanied by
dispatch notes. The articles should then be forwarded to the office of exchange
concerned accompanied by the special form of acknowledgement of receipt in
postcard size. The form should be duly filled in by the office of origin.
(4) The sender of a Foreign Registered Article can also express his desire
to get back the Acknowledgement by air, provided that he pays the prescribed fee for
the same. In that case, the words "RENVOI PAR AVION" (Return by Air Mail)
should be written in bold letters on the front side of the acknowledgement form (C-5)
and a blue "PAR AVOIN" (By Air) impression or label should also be affixed by the
sender.
(5) The Post Office or the RMS official booking registered articles is
responsible to see that an acknowledgement, when paid for, is actually attache d
securely to the article by the sender.
(6) When the sender of a foreign registered article of the letter mail or a
foreign parcel applies for an acknowledgement of receipt after the article has been
posted, he should be required to pay the prescribed fee and to present a written
application. The fee should be converted into postage stamps of equivalent value,
which should be partially affixed, that is, along their upper edge, to the application.
The letter should then be forwarded in an unregistered cover to the office of exchange
concerned and should be accompanied by the prescribed from mentioned in Para. (3)
in which should be entered an exact description of the registered article or parcel (its
nature, office of origin, and date of posting, numbers and complete address of the
addressee).
(7) If the sender of a foreign registered article complains of the nonreceipt
of an acknowledgement which has already been paid for, his complaint should
be forwarded to the office of exchange concerned through the Divisional
Superintendent accompanied by the prescribed from duly filled in by the office of
origin in the manner described in the preceding paragraph. If a similar complaint is
received from the sender of an inland registered article, an attested copy of the
addressee’s receipt on record in the office of delivery should be furnished to him
through the Divisional Superintendent.
(8) Final reply to the complainant after necessary enquiries are completed
should always be issued from the administrative unit in which the office of booking is
located and not from the office of exchange which is not normally expected to
correspond with the complaints.
NOTE 1.- If the sender or addressee of a foreign registered article of the
letter mail posted in a foreign country belonging to the Universal Postal Union and
addressed to a place in any other country belonging to that Union, desires to have an
enquiry made regarding the disposal of the article, he should be required to pay the
prescribed fee and present a written application. The fee should be converted into
stamps of equivalent value. The stamp should then be loosely affixed to the
application and should thereafter be forwarded to the Head of the Circle.
NOTE 2.- If the sender or addressee of a foreign parcel desires to have an
enquiry made regarding its disposal, action should be taken as described in the
preceding note.
87-A. Complaints and enquiries relating to the Foreign mail.- the
complaint or enquiry for information regarding an article of the foreign letter mail or
parcel mail is received at a Post Office or RMS Office, the Postmaster or Head
Sorting Assistant should see that postage stamps equivalent to the fee and charges
prescribed in the Appendix to the Post Office Guide, Part -II, have been affixed to the
letter of complaint or enquiry. If the party making the complaint or enquiry has not
attached a facsimile of the envelope, or, of he writing on the covering of the article, he
should be request to do so; but the complaint or enquiry should not be withheld if the
party fails to comply with the request. If the complaint relates to a "Cash on
Delivery" article, it
should further be seen that it is accompanied by a copy of the relative money order.
Full particulars, as far as possible, should be obtained from the party. In the case of
registered articles and parcels, the particulars regarding the number, date of posting
and office of posting should be verified from the receipt produced by the sender. If
he is unable to produce the receipt and the article had been posted at the same office,
these particulars should be verified from the office records. The letter of complaint or
enquiry with the postage stamps affixed on it, and he necessary enclosures should
then be forwarded to the office of exchange through the Divisions Superintendent
furnishing full information regarding 5he manner of disposal in case the complaint or
enquiry relates to an article posted at the office. The Divisional Superintendent will
be responsible to see that complete action has been taken and in the case of articles
posted in India, as full information as possible regarding the disposal of the article in
question has been furnished, before he forwards the case to the office of exchange.
88. Parcel containing inadmissible communications.- If at the time of
presentation at the counter of the Post Office for dispatch it comes to notice that a
parcel contains more than one written communication of the nature of a letter, or
having the character of a personal communication or any such communication
addressed to a person other than the addressee, the parcel should not be accepted for
dispatch and the sender should be told accordingly. If, however, the irregularity
comes to notice in course of transmission by post after the parcel has been accepted
for dispatch it should be endorsed "For Open Delivery" and forwarded to destination
for arranging an open delivery to the addressee.
NOTE.- The condition that a parcel shall not contain more than one
written communication of the nature of a personal communication shall not apply to
an official parcel which contains office files, provided that no single file shall contain
more than one communication of such nature or having such character which was not
contained therein when the file was received in the office from which it is being
dispatch.
89. Preparation of registered bundles.- (1) Whenever there are more than
two uninsured registered articles of the letter mail for any Post Office for which a
direct mail bag is not closed, the Registration Assistant or Sorting Assistant as the
case may be, should enclose them in a station registered bundle for that office. The
registered articles should be entered in a registered list, and after being arranged in the
order of entries in the list, they should be tied together and enclosed, together with
the list, in the prescribed envelope or if necessary, in a dosuti bag, clearly addressed to
the office of destination. Before the registered list containing entries of uninsured
registered article is placed in the bundle, the total number of articles contained in the
bundle should be entered in the space for RL/VP provided at the foot of he registered
list and all other items should be scored out. The envelope should be securely
fastened down with gum and then sealed with good sealing wax at the three places
marked for the purpose on the envelope. A number should be given to it
corresponding to the number of articles it contains preceded by the distinguishing
letters "R.B.". If a bag has to be used, it should be sealed in the ordinary
way, and an envelope prepared in the manner indicated above should be attached to it
as a label. The registered bundle should then be placed with other registered articles
inside the registered bag under preparation for office to which the mails for the office
to which it is addressed are sent.
NOTE.- In case where drill bags are used for enclosing registered bundles,
the number of bags so used should be written in words and figures at the top of the
registered list.
RB should be entered in the registered list as below:
RB 3 Guntakal HO
RB 5 of Bellary HO
(2) If on any date the same office makes up two or more registered
bundles each containing the same number of articles, the number entered on the
registered bundle and in the due registered list in which it is invoiced should show the
name of the office of destination.
These entries should be similarly repeated by all intervening offices. If
two registered bundles bear ing the same distinguishing mark pass through the same
office at the same time, the names of offices closing the registered bundles should be
added within brackets thus:-
R.B. 5 R.B. 5
_________ (of Lucknow GPO) ___________ ( Delhi GPO), etc.
Agra Fort Agra Fort
(3) The letters "TD." Should be added after the name of the post town in
the address of the registered bundles for all places shown in Appendix -8 of the
Classified List of Indian Post Offices, Pt. II for which town delivery sorting is done
by the RMS except by those sections which perform this work.
NOTE.- All offices and RMS sections performing T.D. work which do
not close direct T.D. Bags should close direct registered bundle for the town delivery
office s of all places shown in Appentix-3 of the Classified List of Indian Post Offices,
when the number of the articles for each town delivery office exceeds two, provided
they are addressed to a town delivery office such as Mylapore, Ballygange, Parel or
bear the zonal delivery numbers such as Chennai-5, Kolkata -16, Mumbai-1, etc.
(4) Territorial registered bundles should, where prescribed, be prepared in
the same manner as station registered bundles except that the envelop or label should
be superscribed with the name of State, clearly defined tract of country of foreign
country to which the article in the bundle are addressed as well as the name of the
office or section by which the bundle is to b e opened.
DNOTE 1.- Territorial bundles should be prepared in the case of Foreign
Air Mail article whenever the number of article for any country is not less than five.
NOTE 2.- Uninsured registered articles for dispatch to the R.L.O. may be
sent in registered bundles addressed to the R.L.O.
NOTE 3.- Registered article to be dealt with by a Mail Office or section
may, under the orders of the Head of the Circle, be put up by another Mail Office or
section in registered bundles.
(5) Separate registered bundle should be closed for Foreign Air Mail book
packets, sample packets, printed papers, newspapers, etc., whenever the number of
such articles is not less than five. A blue check-slip should be tied to each bundle
marked boldly ‘A.O.’. In the case of unpaid or sorting articles, the necessary
indication in manuscript should be made in check-slip.
89-A. Insured Bundles. - Whenever there are two or more insured letters
for dispatch from one Post Office to another, the office of dispatch will enclose them
in an insured bundle addressed to the latter, except that in the case of insured letters
for places for which two delivery sorting is done by the RMS no insured bundles will
be prepared unless there are two or more insured letters for one and the same town
Post Office of delivery. The insured letters for inclusion in the bundle will be placed
in an insured envelope, or, if necessary in a dosuti bag, clearly addressed to the Post
Office of destination. A number will be given to the insured bundle corresponding to
the number of letters it contains, preceded by the distinguishing letters "I.B.", with the
name of the office of destination below it, thus:-
I.B. 5 I.B. 6, etc.
Delhi GPO Lucknow 1
These entries should be similarly repeated by all intervening offices. If two insured
bundles bearing the same distinguishing mark pass through the same office at the
same time, the names of offices closing the insured bundles should be added within
brackets thus:-
I.B. 5 (of L8ucknow) I.B. 5 (Ambala), etc.
Delhi GPO Delhi GPO
The insured bundle will be properly closed and sealed. If a bag is used, it
will be labeled with a plain manilla tag label. The weight in grams will be entered in
words on the insured envelope or the insured label, as the case may be.
90. Preparation of registered and parcel lists.- (1) When the mails are
under preparation for dispatch, registered and parcel lists should be prepared. When
there are tow or more dispatches prescribed daily between a Post Office and a set of a
Mail Office, or between Pos t Offices, or between sets of different Mail Offices, the
dispatches should be numbered in a consecutive order or registered list and parcel list.
The total number of registered articles for despatch with each registered or parcel list
should be entered in the registered or parcel abstract immediately after the preparation
of the registered or parcel list for the office to which it is to be sent.
(2) A parcel list should be prepared every day for each Post Office, Mail
Office to which the sorting list shows that parcel mail articles may be sent, whether
there are parcel mail articles for dispatch or not. If no any day there are no parcel
mail articles for dispatch with a parcel list, the blank list to be sent should be duly
stamped and signed, and the word "nil" should be written in the place for total. Blank
parcel lists need not be prepared in duplicate. No office copy is necessary. A note is
to be made in the parcel abstract.
EXCEPTION.- As no-delivery town sub-offices which have no branch
offices in account with them do not exchange registered articles or parcels with their
hand offices and stationery sorting offices in the same station on Post Office
holidays, these no-delivery town sub-offices need not exchange "nil" registered and
parcel lists with those offices on Sundays and Post Office holidays. A remark should,
however, be made in the registered or parcel list sent on the following day to the
effect that the previous day was a Post Office holiday.
