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POSTAL MANUAL



POSTAL MANUAL


VOLUME V


POST OFFICE AND RAILWAY MAIL SERVICE GENERAL


REGULATIONS


FIFTH EDITION


CONTENTS


CHAPTER NO. SUBJECT


1. Definitions


2. Miscellaneous Rules


3. Investigations


4. Transmission of mails under the weighment system


APPENDIX-I Rules re lating to treatment of Naval Mails by Post


and RMS Offices


APPENDIX-II Issue of Due Mail and Sorting Lists and Conventions


ANNEXURE-A Period of Preservation of Records


CONTENTS OF CHAPTER I


Definitions


RULE


1. Postmaster-General


2. Railway Mail Service


3. Deleted


4. Superintendent


5. Head Office


5-A. V-Sat Centres


5-B. ESMO Centres


5-C. Hybrid Mail Service


6. General Post Office


7. Sub-Office


8. Branchy Office


9-A. Transit Office


9-B. Transit Mail Office


9-C. Computerized Transit Mail Office


10. Sorting Office


10-A. Automatic Mail Processing Centre (AMPC)


10-B. Computerized Registration Sorting Centre (CRC)


11. Sorting sub-office


11-A. Nodal PO Sorting Offices


11-B. Kendriya Bag Unit (KBU)


12. Returned Letter Office


12-A. Transcription Centre


13. Office of foreign exchange, offices of exchange of transit


foreign Post Offices and sub-foreign Post Offices


14. Transit Section


15. Mail Office


15-A. Corporate Mail Office or Bulk Mail Centre


15-B. Mass Mailing Centre


15.C. Press Sorting Offices


16. Record Office


17. Head Record Office


18. Sub-Record Office


18-A. Bag Office


19. Sorting Assistant


20. Subsidiary Sorting Assistant


21-A. Set of section


21-B. Set of Mail Office


22. Trip


23. Station and Sorting articles


24. Labelled bundle


25. Check-slip


25-A. Money Order Check-slip


26. Mail bags


26-A. Airmail bag


27. Registered bundle


27-A. Regd. Bundles from Customers


28. Registered bag


28-A. Speed Post Bag


29. Insured bundle


30. Parcel bag


31. Insured bag


32. Registered packet bag


33. Transit bag


34. Account bag


35. Branch Office bag


36. Cash bag


37. Special bag


37-A. Camp bag


38. Deleted


39. Telegraph cover


40. Changing station


41. Connecting section


42. Overtime duty


43. Rest house


44. Deleted


44-A. Cage TB


45. Press packet


46. ‘A’ orders


47. ‘B’ orders


48. Deleted


49. Work-papers


50. Deleted


51. Deleted


52. Deleted


52-A. Due mail and sorting list


53. Due mails and unusual mails


54. Face and facing


55. Beat


56. Camp correspondence


56-A. Late letters and too late letters


57. Mis-sent and mis -directed articles


57-A. Trial Cards


CHAPTER I


Definitions


1. Postmaster-General. - The expression ‘Postmaster-General’ means a


Principal Chief Postmaster-General, Chief Postmaster-General, Regional Postmaster


General, or a Director of Postal Services and includes any other officer exercising the


powers of the Principal Chief Postmaster -General, Chief Postmaster-General or


Regional Postmaster-General.


2. Railway Mail Service.- The expression Railway Mail Service means the


service responsible for the carriage of mails by rail, road, river and air and for the


collection and distribution of mails received from Post Offices by Mail Offices and


sections.


NOTE- The abbreviation RMS is used for Railway Mail Service.


3.




Deleted.


4. Superintendent.- Superintendent of Post Offices is the Chief Officer in


charge of a Postal Division and Superintendent of RMS is the Officer holding a


similar position of a RMS Division. A Superintendent is in administrative charge of


the Division under his control and all officers in the Division are subordinate to him.


He is immediately subordinate to the Head of the Circle/Region.


NOTE- The expression "Superintendent" used in this book includes


Superintendents and Se nior Superintendents of Postal and RMS Divisions unless it is


clear from the context that only one of these classes of Superintendents is meant;


when used to signify a Superintendent of Post Offices; the term includes a Senior


Superintendent of Post Offic es and a first class Postmaster except where there is


anything contrary to the context.


5. Head Office.- A Head Office is the main office of a group Post Offices


consisting of itself and a number of small offices called sub and branch offices which


have been placed under its Accounts jurisdiction. It is the main office of account for


itself and for all the sub and branch offices within the group, and the monetary


transactions of the latter offices are incorporated in its accounts. The Officer in -


charge of a Head Office is designated a Head Postmaster.