NOTE.- In no-delivery offices which are not authorized to deliver from
their window insured and value-payable articles exceeding the prescribed limits of
value, the total number of registered articles and bundles or of parcels dispatched each
day should be recorded on the back of the last used page of the registered journal for
the day, instead of in the parcel or registered abstract, as the case may be. The
dispatch items should be totaled and tallied separately in respect of ordinary registered
(including V.P.) and insured articles booked and registered and insured bundles
prepared.
(3) In the case of inland parcels charged with postage, customs duty or
registration or other fee, or dues, the amount due should be noted against the entry of
the parcel in the parcel list. The distinguishing letters prescribed for the different
classes of parcels should also be used when required.
(4) Registered and parcel lists should be prepared in duplicate by means
of carbonic paper and, if more than one registered or parcel bag is closed for any
office or Transit Section, a separate list should be prepared for each bag. The upper
(pencil copy) should be kept on record and that lower (carbonic) copy should be
dispatched, with the articles.
(5) (a) The abbreviation "A.D." should be written in the registered
list/parcel list immediately before the number of the registered parcel/registered letter
for which acknowledgement has been paid for by the sender and the
acknowledgements (if any) relating to the registered parcels entered in the parcel list
should be arranged in the order of the entries and attached to the copy of the parcel
list for dispatch.
(b) If there is any postage due on the article or customs duty due on the
article, it should be entered in the column provided. The total of suc h amount should
be entered at the top of the list in the column ‘charge due’.
(6) If any correction is made to the entries of the numbers or of the offices
of posting in a list, it should be attested by the initials of the Assistant or Sorting
Assistant Concerned; BUT NO CORRECTION IS ON ANY ACCOUNT TO BE
MADE IN THE TOTAL OF THE ENTRIES IN A LIST. If an incorrect total has
been entered in a list, the list should be destroyed and a fresh one prepared.
(7) The total number of articles to be sent with each list with the details,
for which spaces are provided at the foot of the list should be entered in words. If
there are any money order bundles for despatch with a registered list, the total number
of such bundles also should be entered separately at the foot of the list in the space
provided for the purpose. The list should then be stamped and signed by the Assistant
or Sorting Assistant concerned. If more than one page is used, each page should be
numbered and totals carried over from page to page with remarks "carried over" or
"brought forward", as the case may be; each page should be stamped and the last page
signed by the Assistant or Sorting Assistant concerned, the other pages being initialed
by him.
(8) The registered list sent in registered bags which are prescribed to
contain a cash bag, must invariably be impressed in addition to the registration date -
stamp, with the date -stamp of the treasury branch and where there is no separate datestamp
for the treasury, with the round money order stamp of the sub-Postmaster. The
registered list should bear the details of the remittances made as prescribed in Rule 59
(2) of the Postal Manual, Volume -VI, Part III, the entries of which should be signed
by the sub-Postmaster or treasurer. In the event of these being no remittance, there
should nevertheless be an
entry of ‘nil’ remittance with empty cash bag and lock recorded over the signature of
the sub-postmaster or treasurer.
(9) In Post Offices, registered articles of the letter or parcel mail for
branch Offices in account which perform registration work independently should be
made over with the registered or parcel lists when prescribed to the sub-account
assistant under receipt to be taken in the registered or parcel abstract. Registered a nd
parcel lists for such branch offices of this class are due documents.
(10) Articles registered in a Post Office for delivery from the office itself,
or from any of its branch offices which are not authorized to perform registration
work independently, should be entered in a station registered list.
(11) In Post Offices, the ascertained weight of the insured articles to be
dispatched to branch offices should be noted in the registered list against their
respective entries.
NOTE.- Insured envelopes and insured bundles should be entered in the
same registered lists and place in the same registered bag as other registered articles
of the letter mail. When there are no insured envelopes or bundles for despatch, the
word "nil" should be entered in the space provided at the foot of the registered list.
Insured parcels should be entered in the same parcel lists as other registered parcels.
V.P. articles should be entered in the same registered or parcel lists and in the same
way as ordinary registered articles of the letter or parcel mail.
91. Closing of registered bag, registered packet and parcel bags.- (1)
When a registered or parcel bag or a registered packet bag is to be closed, the articles
to be a placed in it, with the acknowledgements (if any) should be examined with a
view to making the correction of errors in sorting. The articles should then be
checked with the entries in the list concerned, and the total number of articles advised
in each list should be compared with the number entered in the appropriate abstract.
(2) The registered articles of the letter mail should be arranged in the
order of the entries in the registered list, tied in a bundle and then enclosed with the
registered list in the bag which should be labeled, closed and sealed as prescribed in
Rule 130, with the registration seal, or in offices where this seal is not in use, with the
date-seal. Registered bags and registered packet bags must always be closed and
sealed in the presence and under the direct supervision of the Registration Assistant or
Registration Sorting Assistant, as the case may be, and he will be held responsible for
the correctness of their contents. Registered bags containing cash bag should be
closed and sealed in the
immediate presence of the supervisor or the sub-postmaster ass the case may be, and
sealed with insurance seal. The Registration Assistant will also be present during the
process of inclusion of the cash bag and the sealing of the registered bag. Registered
bags containing ins5ured articles or diplomatic bags should be closed in the presence
of the Postmaster or the Head Sorting Assistant, as the case may be , and sealed with
his insurance seal. Before such bags are closed and sealed , he should verify the
entries of insured articles or diplomatic bags in the registered list and sign both the
pencil and carbon copies of the list in token of his having carried out the check. Both
copies should be signed separately, either in ink or blue pencil, and not by means of
the carbonic process. The stamping should also be done separately on both copies.
The bags should be made over under receipt (to be taken in the registered abstract) to
the Sorting Assistant or Head Sorting Assistant or the Mail Sorting Assistant in sets in
charge of a selection grade Head Sorting Assistant to whom the duty of closing mail
bags has been delegated.
The Postmaster of Head Sorting Assistant should examine every insured envelope and
bundle for despatch to satisfy himself that it has not been tampered with.
(3) The parcel list, with the acknowledgements attached should be placed
with the parcels in the parcel bag which should then be labeled, closed and sealed
with the parcel seal or, in offices where this seal is not supplied, with the date-seal.
Parcel bags must always be closed and sealed in the presence and under the direct
supervision of the Parcel Assistant or Parcel Sorting Assistant as the case may be, and
he will be held responsible for the correctness of their contents. Parcel bags
containing insured bags should be closed in the presence of the Postmaster or Head
Sorting Assistant as the case may be, and sealed with his insurance seal. Parcel bags
should be handed over under receipt to be taken in the parcel abstract to the Mail
Assistant or Head Sorting Assistant.
NOTE.- The Postmaster’s or Head Sorting Assistants personal duties
prescribed in this rule may, under the orders of the Head of a Circle, be delegated to
the Deputy Postmaster, Assistant Postmaster, Supervisor or Office Supervisor of the
Office, as the case may be.
(4) Care should be taken that only bags which are in every respect sound
and strong are used as registered or registered packet or parcel bags.
(5) When there are two or more desptches prescribed daily between a Post
Office and a set of a mail Office or between Post Offices, or between sets of different
mail offices, the dispatches should be numbered in a consecutive order on the label of
the registered bag. It should also be seen that the same despatch number has been
written on registered list and/or parcel list.
(6) Whenever there are 5 or more Registered/Insured parcels to a
particular delivery PO, a direct parcel bag is to be closed.
(7) When all the parcels are addressed to the same addressee, three copies
of the parcel lists are to be kept in the bag.
92. Closing insured bag.- (1) When an insured bag is to be closed, the
insured parcels for despatch should, after entry on the issue side of the parcel abstract,
be shown along with parcel list in which they are entered, to the Postmaster or Head
Sorting Assistant as the case may be, who should sign both pencil and carbon copies
of the list, separately, either in ink or blue pencil, and not by means of the carbonic
process, the stamping being also done separately on both copies. The insured parcels
should then be placed by the Parcel Assistant or Parcel Sorting Assistant himself in
the insured bag in the presence of the Postmaster or Head Sorting Assistant who
should satisfy himself that the parcels entered in the list have been actually placed in
the bag.
(2) The insured bag should then and there be closed, sealed and labeled by
the Parcel Assistant or Parcel Sorting Assistant in the presence of the Postmaster or
Head Sorting Assistant in the manner described in Paragraph (4) and should then be
accurately weighed in his presence. The name of the office of destination as indicated
in the parcel sorting list should be written on the insured label and the weight (in
grams) of the bag should be clear ly noted thereon, in words and in kink, in the place
provided as well as in the parcel abstract against the entry of the name of the Post
Office or Transit Section to which the insured bag is despatched.
NOTE.- In no-delivery offices, which are not authorized to deliver from
their window insured and V.P. articles exceeding the prescribed limits of value, the
weight of the insured bag should be noted on the office copy of the parcel list
dispatched.
(3) The Postmaster or Head Sorting Assistant will be responsible that
each bag contains the correct number of insured parcels, that the insured parcels have
not been tampered with before despatch, that the bags used are in good condition, that
they are properly closed and sealed and that the weight is entered correctly8 in ink on
the insured label and in the parcel abstract.
NOTE.- The Postmaster’s or Head Sorting Assistant’s personal duties
prescribed in this rule may, under the orders of the Head of a Circle, be delegated to
the Deputy Postmaster, Assistant Postmaster, Supervisor of the office, as the case may
be.
(4) Light drill cloth bags should always be used for insured bags, which
should be closed, sealed and labeled in the following manner:-
A blue tag label should be fastened to a price of strong card which should
be tied tightly round the neck of the bag and knotted in two places opposite each
other; the ends of the card should then be passed through the holes of a tin seal-holder
and again
fastened in a knot. The insurance seal should be impressed of good sealing-wax
applied over the knot of the cord in the hollow of the tin seal holder and also over the
knot at the point opposite, under which a price of paper should be first placed in order
to prevent damage to the bag. An insured label should be pasted to the tag label.
NOTE.- A canvas bag of suitable size may be used for the preparation of
an insured bag when the parcels to be enclosed in the bag cannot conveniently be
placed in a dosuti cloth bag and a remark ‘canvas bag used’ should be entered at the
top of the parcel list.
93. Use of more than one registered or parcel bag for the same office or
Transit Section. - (1) When the number of registered articles of the letter mail or
parcels to be dispatched to a Transit Section or Office necessitates the use of more
than one registered or parcel bag, the labels on the bags should be clearly numbered
1, 2 and so on. By the side of the number marked on the label of bag number 1 should
be written the total number of bags forming the despatch, thusk1/3, ¼ etc. The bag
made up last should be numbered 1, so that the total number of bags can conveniently
be noted on the label.
(2) A separate registered or parcel list, as the case may be, should be
placed in each bag, giving a deta il of its contents and bearing the number given to the
bag, thus "Bag No. 1", "Bag No. 2" and "Bag No. 3" in the case of a despatch
consisting of three bags. By the side of the number written on the list enclosed in Bag
No. 1 should be entered the total number of bags forming the despatch, as in the case
of a label of that bag. The receiving office or Transit Section should see by reference
to the second number on the list enclosed in Bag No;. 1 that all the bags comprising
the despatch have been received. If, from any cause, Bag No. 1 is not received along
with the others forming the despatch, the irregularity should be noted, and a telegram
sent to the despatching office or, in the case of a Transit Section, to the record office
concerned intimating the non-receipt of the bag in question and enquiring what the
total number of bags used for the despatch was.
94. Deleted.
95. Deleted.
96. Opening of registered, registered packets and parcel bags and
examination of their contents.- (1) The registered bags and bundles and registered
packets bags addressed to an office and the insured envelopes and bundles addressed
to a Post Office should be opened by a Registration Assistant and the parcel bags
addressed to an office by the Parcel Assistant. When there are two or more receipts
prescribed to be received daily from a Post Office or a set of a mail Office, the labels
of the registered bags as well as the registered and parcel lists should be properly
scrutinized to see that the correct despatch number is written by the dispatching
office.
NOTE.- Insured envelopes appertaining to letters for delivery from a Post
Office or from branch offices in account which are not authorized to perform
registration work independently should be preserved until the addressees’ receipts
have been obtained. Those appertaining to letters which are redirected or sent for
delivery to branch offices authorized to perform registration work independently
need not be preserved.
(2) All registered bags and registered pac ket bags received in any Airport
Sorting Office, office of foreign exchange, Post Office or RMS office which usually
receive diplomatic bags should be transferred to the registration department under
proper receipt. A responsible official of the branch should invariably accompany the
Group "D" official taking the registered bags from the Mail Department to the
registration department unless the transfer already takes place in the direct presence of
such an official. The bags should be carefully checked alo ng with the way bills or the
mail lists, and the condition of the seals should be examined. If there is any suspicion
of tampering, it should be brought to the notice of the officer -in-charge of the office
immediately.
The registered bags and the registered packet bags should be opened one
by one under the immediate supervision of the Supervisor or the Head Sorting
Assistant hwo will be personally responsible for examining the contents as soon as
they are placed on the registration table. He should remove immediately any article
which is clearly marked as a Diplomatic Bag and then tick off on the registered list
the entries pertaining to the articles so removed. If the office is an office of exchange,
the Diplomatic Bags should be shown by the Supervisor personally to the Customs
Appraiser to enable the latter to pass them. The Supervisor should thereafter, transfer
the Diplomatic Bags to the Head Sorting Assistant, Postmaster or other officer incharge
of the office or set who will be personally responsible for keeping these
articles in safe custody inside a locked receptacle until they are required for actual
despatch. While advising such articles in the registered list for despatch, special care
should be taken to make a remark. "Diplomatic bag" against the entry of each
Dip0lomatic Bag in the list.
(3) All the registered articles, parcels (including registered packets
received in registered packet bags and parcels received in mail bags) and cash bags
should be carefully examined and compared with the entries in the registered or parcel
lists. The parcel lists should also be examined to see the acknowledgements (if any)
relating to the acknowledgement due registered parcels, entered thererin, have been
correctly received and the list should then be signed. The total number of articles
received with each registered or parcel list should be entered on the receipt side of the
registered or parcel abstract. In examining a registered article or a registered packet
or parcel, the place where the number slip, stamp label of any other price of paper,
etc., is pasted to the article, whether by the sender or by the Post Office, should be
subjected to minute scrutiny so as to detect any attempt to cancel signs of tampering.
While examining inward foreign articles which bear the indication
"Opened for Customs Examination", particular attention should be paid to see that the
special seals used by Exchange Offices for sealing such articles and the fastening are
intact.
(4) The sealed cash bags received in the registere3d bags should, after
careful examination of the outward condition of the bag and seal, be handed over by
the Registration Assistant immediately under receipt to the Treasurer or the Sub-
Postmaster, as the case may be.
(5) Insured envelopes and registered and insured bundles should be
examined with special care to see that that are in good condition, that they have been
properly closed and sealed and that the seals and fastenings are intact. Any
imperfection, however slight, in any of the se respects should be immediately brought
to the notice of the Postmaster or Head Sorting Assistant, as the case may be, an a
note of it should be made on the envelope or bundle and in the registered list with
which it was received and, in the case of an e nvelope or bundle for onward
transmission, also in the list with which it is dispatched. If an insured envelope or
bundle is received without its weight having been recorded by the office of posting,
the irregularity should be immediately noted in the Error Book or Daily Report and
brought to the notice of the Head Sorting Assistant who will deal with it in
accordance with the instructions contained in Rule 195, as the case may be.
(6) Each insured envelope and insured bundle should be weighed and the
weight thus ascertained entered in the registered list with which the envelope or
bundle was received and, in offices of delivery, also on the envelope or bundle itself.
If this weight agrees with that entered on the envelope or bundle by the office of
posting, or if there is a slight difference in weight not giving rise to suspicion that it
has been tampered with, the envelope or bundle should, in office of delivery, be
opened and its contents taken out in the presence of the Postmaster and stamped by
the Registration Assistant, while in sorting offices it should be forwarded onwards, a
note of the difference in weight being made in the registered list with which the
envelope or bundle is dispatched. If, however, the difference in weight or any other
circumstances give rise to suspicion of tempering, the envelope or bundle should be
made over unopened to the Postmaster or Head Sorting Assistant, as the case may be,
after noting in the Error Book or Daily Report who will deal with it in accordance
with the rules relating to investigations. In offices of delivery, insured letters should
be examined in the manner prescribed above both for registered letters and insured
envelopes. The weight of each letter should also be checked with that noted on it by
the office of the posting and it should be seen that it bear the date -stamp impression of
that office. Any imperfection or any discrepancy in weight or the absence of the date -
stamp impression of the office of posting should be immediately in the Error Book for
taking action as per rules 144, 195 and 196.
NOTRE 1.- When a number of insured letters for delivery are received by
a town sub-office from its Head Office or from another town sub-office under that
head office enclosed in a paper cover or bag, the cover or bag should be examined and
weighed and the weight should be checked in the manner prescribed for insured
bundles or insured bags, as the case may require.
NOTE 2.- In Sorting Mail Offices, the Registration/Parcel Sorting
Assistant should ma intain a check-sheet showing the numbers of Insured articles
received. The Head Sorting Assistant’ Supervisors will tick off these entries in the
check-sheet when insured articles bearing these numbers are actually dispatched after
due verification. The check-sheet will be finally signed in fully by the Registration
Sorting Assistant/Parcel Sorting Assistant and the Head Sorting Assistant or
Supervisor as the case may be, and will form part of the work papers of the Set. The
Head of a Circle may relax the provisions of this note in case of sets of Mail Offices
for special reasons.
(7) In Post Offices, registered articles and parcels with the
acknowledgements, if any, should be separated into-
those for delivery, and
those for onward transmission
The former should be stamped (this being done by the Registration or Parcel Assistant
himself in the case of registered articles) and put aside for distribution and the latter
should be locked up till it is time to prepare the mail for despatch.
NOTE.- So long as insured articles remain undelivered, they may be kept
under lock and key. If they cannot be delivered within a reasonable time, they should
be kept in the office safe.
(8) The registered and parcel lists should be stamped and placed on record
after being signed by the Registration or Parcel Assistant or Sorting Assistant, the
registered lists received in registered or insured bundles being kept attached to the due
registered lists in which the bundles are invoiced.
NOTE.- When a money order from relating to a value-payable article is
not received with the article, the first office detecting the irregularity should not it in
the registered or parcel list with which it is dispatched in the case of articles for
onward transmission, and report the irregularity to the Superintendent of Post Offices
or 1
st class Postmaster to whom the office of posting of the article is subordinate.
Intervening offices which may have to handle the a article should repeat the remark in
the registered or parcel list dispatched by them, and in the office of delivery, the
irregularity should be noted in the Error Book.
97. Examination and opening of insured bags received.- (1) Insured bags
will be received enclosed in parcel and mail bags and in the latter case , they will be
made over under receipt to the Parcel Assistant or Parcel Sorting Assistant, as the case
may be, by thye Delivery Assistant or the Head Sorting Assistant, respectively.
(2) Each insured bag received must be carefully examined at once in the
presence of the Postmaster or Head So0rting Assistant to see that it is in good order,
that the fastening label and both seals are intact, that the seals are those of the
dispatching office, that the stitching of the bag has not been tampered with, and that
there is no rent concealed by the fold of the bag.
(3) Each insured bag received must be carefully weighed in the presence
of the Postmaster or Head Sorting Assistant and t6he ascertained weight should be
checked with the weight (if any) record on the insured label. The ascertained weight
should also be entered in the parcel list against the particular entry and the entry
should be initialed by the Postmaster or Head Sorting Assistant. If these weights
differ, the bag should be given unopened to the Postmaster or Head Sorting Assistant
who should open it in the presence of witnesses and deal with it further in accordance
with the rules relating to investigations. If the weights agree and in the case of
insured bags bearing labels on which the weight is not noted, the bag should, if
addressed to the office be opened and the contents taken out by the Parcel Assistant or
Parcel Sorting Assistant himself in the presence of the Postmaster or Head Sorting
Assistant.
98. Examination of insured parcels received.- Insured parcels received,
whether in sorting or for delivery, must be carefully examined by the Parcel Assistant
or Parcel Sorting Assistant, as the case may be, in the presence of the Postmaster or
Head Sorting Assistant respectively, at the time the insured bags are opened to see
that they are in good condition, that they bear the date-stamp impressions of the
offices of posting, that they have been properly packed and sealed, and that the seals,
sewing etc., are intact. The parcels should also be scrutinized in the manner
prescribed for uninsured parcels. Each parcel should then be weighted ant the
ascertained weight (in grammes) should, after check with that entered on the parcel,
be recorded on the parcel list with which it was received. Any imperfection, however,
slight or any discrepancy in the weight or the absence of the date-stamp impression of
the office of posting should be immediately brought to the notice of the Postmaster or
Head Sorting Assistant. If there are no grounds for suspecting that the parcel has been
tampered with, a note of the defect or discrepancy should be made on the parcel list
with which it was received, and if the parcel is for onward transmission, also on the
list with which it is to be dispatched. If there are grounds for suspicion, the parcel
should be made over to the Postmaster or Head Sorting Assistant who will deal with it
in accordance with the rules relating to investigations after noting the irregularity in
the Error Book or Daily Report.