5-A, V-SAT Stations.- Important Head Post Offices are identified as Very


Small Aperture Terminal Stations. From these Post Offices, money orders are


transmitted using V-SAT technology.


5-B. Extended Satellite Money Order (ESMO).- These stations are working as


extension counters for booking and transmission of money orders through V-SAT


stations.


5-C. Hybrid Mail Service.- This involves electronic transmission of written


material from one place to another using computer terminals connected through VSAT


which can be delivered to one or more than one addressee at the receiving


station.


6. General Post Office.- The first class Head Office situated at the


Headquarters of the Head of a Circle or, where there are more than one such Head


Office, the one attached to the Headquarters, is termed General Post Office.


NOTE.- Classes of Head Offices: First Class Head Offices under the control


land supervision of Senior Time Scale Officer. He is called Chief Postmaster.


Second Class Head Offices under the control and supervision of a Group ‘B’ Officer.


He reports to Sr. Superintendent of Post Offices.


7. Sub-Office.- (1) A sub-office is Post Office subordinate to and in account


with a Head Office and its monetary transaction are incorporated in the accounts of


the latter office. The officer in-charge of a sub-office is designated a Sub-Postmaster.


(2) A sub-office situated in a town or its suburbs where there is also a Head


Office is termed a town sub-office.


8. Branch Office. - (1) A Brach Office is a Post Office of lower status than a


sub-office. It is in direct account with a Head or sub-office which is termed its


accounts office and its monetary transactions are in-corporated in the accounts of the


latter office. The Office in -charge of a Branch Office is designated as Branch


Postmaster.


(2) A Branch Office situated in a town or its suburbs where there is also a


Head Office is termed as town branch office.


9-A. Transit Office.- Any Post Office which is situated on a line of through


mail communication, and receives and sorts bags intended for offices in advance,


without opening them, is a transit office. The bags which are thus forwarded onwards


unopened are termed forward bags. The transit bags addressed to a transit office are


opened there, and the forward bags contained in them are sent onwards, either loose


or enclosed in other transit bags. The use of a transit office is to reduce the number of


loose bags.


9-B. Transit Mail Office.- A branch of RMS where closed bags are received


and dispatched, sorting of letters is not done in this unit. Mail Agent or Mail Guard is


in charge of this unit. This can function in number of sets depending upon


requirements.


E.g. Bangalore City TMO Set No. 1 – 06.00 to 14.00


Bangalore City TMO II – 14.00 to 21.40


If TMO is functioning in the night set, the set works throughout the night. One batch


of officials who are working on a particular night will not work in the following night.


Another batch of Officials will work in the following night. Both these batches will


alternatively work.


9-C. Computerized Transit Mail Office.- In certain cities, computers have


been provided to handled the work of the Transit Mail Office. These Offices are


called Computerized TMOs.


10. Sorting Office.- An office charged with the duty of opening the sorting


mail bags received by its and disposing of their contents is termed as Sorting Office.


A Sorting Office may receive articles of all kinds in sorting. The use of a Sorting


Office is (a) to simplify the work of sorting in other offices, (b) to reduce the number


of bags exchanged between Post Offices, and (c) to reduce the weight of mails


carried on mails lines.


10-A. Automatic Mail Processing Centres. - In important cities where mail


traffic is high, sorting machine have been provided which have high speed of sorting.


At present, these machines are functioning in Mumbai and Chennai.


10-B. Computerized Registration Centres.- The Registration Branch of the


Mail Office, where the processing of registration work is done on computers, is called


Computerized Registration Sorting Centre (CRC). A CRC can be situated in the Mail


Office itself or in a separate location.


11. Sorting sub-office – A sorting sub-office is a sub-office which is selected


from its position at or near the junction of several mail lines, to serve as a Sorting


Office for articles addressed to, or received from, offices to which the route lies


through the sorting sub-office. It is authorized to receive articles of all kinds in


sorting.


11-A. Nodal Post Office - In important cities and towns, some Post Offices


are authorized to receive letters from neighboring Post Offices and sort the mail as per


the sorting diagram given by the RMS Superintendents. This is to reduce the peak


hour pressure in the local sorting offices. Such offices are identified as Nodal Post


Offices.


11-B. Central Bagging Unit/ Kendriya Bagging Unit. - This Unit is a branch


of RMS Office. Here the bundles prepared by the Post Offices/ Mail Offices grouped


and enclosed in a direct bag. For instance, if there are 80 :Post Offices in a city and


each Post Office is preparing 20 bundles for 20 Post Offices/ Districts/Circles/Mail


Offic es, all these bundles will reach Central Bagging Unit/KBU in ‘L’ Bag/’R’ Bag.