NOTE.- Parcels posted in some States have, before posting, to be taken to
the custom-house, where they are sealed by the custom-house authorities in taken of
customs dues having been paid; and consequently, insured parcels posted under such
conditions be ar two different seal impressions and frequently two different kinds of
sealing-wax. In such cases, the Parcel Assistant or Parcel Sorting Assistant must se
that the office of posting has written on the parcel the words "Customs-house seals
added to the parcel: total number of seals (number)" and that this number corresponds
with the number of seals borne by the parcel. If the note has not been entered on the
parcel, the Parcel Assistant or Parcel Sorting Assistant should himself add it.
99. Deficienc y in fees or postage on registered articles and unregistered
parcels:- (1) If the postage including the registration or other fee, on a registered
article o f the letter mail or insured letter received in a Post Office for delivery is
found to be insufficient, the Registration Assistant must bring the fact to the notice of
the Postmaster who should note the weight of the article on the cover, and in the Error
Book whether it is insured or not, and obtain the cover from the addressee; if
possible.
(2) The Parcel Assistant should similarly bring to the notice of he
Postmaster any deficiency in postage or other fees prepared on parcels. For this
purpose, the Parcel Assistant must examine all station articles of the parcel mail
received and weigh them, if necessary, in order to see that:-
(a) in the case of all registered parcels (insured or uninsured), the
postage stamps affixed to the parcels or to official labels pasted on
them represent the full amount of the postage and prescribed fees,
including any redirection fee which may halve been prepared.
(b ) in the case of all unregistered parcels, the postage stamps affixed to
them or to official labels pasted on them represent the full amount of
the potage and redirection fee in case the latter has been prepaid.
NOTE 1.- In the case of redirected parcels (registered and unregistered)
on which redirection fee is recoverable from the addressee, the Parcel Assistant must
see that the correct amount of fee is marked on the parcel and if any incorrect entry
has been made, bring the fact to the notice of the Postmaster who should correct it
under his initials. In a branch office, the Branch Postmaster should see whether the
correct amount of postage has been marked on the parcel and, if any incorrect entry
has been made, he should correct it under his initials.
NOTE 2.- In the case of a parcel redirected by any branch office, it should
be shown to the Postmaster who should check the amount of redirection fee, if paid as
well as the entry "Redirected postage ….." or "Redirection changes paid" made
thereon and initial the entry in token of his having carried out the check. If he entry is
made in the regional language by the Branch Postmaster, fresh entry should be made
by the Postmaster in English. If eh inland redirected parcel is received from a branch
office as refused, the change for redirection should be cancelled under the initial of
the Postmaster.
(3) The Postmaster should report the deficiency to the Superintendent to
whom the office of posting is subordinate, the report being accompanied in the case of
inland articles of the letter mail, by the cover obtained from the addressee. In all such
cases, the official at fault in the office of posting will be required by the
Superintende nt concerned to pay a sum equal to the deficiency. The amount
recovered should be converted into postage stamps which should be affixed to the
Superintendent’s letter ordering the recovery and defaced with the date-stamp of the
office.
NOTE.- This rule may, under the orders of the Head of the Circle, be
relaxed in special cases, when it is quite clear that the official concerned in the office
of posting was not to blame, or where the penalty who be too great in comparison
with the fault committed.
EXCEPTION.- This rule does not apply to inward foreign parcels.
(4) If the deficiency is detected in sorting or, in the case of an article
posted at a branch office, in its account office, the attention of the office of delivery
should be drawn to the deficiency. In th latter case, a note should also be made by the
account office in its Error Book and a report made to the Inspector of Post Offices
concerned.
(5) In the case of outward foreign articl3es, the office of exchange will, for the
purposes of his rule, taken the place of the office of delivery. The Postmaster of the
office of posting should ensure that the deficiency in postage detected or pointed by
the office of exchange, is recovered and credited in accordance with Para. (3) and
that the office of exchange is informed of the recovery. The office of exchange
concerned with keep a watch over the receipt of intimation regarding the recovery of
the deficiency.
99/1. Re-use of used up stamps and removal of stamps.- the Registration
and Parcel Assistant should examine all the articles received with a view to see
whether any of the stamps borne on them has been either reused or removed.
Examination for the re-use of used up stamps is specially necessary in the case of
stamps of higher denominations. Suspected cases should be entered in Error Book or
daily report and the brought to the notice of the Postmaster or Head Sorting Assistant
for sending an error extract and taking further action. In respect of articles received
from branch offices, the cases should be reported to the Sub-Divisional Inspectors
concerned.
GENERAL
110. Deleted.
101. Deleted.
102. Use of the term "Unpaid articles".- Where the term "unpaid" is
used tin respect of a postal article, it includes "insufficiently paid" except where both
the terms are used to differentiate one from the other.
103. Book of postmarks.- (1) A book in the prescribed from must kept in
every Post Office, in each set of a Mail Office and Transit Section and in every record
office in the which impressions of all the stamps and seals holding date or other
movable type should be taken daily before they are brought into use. The impressions
of the round and oblong money order stamps and the unpaid stamp should, however,
be taken in a separate book of postmarks, which should be kept in the personal
custody of the Postmaster. In the Post Offices where special delivery stamps are
supplied, the Delivery Assistant should examine the book before each delivery to see
that the required change has been correctly made, and in all offices and Transit
Sections where stamps holing date or other movable type are used, the Assistant or
Sorting Assistants in charge of the several departments or sets concerned should
examine the book to see that the type of correctly and punctually changed and are
responsible that they are kept clean. In offices where mechanical stamp canceling
machines are in use, whenever the movable types in the die of a stamp canceling
machine are changed, the first impression should be taken on a a price of paper and
should be pasted in the book. In every case, the official responsible for the
examination should initial the impressions in token of having carried out the check.
(2) The Postmaster, Head Sorting Assistant Mail Agent, Mail Guard or
Record Assistant, as the case may be, is required to see that this rule is carried out and
that the impressions are distinct and clear, and he should initial the book every day
after all the impressions of the day have been taken.
103-A. Cleaning of Seals and Stamps.- All the stamps and seals in use in
every Post Office, in each set of Mail Office and Transit Section and in every record
office must be cleansed first by boiling them in water and then washing them with
kerosene oil and brush. This should be done at least once a month, but where the
frequency of use of the stamps and seals is greater, it should be resorted to at more
frequent intervals say once a fortnight or a week. The fact of cleansing the seals and
stamps should every time be recorded in the Postmaster’s order book in Head Offices,
in the Error Book in sub-offices, in the rough note book of the Head Sorting Assistant,
the Mail Agent or the Record Assistant which will be examined by the Inspecting
Officers at the time of inspection.
104. Letter -boxes.- Letter -boxes are provided at public thoroughfares and
other central positions, and are intended for the reception of unregistered articles of
the letter mail.
(2) Pillar and other fixed letter-boxes are cleared at intervals and, if
outside the Post Office, their contents are brought in by letter-box peons or other
subordinates; or, in the case of letter-boxes located at Railway station, which are
cleared by mail peons, the contents are either brought to the Post Office or handed by
the mail peons to the RJMS officials. All wall, and pillar letter-boxes are provided
with movable hour plates.
(3) Column LBs:- The hours at which the letter-boxes are cleared, should
be marked on them, and they should be kept locked. The marking of all hours of
clearance on letter -boxes should be restricted to (1) the letter-boxes in Post Offices (2)
a very limited number of important outside letter-boxes at the discretion of the Head
of the Circle (3) outside wall or other letter-boxes not equipped with movable hour
plates. In fixing the hours of clearance of outside letter -boxes which are cleared for
daily dispatches or local deliveries, the time actually occupied by the letter-box peon
in going on his rounds must be ascertained as the first step, and so this purpose, an
Assistant or Public Relations Inspector or the Postmaster himself should, walk round
the beat with the letter-box peon and note the exact time required for visiting each
letter-box. The hours of clearanc e can then be accurately fixed with due regard to
hours of despatch or to local delivery, as may be necessary in each case.
(4) Letter-boxes at Railway stations and other letter-boxes in which for
any special reason, it is not desirable that any articles other than letters should be
posted, are marked "FOR LETTERS ONLY".
NOTE 1.- Large cover or other letters which, owing to their size, cannot
be posted in the letter-box, may be received by hand at the window of the office.
NOTE 2.- Please see the note below Rule 59 of this volume.
105. Certificates of posing.- Certificates of posting should be granted to
the public under the conditions,. And in the manner laid down in the Indian Postal
Office Rules 195 as corrected from time to time.
106. Off icials not to affix postage stamps to articles.- Officials of the
Department are strictly may from affixing postage stamps to letters, packets, or
parcel mail articles brought to an office for despatch; this must always be done by the
sender of the article or his messenger. The prohibition is specially applicable to
articles tendered for registration, and the Postmaster, Head Sorting Assistant or Mail
Agent, as the case may be, will be held responsible if he allowed any of his
subordinates to receive cash in payment of postage or registration or insurance fees.
107. Stamping. - (1) The foll0wing instructions for stamping must be
carefully observed:-
(a) All valid postage stamps borne by articles of all classes posted
should be defaced by the minimum number of impressions of the
obliterator with wavy lines or where this stamp is not available, the
date-stamp, care being exercised to ensure that all the postage stamps
bear cancellation marks. When two postage stamp appear together,
they should be defaced by single impression so placed that the datestamp
covers both the postage stamps, the greater portion of the
stamp falling on the cover instead of on the postage stamps.
Similarly, if there stamps are affixed together, the number of
defacing impressions should not be more than 2 and in the case of
block of four postage stamps, in shape of a square, only one neat
stamp impression placed at the center of the block should suffice. A
few illustrations showing the mode of the defacing postage stamps
are gfiven below: Postage stamps found unobliterated on station
articles received for delivery or on articles passing a sorting should
be defaced in the same manner.
Fig. 1 Seal NEW DELHI Fig. 2 Seal NEW
DELHI
Fig. 3 Seal NEW DELHI Fig. 4 Seal NEW
DELHI
NOTE 1.- Stamps other than Indian stamps which cannot, under the rules, be
recognized in payment of postage, should not be defaced.
NOTE 2.- In the case of inward foreign articles of the letter mail, postage
stamps which are not cancelled by the office of origin through error or oversight,
should not be cancelled by impressing the date-stamp, but this should be cancelled by
a thick stroke in ink or in indelible pencil by the office which detects this irregularity.
(b) Postcards should be impressed with the round obliterator only by the
office of posting and the first office of delivery on the portion of he
address-side reserved for the address of the recipient. Reply
postcards should not be stamped on the unused portion when the two
halves are posted together. But in the reply postcards for foreign
countries, the date -stamps should be impressed on the left side of the
reply half before the postcards are sent out for delivery.
NOTE.- None of he Rules below applies to postcards.
In the case of foreign articles in the form of cards redirected out of India,
the date -stamp of the redirecting office should, however, be impressed on the front
side of the article.
( c) Unregistered articles of the letter mail posted bearing no postage
stamps should be impressed on the back with the date -stamp.
(d) Unpaid and insufficiently paid unregistered articles posted or
received in sorting without having been taxed with postage should
also be impressed on the face with the postage due stamp.
(e) Late letters posted in RMS letter-boxes on which a late fee should,
but has not been prepaid, should also be impressed on the back with
the "Detained: late -fee not paid" stamp.
(f) station articles received should be impressed on the back with the
delivery stamp in Post Offices to which this stamp is supplied and
with the date-stamp in other Post Offices. Care should be taken not
to affix the stamp (delivery or date-stamp) on written portion of the
articles.
NOTE 1.- Articles for delivery by a village Postman, if not made over to
him immediately after receipt, and all deposit articles should again be stamped with
the delivery or date-stamp when issued for delivery.
NOTE 2.- In Head Offices, station articles of he letter mail on which
postage is due should be impressed on the back with the Postmaster’s unpaid stamp
only.
NOTE 3.- In the RMS, articles delivered direct to the addressees without
the intervention of a Post Office should be impressed on the back with the date-stamp.
(g) Mis-sent and mis-directed articles, including money orders whether
station or sorting, should be impressed on the back with the delivery
stamp or where there is no delivery stamp with the date-stamp when
received, and again with combined date-stamp or where there is no
combined date-stamp when forwarded to destination, even though
the same date be impressed on both occasions. In the RMS, such
articles should be impressed on the back with the date -stamp, only at
the time the irregularity is detected.
NOTE.- As regard the stamping of acknowledgements for postal articlesl
and money orders, see Para. (l) below.
(h) Deleted.
(i) Articles redirected and undelivered articles returned to offices of
posting are sent to the R.L.O. by Post Offices should be impressed on
the back with the date -stamp when received, with the deposit stamp
when placed in deposit and again with the date-stamp when
forwarded.
NOTE.- In the RMS undecipherable articles should be impressed on the
back with the date-stamp by the office with receives them. In case of the postcard, it
is impressed on the face itself.
(j) Unpaid and insufficiently paid articles of the letter mail intended for
despatch from head and sub-offices to subordinate offices should be
impressed on the back with the date -stamp when issued from deposit
and those that we returned by subordinate offices and again placed in
deposit, should be impressed with the deposit stamp. Other articles
for despatch to branch offices received as station articles in the
account office should be similarly treated.
(k) Article for despatch by sea by non-contract vessels should be
impressed by the Post Office at the seaport of embarkation with the
date-stamp of he date on which they are dispatched on board; and
articles received by see by non-contract vessels should be impressed
by the Post Office at the seaport of receipt with date-stamp of the
date on which they are received.
(l) Acknowledgements for registered articles of the letter or parcel mail,
or for telegraphic money orders should be impressed on the face, i.e.,
the address side -whether they are impressed with the date, delivery,
or deposit stamp. Any stamps required to be impressed on
acknowledgements for ordinary money orders other than those for
which space is specially provided on the face of the
acknowledgement, should be impressed on the back.
(m) Registration number slip and V.P. number slips should be impressed
with the number slip name-stamp by the office of despatch.
(n) Labels attached to bags should be impressed by the dispatching
office with the date-stamp (i) on the back in the case of tag-labels
and (ii) on the face in the case of other labels.
(o) Documents (including RMS work-papers) received and despatched
should be impressed with the date -stamps by the offices, departments
or sets concerned. The forms themselves will indicate where a stamp
is to be impressed by the dispatching, and where by the received
office, department or set.
(p) Check-slip should be impressed with the name and date- stamps of
the office by which they are prepared.
(q) Stamps affixed to acquittance rolls, bill or receipts of any kind in
payment of stamp duty should be defaced by the date -stamp in such a
way that the impression will be partly over the stam p and partly over
the document to which it is affixed.
( r) Protecting and service envelopes closed should be impressed on the
back with the date -stamp.
(s) Official and service covers when close with "economy" labels should
be impressed with the date and delivery stamps on the "economy"
labels.
(t) Deleted.
(2) Black stamping ink must always be used for stamping articles.,
documents, etc., except in cases where another colour is specified.
(3) Instructions for the stamping of other documents, money orders, etc.,
will be found in their proper placed in the relative rules.
(4) Where articles are stamped on a table, a stone slab should be placed
beneath the stamping paid in order to deaden the sound. Ink pads should be kept
covered up when not in use.
NOTE.- In sub-offices, the date-stamp should be used in place of the
deposit stamp.
108. importance of proper stamping.- The stamping of articles passing
through the post is important and requires the constant and vigilant attention of the
Sorting Assistant or the Head Sorting Assistant, as the case may be. The effectual
defacement fo postage stamps is of special importance, and to secure this, it is
necessary that the postage stamps are defaced by means of a proper impression as
shown in Rule 107. Indistinct postmarks hinder the prosecution of enquiries in case
of delay in the delivery of article; and imperfect defacement affords opportunities for
fraud. Stamping ink of proper consistency must be used to ensure clear stampimpressions.
109. English transcription of addresses written in Indian languages on
postal articles.- (1) (a) In the case of all articles unregistered or registered including
V.P. and insured articles, and money orders which are addressed in a regional
language known to the office of posting but intended for delivery at a place which is
not the regional language of that region, the full address should be transcribed into
English.
(1) (b) Where the address on such article is in a language not known to
the office of posting but is in the regional language of the office of destination, the
post town of office of destination only should be transcribed into English.
(2) Every Post Office or mail Office is responsible for transcribing the
address on articles posted in the letter-boxes cleared by it. Post Offices and mail
offices must use red ink and the sections blue pencil for this purpose. The
transcription should be done neatly and legible and the name of the office of
destination underlined, and if the la nguage is commonly known it is not necessary to
transcribe into English even the name of the destination and district.
NOTE.- Branch offices in charge of extra-departmental agents who are
not conversant with English or the language of the address should, consign the
articles exclusively to their account offices where the addresses will be transcribed
into English just as on articles posted in letter-boxes attached to it.
(3) Articles addressed in a language not known to the office of posting
should be sent for transcription to the nearest transcription centre in a paper cover or
in a small bnag bearing the superscription "For transcription", if necessary. If the
center is unable to transcribe the address being ignorant of the language of the
address, it will sent the article to the nearest R.L.O. for transcription. No article
should be sent direct to the R.L.O. by any office, for this purpose.
(4) The Post Offices, Mail Offices and the transcription centers should not
in the Error Book the name of the Post Office or Mail Office from which
untranscribed articles posted therein which could have been transcribed by it are
received and send a copy of the extract to the respective office and to the Divisional
Superintendent or the First Class Postmaster.
(5) In the case of an article addressed in a regional language but posted for
transmission by foreign post, the full address must be transcribed legibly in Roman
letters and Arabic figures, the country of destination being written in capital letters.
110. Foreign postage stamps on articles for despatch on delivery.-
Postage stamps for foreign countries should not be recognized in payment of postage
or other postal charges on articles posted in Indian Postal Offices, mail offices,
sections or letter-boxes. If an article so posted bears only such stamps it should be
treated as wholly unpaid, the stamps being ignored. The stamps, however, should not
be defaced but a remark, drawing attention to the fact that they are those of a foreign
country, should be written on the face article by the office of posting.
EXCEPTION.- The reply postcard service is not available in the foreign
post except for Bangladesh, Bhutan, Pakistan and Nepal. The reply -halves of reply
postcards originally posted in one of these three foreign countries should be given fee
transmission to destination if it is the country of issue of the reply postcard, when
reposted in India.
110-A. Treatment of unpaid or insufficiently prepaid articles for Foreign
Countries. - (1) Unpaid and insufficiently prepaid articles intended for transmission
by surface, should be dealt with as follows if the names and addresses of the senders
are known:-
(a) Unpaid and insufficiently paid letters and postcards, received in
posting, should be forwarded to the office of exchange in a separate
bundle with an appropriate remark on the check slip. The office of
exchange will follow the instructions in Rule 111-A below before
disposing of these articles in the normal manner.
(b) Unpaid and insufficiently paid articles other than letters and
postcards, received in posting, should be returned to the senders for
delivery on recovery of an amount equal to double the deficiency at
inland rate, if any, similar articles of the appropriate cate gory.
Articles so returned can be reposted only on payment of fresh
postage. If any such articles are received in offices of exchange, the
latter will take similar action.
(2) Articles intended for transmission by surface should be dealt with as
follows, if the names and addresses of the senders are not known:-
(a) Unpaid and insufficiently paid letters and postcards will be dealt with
as stated in sub-rule 1 (a) above.
(b) Unpaid and insufficiently paid articles other than letters and
postcards should be sent to the R.L.O. They should be made up into
a bundle labeled "unpaid and insufficiently prepaid foreign articles"
and should be placed with other articles in the envelope addressed to
the R.L.O.. The unpaid postage represented by the se articles should
not be included in the amount of postage due noted on the envelop
for the R.L.O. nor should it be included in the accounts at any stage.
NOTE.- In Post Offices, such articles should be made over to the deposit
department where they should be bundled and labeled in the manner described above
for inclusion in the next daily despatch to the R..L.O.
( c) Such articles bearing spoilt or defaced postage stamps or bearing
previously used postage stamps form which no attempt has been
made to remove the marks of obliteration or bearing service stamps
from which no attempt has been made to remove the letters denoting
service (see Rules 387 to 466 of the Postal Manual, Volume-II) as
well as those posted in Indian Post Offices or letter-boxes and
bearing postage stamps of foreign countries but not prepaid with
Indian postage stamps, should be disposed of the same way as unpaid
articles under the proceeding paragraphs.
(3) Unpaid and insufficiently prepaid articles intended for transmission by
air should be dealt with as follows:-
If received in offices of exchange and if the sender’s address is
known, the office concerned should paste a slip on the article stating
"Unpaid/Underpaid", "Please affix: (value) in stamps, detach this
slip and repost". The article along with the slip should be dispatched
to the sender in a service cover, with the remark "Unpaid/Underpaid,
returned for making up the deficiency". Such articles should be
accepted when reposted after affixing the deficient posta ge.
(4) Articles intended for transmission by air not bearing the names and
addresses of the senders should be dealt with as follows:-
(a) In the office of posting-
(i) Letters and postcard, unpaid and insufficiently paid received in
posting, and other articles if paid for postage not less than that
required to be paid for a similar article for surface maul should be
forwarded to the office of exchange in a separate bundle with a
check slip bearing an appropriate remarks.
(ii) "Articles other than letters and postcards received in posting
either entirely unpaid or the postage paid thereon neither
represents at least 75% of the surcharge nor the postage
required for forwarding by surface mail, should be sent to the
Returned Letter Office in a separate bundle with a check-slip
bearing an appropriate remark."
(b) In the office of exchange-
(i) Action as stated in Para, 4 (a) (ii) above should be taken by
offices of exchange also whenever articles other than letters
and single postcards are received entirely unpaid or paid for
postage less than that required to be paid for a similar article for
transmission by surface mail.
(ii) Unpaid and insufficiently prepaid letters and postcard letters
and postcards and all other articles on which the changes paid
represent at least 75% of he air surcharge payable thereon for
the country of destination in question, should be disposed of as
shown below:
(x) Articl3es other than postcards and aerogrammes paid for
postage equal to at least 75% of the air surcharge or, in the case
of postcards and aerogrammes, 50% of the combined charge
should be forwarded by air after following the instructions or
Rule 111-A below.
(y) Article bearing postcard less than 75% of the air surcharge or
50% of the combined charge, as the case may be, but not less
than required to be paid for similar articles or the surface mail
(aerogrammes being treated as letters), should be forwarded to
the office of exchange concerned for onward transmission by
surface route in a separate bundle after making an appropriate
remark on the check-slip.
(z) Letter and single postcard bearing postage less than that
required to be paid for similar articles of surface mail should be
forwarded to the office of exchange concerned for onward
transmission by surface route.
111. Deleted.
111-A. Calculation of Deficiency of postage of foreign articles. - The
offices of exchange when required to forward unpaid or insufficiently paid articles
either by air or by surface routes under provisions of Rule 110-A above, should
impress on each such article with "T" stamp in the middle of the upper part of eh front
side. By the side of the stamp impression, a small horizontal line should be drawn.
Above the line, an amount equal to twice the amount of deficient postage in paise,
should be written in a clearly legible manner. The amount of deficient postage should
be calculated carefully after weighing the articles as also ascertaining its correct
category and the changes due to be pa id according to the current rates. Below the
line, the postage charge in paise payable for letters of the first weight step should be
indicated very clearly.
111-B. Deleted.
111-C. Open and insecurely closed unpaid letters.- Unpaid letters which
are posted open or insecurely closed should not be sent to the R.L.O. but should be
securely closed and forward to its destination..
112. Postcards of private manufacture.- (1) One of the conditions laid
down in the Indian Post Office Rule, 1933, as corrected from time to time under
which single and reply postcards of private manufacture may be transmitted by the
inland post as postcards is that, as regards substance they are neither thinner nor more
flexible than the inland postcards issued by the Pos t Office. This condition does not
preclude the use of postcards or cards of private manufacture which are either thicker
or less flexible than the departmental inland postcards. So long as a card or private
manufacture is of the consistence of a card, and no merely a piece of ordinary paper
cut to the size of a postcard, it should be followed to pass unchallenged.
(2) No objection should be raised to postcards from the address side of
which inadmissible words, formerly printed, have been erased, provided that the
words have been so erased as to remove them altogether, and not merely struck out by
drawing a line through them.
113. Unpaid articles addressed by the public to officials of the
Department.- (1) Unpaid articles addressed to officials of the Indian Postal
Department, as such, should be taxed with postage in the usual way, treated as refused
and sent to R.L.O. for return to the sender and recovery from him of the amount of
the postage due on them.
EXCEPTION – See Paragraph 665 of the Postal Manual, Volume-II.
(2) Application for refunds on unused reply paid passes for telegrams
should not be transmitted to the Telegraph Check Office, Kolkata, fee on postal
service. Applications for fee service in this connection should be informed that they
must address the officer in charge of the check office direct, paying he usual postal
change including that for registration if they wish to sent the application by registered
post.
114. Articles found open, damaged or without contents.- (1) If an
unregistered article of the letter or parcel mail taken from a letter-box or received in
sorting, is observed to be open, torn or otherwise damaged, or without contents, a
remark, in accordance with the directions given below, should be written on the
article by the Sorting Assistant and initialed by the Postmaster or Head Sorting
Assistant, as the case may be:-
"Received open" when found in an open state
"Received torn" or "Received demand", when received torn or
otherwise damaged, e.g., soiled, stained, etc.
"Without contents", when the article is manifestly merely an empty
cover.
If thee are any suspicious circumstances attending the case the Postmaster or Head
Sorting Assistant should make enquiries and endeavour to discover the offe nder.
(2) Open and damaged articles should be closed or repaired by the Sorting
Assistant or Assistant Sorting Assistant, so as to protect their contents, or, if
necessary, the articles should be forwarded enclosed in envelopes addressed to the
office of destination.
(3) If any article of the kind mentioned in Paragraph (1) is noticed in the
office of delivery, in course of distribution of articles to Postmen, it should be closed
or repaired before it is issued for delivery and, if necessary, enclosed in an envelope
by the delivery assistant who should note on it the condition in which it was received
and obtained the Postmaster’s initials to the remark.
(4) If a damaged article is received enclosed in an envelope to the
Postmaster’s address, the envelope should be opened and its enclosure dealt with in
the manner described above.
(5) If a wrapper or cover is received for delivery without its contents,
a label with the entries "cover received without contents. Please return of post Office
with information as to what the contents should have been" prepared in manuscript
should be affixed to it before it is issued for delivery. Should the wrapper or cover be
received back from the addressee with information as to the nature of the missing
contents, an enquiry regarding 5the latter should be made without delay from the
Home R.L.O. and in the case of foreign articles, also from Chennai, Kolkata or
Mumbai R.L.O. as the case may require, with reference to the country or place from
which the article was received. If the office of delivery is at the same station as the
Home R.L.O., the enquiry should be made by sending an assistant round to the latter
office or by telephonic communications, if this is possible, and not by letter. Suboffice
s other than those served direct by the R.L.O. should forward to the Head
Office for enquiry from the appropriate R.L.O. all empty wrappers and covers
immediately they are received back from the addresses with information as t the
missing contents.
(6) Any registered article of the letter mail or parcel mail found damaged,
torn or bearing signs of having been tampered with, should be made over at once to
the Postmaster or Head Sorting Assistant, as the case may be, who should be guided,
in dealing with the case, by the rules relating to investigation.
115. Treatment of articles, the registration or insurance of which is
compulsory.- (1) If an article, the registration of which is compulsory but which has
not been registered, is found in the course of sorting in a Post Office,. Or Mail Office
or received for delivery in a Post Office, the Assistant or Sorting Assistant detecting
the irregularity should after nothing it in his Error Book or notebook, as the case may
require, show the article to the Postmaster or Head Sorting Assistant and then make it
over to the official in charge of the registration or parcel department. In Post Offices
and in Mail Offices, authorized to perform registration work, the article should be
registered and, if the fee for registration has not been prepaid, a fee equal to double
the deficiency in usual registration fee should be charged on it. The amount of the
Fee PLUS any postage due on the article should be marked on its face below the
registration No. slip and a note should be added under the signature of the
Postmaster. Head Sorting Assistant or Mail Agent, as the case may be, explaining the
reason for the charge. The usual receipt for the sender should be given to the
Assistant or Sorting Assistant detecting the irregularity. In Post Offices, the receipt
should be posted in the Error Book against the entry concerned, while in Mail Offices,
it should be attached to the Head Sorting Assistant’s Mail Agent’s Daily Report. In a
section or in a Mail Office not authorized to perform registration work, the article
should be forwarded in a protecting cover or bag, as the case may
require, addressed to the Postmaster of the Office of destination after having a note
recorded on it, under the initials of the Head Sorting Assistant, Mail Agent or Mail
Guard, explaining way it is so sent. The protecting cover or the should, except in
Transit Sections and Transit Mail Offices, be treated as an article registered on
service. A No. preceded by the letters ‘RMS’ should be given to it and marked in
large bold figures on the face in the upper left hand corner. The article should then
be entered on the receipt said of the Registered Abstract opposite to an entry
"Unregistered article registered" and dispatched to destination in the usual course, the
name of he section or office being entered in the registered list as that of the office of
posting. If the article is found in the course of sorting during late -fee hours in Mail
Office authorized to perform registration work, with and without late-fee, it should be
kept in deposit till the office is open for registration and disposed of in accordance
with the procedure described above. If the article is found during latte -fee hours in a
Mail Office authorized to perform registration work, with late-fee only, it should be
kept in deposit till the next day and disposed of in the manner prescribed to be
followed by Mail Offices not authorized to perform registration work.
NOTE 1.- Orders for the payment of money issued by the Military Pay
Department, whether in the form of a cheque or in any other form, are exempted
entirely from the operation of the rule regarding compulsory registration.
NOTE 2.- When an article, the registration of which is compulsory, is
found in a letter-box at a time when it would not be accepted for registration if
tendered at the window of the Post Office or Mail Office concerned, it should be kept
in deposit till the offices next open for registration when it would be made over to the
Registration Assistant or Sorting Assistant, as the case may be, for disposal in
accordance with the procedure described above.
NOTE 3.- When an article of the foreign letter mail marked "Registered"
is found in a letter -box, it should be fully prepaid (including the registration fee) and
addressed to a country to which registration service is available, be dealt with in
accordance with the procedure described in this rule, otherwise it should be treated as
an ordinary article, the world "Registered" marked on it being COMPLETELY
SCORED OUIT.
(2) If there is an indication on the article that the sender desires to have an
acknowledgement of the article and if the acknowledgement from, duly filled in by
the sender, is found along with the article, the acknow ledgement should be forwarded
to the office of destination as usual, provided that the prescribed fee for
acknowledgement has been prepaid. If the fee for acknowledgement has not been
prepaid, the form of
acknowledgement, if any, should be kept in the Error Book where the entry of the
incident is made and should not be forwarded with the article nor should any charge
be made for the same. If the form of acknowledgement is not found along with the
article, the remark "A.D." or any other indication to that effect made on the article
should be scored out, and necessary remarks added in the Error Book.
(3) If an uninsured article passing through the post is found to contain
coin, bullion, precious stones, jewels or other articles of value, the insur ance of which
is compulsory, the following procedure should be followed:-
(a) If found in the office of posting, the article should be endorsed
"Contains (coin, etc.)" and sent in a protecting cover or bag (i) to the
R.L.O. for return to the sender in the case of a Post Office or (ii) to
the Post Office of destination in the case of a Mail Office. If the
article is not a registered article, the protecting cover or bag should,
before despatch, be registered on service or treated as s service
registered article, as the case may require, in accordance with the
procedure described in the preceding paragraph.
NOTE.- In sub-offices, such articles for the R.L.O> should be sent to the
Head Office.
(b) If found in an intermediate office or section, the article should be
forwarded by it in a protecting cover or bag addressed to the
Postmaster of the office of destination after having a note recorded
on it explaining why it is so sent. If the article is not a registered
one, the protecting cover or bag should be treated in the manner laid
down in the preceding clause.
( c) If found in the Post Office of delivery or received by it from another
office or section, the article should be charged with a fee of two
rupees and the amount of this fee PLUS any postage due on it should
be marked in red ink on its face when a notice should be added under
the Postmaster’s signature explaining the reason for the additional
charge of two rupees. The article should then be delivered to the
addressee with an intimation that no compensation would have been
paid by the Post Office had the article been lost, damaged or
tampered with in transit. If the article is refused by the addressee or if
the addressee cannot be found, the fee should be recovered from the
sender.
(d) The fee when recovered should be converted into postage stamps
which should be affixed to the Error Book against the entry relating
to the irregularity and then defaced with the date-stamp of the Post
Office concerned.
NOTE.- If a foreign parcel, the insurance of which is compulsory,, is
found in the office of the exchange to be uninsured, that office should forward it as
an insured parcel. In such cases, the amount of the insurance fee should be recovered
from the official at fault in the office of posting in the manner prescribed in Rule 99
(3).
116. Articles marked "by parcel post".- (1) If an inland article marked
"By parcel post" is found in a letter or packet box, the official detecting the
irregularity should make a note of it in his Error Book or notebook, as the case may
require. The following action should be taken:-
(a) In Post offices, the article should be transferred to the parcel assistant
and treated and charged with postage as a registered parcel, any
stamp affixed to the cover being recognized in assessing the postage
due on deliver. The amount of postage due and the remark "Found
in letter –box" should be written in ink on the face of the parcel
under the initials of the Postmaster and the receipt for the sender
should be handed to the Sorting Assistant and pasted by the latter in
his Error Book against the entry of the irregularity.
(b) In the RMJS, the article should be marked "Found in the letter-box"
over the initials of the Assistant Sorting Assistant concerned, and
after being shown to the Head Sorting Assistant, transferred to the
Parcel Sorting Assistant, if any. The latter or, if there is no Parcel
Sorting Assistant, the Assistant Sorting Assistant himself, should
then at once forward the article to the Postmaster of the nearest Head
or Sub-office with which the Mail Office is in communication in a
protecting bag superscribed "Parcel found in letter-box". In Transit
Sections and transit mail offices, the Mail Guard or Mail Agent as
the case may be, should mark and forward the article himself in the
manner described above, the protecting bag being entered in the mail
list and dispatched as an unusual mail.
(2) If an inland article marked "by parcel post" and bearing the word
‘registered’ or any other word, phrase or mark to the like effect, is found in Mail
Offices and sections, which do not perform parcel sorting work, the detecting official
should, after noting the irregularity in his Error Book or notebooks, send the article to
the Postmaster of the nearest Head or Sub-Office in a protecting bag superscribed,
"parcel marked registered received with sorting letters".
(3) If an outward foreign article marked "By parcel post" is found in a
letter or packet box or received with articles of the letter mail from another office or
section, the detecting official should, after noting the irregularity in the manner
described above, transfer the article to the parcel department where it should be dealt
with as follows:-
(a) In Post Offices, the procedure laid down in Rule 148 of Postal
Manual, Volume – VI, Pt. MI should be followed.
(b) In the RMS, the article should in every case be forwarded to the
Postmaster of the nearest Head or Sub-Office with which the
detecting mail office or section is in communication, in a protecting
bag superscribed "Foreign article marked by parcel post" for disposal
in accordance with clause (a) above.
117. Articles addressed to more than one person.- Unregistered articles of
the letter and parcel mal addressed to more than one person should be forwarded to
destination. They may be delivered to any one of the persons whose names they bear,
but should ordinarily be offered to them in the order in which the names appear on the
cover.
118. Articles intended for ultimate return to sender.- Articles addressed in
such a way as to effect their return to the sender after having been delivered to a
number of addressees or redirected to fictitous addresses, should not be forwarded,
but should be disposed of in the same way as articles which are otherwise ineligible
for transmission by post.
119. Articles addressed "Camp".- ,Unregistered and uninsured registered
articles of the letter mail intended for the high Government officers named in the Post
Office Guide, Pt. I as e ntitled to special bags while on tour or for the party
accompanying them, when addressed to "Camp" should be disposed of according to
the instructions given in Exception 1 to Rule 66.
(2) Parcels, V.P. articles, insured articles, and money orders will
ordinary be addressed to a post town. Should however, such an article addressed to
"Camp" be presented at a Post Office, it should not be refused on the ground that no
post-town has been named in the address, but should be disposed of according to the
instructions referred to above.
120. Correspondence of certain officers when on tour.- When any of the
under mentioned officers, viz. -
(a) Postal Directorate
(i) Chairman, Postal Services Board
(ii) Member, Postal Services Board
(iii) Secretary, Postal Services Board
(iv) Deputy Director -General
(v) Director
(vi) Asst. Director-General.
(b) Heads of Circles
(i) Principal Chief Postmaster-General
(ii) Chief Postmaster-General.
(iii) Regional Postmaster-General.
(iv) Directors, Postal Services/Director of Postal Accounts.
(v) Asst. Postmaster-General.
(vi) Assistant Directors, Postal Services
(vii) Circle Complaints Officer.
(viii) Vigilance Officers.
(c ) Post Office and RMS Divisions
(i) Superintendents of Post Offices/Sr. Supdt. of POs.
(ii) Superintendents of RMS-Dy. Superintendent RMS/P.Os
(iii) Asst. Superintendents of Post Offices.
(iv) Asst. Superintendents or RMS.
(v) Inspectors of Post Offices (Complaints).
(d) Audit/ Accounts offices
(i) Director -General, Audit P&T.
(ii) Directors/Dy. Directors, Audit P&T.
(iii) Directors/Dy. Directors, Postal Accounts.
On tour, correspondence and office files for and from him will be sent - by his office
at Headquarters or by himself in camp, as the case may be - in sealed bags which will,
in every instance, be addressed to a specified post town of destination or Mail
Offices, except in the case of camp bags for the Director-General which may be
addressed C/o RMS also. These bags should be sent loose (i.e., without being
enclosed in any mail or transit bag) and treated as unusual mails./ The are to be
treated as special bas for the purpose of entry in the mail list (M.1).
NOTE 1.- Camp bags for and from Departmental Offices in Camp may be
sent under weighment system on the lines, where mails are exclusively sent under
weighment system service in charge of the Railway Guard.
NOTE 2.- Air transmission for camp bags for and from Departmental
Officers in camp may be adopted in exceptional circumstances and then only essential
papers and not the entire file should be sent.
120-A Disposal of Naval Mails.- The rules relating to the disposal of
Naval mails are contained in Appendix.
120-B. Air mail correspondence posted on ships.- Articles posted on
board a ship when it is on the high seas, can be prepaid by means of postage stamps of
and according to the tariffs of the country to which the ship belongs or of the country
by which it is maintained. They will be handed over after being date stamped by the
office on board. If they are received without being date stamped, the Post Office
receiving them will impress them with its date stamp and forward them in a separate
bundle, indicating on the check-slip, the name of ship and it nationality. They will be
forwarded by surface routes.
Air mail correspondence posted on board a ship on the high seas, prepaid
by meand of postage stamps of the country to which the ship belongs or by which it is
maintained w hen handed over a decouvert to an Indian Post Office at an Indian port
will be accompanied by a statement AV 2 in duplicate showing the weight of
correspondence for each country or destination the date, the name of the ship and its
nationality and signed by the ship’s office. If a statement in form AV 2 is not
furnished, the articles should be accompanied at least by a statement of weights (in
duplicate) for each country of destination. The particulars on the AV 2 or the
statement of weights should be checked by the Indian Post Office to which the
correspondence is handed over from the ship.
The air mail articles along with the statement accompanying them should
be forwarded by the receiving Post Office in India to the nearest of the following
offices of exchange for disposal in accordance with the provisions of Rule 99 of the
Foreign Post Manual:-
Airport Sorting Office, Mumbai
Kokkata Air Sorting, Kolkata
Airport Sorting Office, Chennai
121. Facing articles.- With a view to facilitate the handling of
unregistered articles of the letter mail, they should be faced before they are stamped,
sorted, distributed to the Postmen for delivery, or made up into labeled bundles for
despatch. When labeled bundles are untied, care should be taken not to disturb the
facing done by the office which made up the bundles.
122. Articles prohibited from transmission by inland post. - (1) When
there is good reason to suppose that an article passing through the post contains any
goods the transmission of which through the inland post is prohibited by the rules, it
should be dealt with as follows:-
(i) (a) If the articles is suspected to contain any explosive, dangerous,
obnoxious, deleterious or filthy substance, any sharp instrument
not properly protected, or anything likely to injure the mails or
any officer of the Post Office, it should, if detected in a section,
be enclosed in a protecting cover or bag and made over
‘outside’ to the first Mail Office where the train halts. If there
be no Mail Offices in the beat of the section, the article should
be forwarded to the neared Head or Sub-office with which the
section is in direct communication. The article should be
entered in a separate registered or parcel list or in the mail list
according as it belongs to the registered letter mail, the parcel
mail or the unregistered letter mail – the entry being followed
by an explanatory note over the initials of the Head Sorting
Assistant or Mail Guard drawing attention to the nature of the
contents; and a receipt for the article should be obtained in the
registered abstract, parcel abstract or the duplicate mail list, as
the case may require, from the official to whom it is made over
the nature of the contents of the article should at the same time
be explained to that official.
(b) If detected in a Mail Office, the article should be made over at
once to the mail carrier under the procedure described above
for conveyance to the nearest Post Office, except when it is
suspected to contain explosives or when, owing to the nature of
the article or the distance from the Post Office, it may not be
practicable or convenient to transfer the article to that office. In
the latter case, the article should be detained in the Mail Office
and the matter reported at once to the Head of the Circle or
Region, as the case
may be in which the Mail Office is situated for orders regarding
its final disposal.
( c) If detected in a Post Office or transferred to it by a section or
Mail Office, the article should be detained and an immediate
report submitted to the Head of he Circle or Region or the case
may be.
NOTE.- A leaky article would come under the operation of this clause
except that the report in such cases should be made at once to the Superintendent of
Post Offices or a First Class Postmaster instead of to the Head of the Circle. When
submitting a report to the Superintendent of Post Offices or a First Class Postmaster
for orders about the disposal of a leaky article received in Post Office, a notice should
be issued simultaneously to the sender asking for his instructions to the furnish within
a period of a fortnight of the receipt of the notice by him regarding the disposal of the
article. If the Post Office happens to be the office of destination of the article, a
notice should also be sent to the addressee and the article made over to him if he is
willing to accept delivery without the department being held responsible in any way.
If the Superintendent of Post Offices or the First Class Postmaster is unable to
dispose of the leaky article or where its destruction is necessary, the matter should be
reported to the Head of the Circle fro orders regarding the final disposal of the article.
(ii) If the article is suspected to contain any other prohibited goods, it
should be forwarded in a protecting cover or bag, as the case may
require, marked "Doubtful" addressed to the Postmaster of the office
of destination, with a note over the initials of the Postmaster, Head
Sorting Assistant, Mail Guard or Mail Agent, as the case may be,
explaining the reasons for suspecting the article.
(2) If an article received for delivery is (a) suspected to contain anything
the transmission of which by the inland post is prohibited, or (b) enclosed in a cover
or bag marked "Doubtful", the Postmaster should send a notice in writing to the
addressee inviting him to attend either in person or by Agent within 48 hours at the
Post Office. He should under the authority given in Section 24 of the Post Office Act,
open and examine the article in the presence of the addressee or his agent, or in his
absence, if he fails to attend within the time specified, reporting the matter to the
Head of the Circle or Region, as the case may (See Exception below paragraph (2) of
Rule 123).
(3) If an article, in course of transmission by post is actually found in a
Mail Office or section to contain any goods the transmission of which through the
inland post in prohibited, either generally or to and from any particular localities, the
procedure prescribed in Paragraph (1) should be followed except that in the cases
referred to in Clause (b) of that paragraph, the article should not be marked
"Doutful" but a remark explaining the nature of the contents should be written upon
it. If an inland registered article is found in a Mail Office after having been accepted
for despatch to contain gold coin or gold bullion or both exceeding he prescribed limit
of Rs. 1,00,000, it should be endorsed "contains gold exceeding prescribed limit "
under the initial of the Head Sorting Assistant or Mail Agent and sent for disposal to
the Circle R.L.O. enclosed in a protecting cover. The value fore the purposes of this
sub-rule shall be the market value on the date and at the place of posting.
(4) In Post Offices, the following action should be taken in respect of
articles, which on being opened or otherwise, are actually found to contain prohibited
goods of the kinds mentioned in the preceding paragraph:-
(a) In the case of an article containing gold coin or gold bullion or both
of a value exceeding the prescribed limit of Rs. 1,00,000, it should be
endorsed "contains gold exceeding prescribed limit" and sent (i) to
the R.L.O. for return to the sender if it is an uninsured article. Or (ii)
direct to the office of posting for return to the sender if it is an
insured article, enclosed in a protecting cover or bag, as the case may
require. If the article is not a registered one, the protecting cover or
bag should be registered on service befor e despatch. The value for
the purposes of this sub-paragraph shall be the market value on the
date and at the place of posting.
(b) In the case of an article containing ticket, proposal, or advertisement
relating to a lottery not authorized by the Government or any other
mater descriptive or otherwise relating to such a lottery which is
calculated to act as an inducement to persons to participate in that
lottery, it should be endorsed with a remark to this effect and
forwarded to the Returned Letter Office enclosed in a protecting
cover or bag, as the case may require. Articles containing lottery by
Government, etc., which are authorized or organized by
Government, but do not contain the prescribed superscriptions on the
cover, should be endorsed with a remark to that effect and forwarded
to the R.L.O. for return to the sender, enclosed in a protecting cover
or bag, as the case may require.
No article should be intercepted, unless it is certain that the matter
contained therein is a prohib ited one. In all cases of doubt, a report
should first be made to the Head of eh Circle and his orders obtained.
IN the report, a full description of the matter should be given and, if
possible an exact copy of the ticket, proposal or other matter
concerning lottery, considered to be prohibited for transmission by
post, should be sent.
( c) In the case of an article containing anything indecent or obscene or
bearing on the outside whether on the article itself, as in the case of a
newspaper or on the cover – words, marks or designs of an indecent
or obscene character or of a character falling under the other heads of
the category given in the Sections 19adn 20 of the IPO Act., 1898
and Rules 44 & 45 of IPO Rules, 1933 as corrected from time to
time, it should be forwarded to the R.L.O. with a remark drawing
attention to the irregularity. This power should not be exercised in
respect of advertisements without the express order of the Head of
the Circle, and no advertisement should be intercepted on the ground
that it is indecent or obscene without first making a report to him and
obtaining his orders. IN the report, a full description of the
advertisement should be given, an exact copy of he passage supposed
to be indecent or obscene being sent with it.
(d) In the case of an article containing (i) opium, (ii) morphia, (iii)
cocaine or its allied drugs, (iv) preparation of opium, morphia or
cocaine or (v) any other intoxicating drug, the transmission of which
is prohibited, the article should be made over with all its contents to
the nearest Excise Officer for the adoption of such further
proceedings as may be deemed proper.
(e) In all other cases, the articles should be detained and the case
reported for the orders of the Head of the Circle/Region.
NOTE 1.- In an article infringes any of he prescribed conditions as to the
manner of posting, packing, size, contents, etc., for which the penalty is the payment
of a higher rate of postage, it should be charged with the enhanced rate of postage in
accordance with the rules laid down in the Post Office Guide, Part-I.
NOTE 2.-For the purpose of this rule, any newspaper, or any book,
pattern, or sample packet suspected to contain any thing in contravention of the
provisions of the Post Office Guide, P art-I, may be opened or unfastened by the
Postmaster in order to verify the suspicion.
NOTE 3.- In sub-offices, the articles referred to in Clauses (a) to (c) of
Paragraph (4) should be forwarded to the Head Office with a remark drawing
attention to the irregularity.
NOTE 4.- The transmission by post of gold coin or bullion or both of a
value exceeding Rs. 1,00,000 is prohibited. The sender of an article containing gold
coin or bullion or both has to declare on the article the value of the contents at the
time of despatch. If the sender has made false declaration about the value, he is liable
to be punished under Section 64 of the Indian Post Office Act. When articles
containing gold or bullion or both exceeding the prescribed value are detected, the
articles should not be delivered without the orders of the Superintendent or First
Class Postmaster.
123. Articles prohibited from important or liable to customs duty. - (1)
When there is good reasons to supposed that an article passing through the post
contains any goods (a) the import of which into Indian by post is prohibited, or (b)
when are liable to duty, it should be forwarded in a cover for in the case of a parcel, in
a bag) marked "Doubtful" addressed to the Postmaster of the office of destination,
with a note explaining the reasons for suspecting the article. Special case should be
exercised in the examination of bulky artic les of the inward foreign letter mail.
EXCEPTION 1.- Any article of the class referred to in (b) detected at the
offices of exchange of Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Delhi and at the sub-exchange
offices alt Ahmedabad, Bangalore, cochin and Jaipur should be made over to the
nearest Collector of Customs and assessed before it is delivered or transmitted
onwards by post, as the case may be, Articles containing fictitious stamps as defined
in sub-section (4) of Section 263-A of the Indian Penal Code, if detected at those
offices, should similarly be made over to the nearest Collector of Customs for
disposal.
EXCEPTION 2.- inward articles of the foreign mail prepaid at the latter
rate which contain dutiable goods and are furnished on the address side with either a
green label marked "Douane" (Customs) showing the nature, weight and value of he
contents or a green label marked "Douane" accompanied by a separate customs
declaring should be detained for customs examination.
(2) If an article received for delivery (a) is suspected to contain anything
the important of which is prohibited or which is liable to duty or (b) is enclosed in a
cover or bag marked "Doubtful", the Postmaster should send a notice in writing to the
addressee inviting him to attend either in person or by agent within 48 hours at the
Post Office. He should, under the authority given in Section 24 of the Post Office
Act, open and examine the article in the presence of the addressee or his agent, or in
his absence if he fails to attend within the time specified, reporting the matter to the
Head of the Circle. In sub-offices, the opening and examination of the article should,
if the addressee fails to attend, be done in the presence of two respectable witnesses.
(3) When an article has been opened in the office of delivery, action
should be taken as follows:-
(a) If found to contain anything on which customs duty is payable it
should be sent to the nearest Collector of Customs for disposal.
(b) If found to contain any intoxicating drugs the importation of which is
prohibited, it should be made over with all its contents, to the nearest
Customs Collector for disposal in accordance with the provisions of
the Sea Customs Act, 1878 (VII of 1878), applicable to prohibitions
and restrictions imposed under Section. 19 of he said Act. If found
to contain circulars relating to lotteries, it should be forwarded to the
R.L.O. concerned for return to the sender. If found to contain unset
diamonds, fire-arms, military stores or articles, other than explosives,
included in the term "ammunition" as defined in the Indian Post
Office Rules relating to prohibited category articles, or fictitious as
defined in sub-section (4) of Section 263-A of the Indian Penal Code,
the article should not be delivered to the addressee, but the
Postmaster should at once take steps, in accordance with the
procedure laid down in the Postal Manual, Volume -VI, to forward
the article to the chief post of the state nearest to the office of
delivery to be made over to the Customs authorities for any action
that may be considered necessary. In cases where an article is found
to contain explosives, the Postmaster should act on the instructions
contained in Rule 122 (1) (a). If the article is found to contain
anything else, the importation of which is prohibited, it should be
detained and the case reported for the orders of the Head of the
Circle/Region.
(4) When once an article has been opened for the purposes mentioned
above, the Post Office is bound to exercise scrupulous care in checking and repacking
the contents at every stage so as to prevent loss or damage in transit. T he out
covering used for repacking should be of sufficiently substantial material to afford
adequate protection to the contents.
(5) In the event of repacking of he insured foreign inward articles as
prescribed above, a demand from the addressee or the sender to have an open delivery
of such articles should be acceded to.
NOTE.- In sub-offices, articles found to contain anything the importation
of which is prohibited should be sent to the Head Office, except when found to
contain intoxicating drugs in which case they should be made over with all the
contents to the nearest Collector of Customs for the adoption of such further
proceedings as may be deemed proper.
124. Articles containing goods prohibited from export. - If an article
posted at any place in India and addressed to a foreign country is actually found,
while in course of transmission by post, to contain anything the export of which either
generally or to that particular destination is prohibited by the clause bearing the
heading "Local prohibitions" in the Inland Post section or by the clauses bearing the
heading "Articles Prohibited form export" in the Foreign Post, it should be endorsed
"Contains prohibited (name of the prohibited article)" and sent for disposal to the
R.L.O. either direct or, in the case of sub-offices, through the Head Office, except in
cases in which orders are in existence for the disposal of such articles in a different
manner.
for examination of frank.- (1) The Post Office, Mail
Office or Section, at which an article, superscribed "On India Government Service" is
posted, is the office responsible for the examination of the frank; and a frank which
has be en passed by the office of posting must not be challenged by any other office.
(2) abbreviations of official designations should
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