KBU/CBU will open the ‘L’/’R’ bags, group the bundles with reference to the


destination, i.e. Circles-wise or District-wise or PO-wise or Mail Office-wise and


include them in respective bags for the PO/Sorting Office concerned for


delivery/further transmission, as the case may be.


12. Returned Letter Office.- A Returned Letter Office is established at the


Headquarters of a Postal Circle and deals with unclaimed and refused articles and


articles without addresses or with undecipherable or incomplete addresses.


NOTE- The abbreviation RLO is used for Returned Letter Office.


12-A. Transcription Centre.- A transcription center is a cell established in a


Sorting Office, situated normally at the Headquarters of the Circle or at any other


convenient Sorting Office in the Circle. Transcription center transcribes into English


the addresses written in regional languages on postal articles posted in Post or Mail


Offices.


13. Off ice of Exchange, Offices of exchange of transit bags, Foreign Post


Offices and Sub-Foreign Post Offices.- (a) A Post Office or Sorting Office or Section


which exchanges mails with offices in foreign countries is known as an "Office of


Exchange". It is referred to as the dispatching office of exchange in respect of


mails it makes up and addresses to an office of exchange in another country, while it


is called the receiving office of exchange in respect of mails addressed to it by an


office of exchange f rom another country. The term "outward office of exchange" and


"inward office of exchange" are also used to describe them. Even offices functioning


as both inward and outward offices of exchange may function in one of the capacities


only for certain countries.


(b) An Office of Exchange on the border which only receives and dispatches


closed bags addressed to or received from other offices of exchange in India is known


as an "Office of Exchange of transit". Such an office will not close bags for foreign


countries or open inward foreign bags. Its function is only to exchange mails with the


carrier or with the officials of a foreign administration.


( c) A "Foreign Post Office" is an office of exchange in which the work of


assessment of customs duty on foreign mails is also carried out. Although mails may


be intercepted (and articles not suspected to contain anything dutiable released) in


many exchange offices, the work of actual assessment of duty (and opening of articles


for this purpose where necess ary) is done only in the Foreign Post Offices. Articles


received in one office of exchange and suspected to contain dutiable goods, for


delivery from an office nearer another office of exchange are directed to the latter for


actual examination and assessment of duty.


(d) A "Sub-Foreign Post Office" is an office which is not an exchange office


(i.e., which does not close bags for other countries and which does not receive from


foreign countries bags addressed it) but in which the work of customs examination,


assessment and accounting of customs duty is carried out. Such sub-Foreign Post


Offices are opened mainly for the convenience of senders and addressees who may be


required to present documents, etc., for the release or dispatch of their foreign articles.


14. Transit Sections - Transit Sections are traveling offices of the Railway


Mail Service working on Railway or river steamer lines. The officer-in-charge of a


set of a transit section is called a Mail Guard or Mail Agent.


NOTE.- Sections are numbered serially and designated by the name of the RMS


Division followed by the Serial No.


15. Mail Office.- Mail Offices are stationary offices of the Railway Mail


Service and are of two kinds, viz., Sorting Mail Offices and transit Mail Offices. T he


principal point of difference is that, while the former deal with the contents of mail


bags addressed to them as well as with closed forward bags, the latter deal only with


closed bags. The officer in-charge of a set of a Sorting Mail Office is designated a


Head Sorting Assistant and the officer in –charge of a set of transit Mail Office, a


Mail Agent irrespective of the status of the incumbent.


15-A. Corporate Mail Office or Bulk Mail Centre (CMO/BMO).-


Consequent on the increase of corporate mail, RMS units, viz., Corporate Mail


Offices/Bulk Mail Centres are opened in big cities. Each bulk Mailer, i.e., a firm


which is capable of posting of 5000 unregistered articles/250 registered articles at a


time is identified a bulk mailer. These bulk mailers are supplied with customized


sorting list. Bundles are prepared by the bulk mailers as per the customized sorting


list. The details of bundles prepared are entered in one invoice which is prepared in


duplicate and brought to Bulk Mail Centre. The officer in-charge of the center


verifies bundles received from each bulk mailers with reference to invoice received


and group them destination-wise for further despatch.


15-B. Mass mailing Centre (MMC).- In order to help the customers who are


regularly posting maximum number of letters, Department of Posts started assistance


centres which are called Mass Mailing Centres in bigger cities. The responsibility of


this Centre is to receive the loose letters, circulars and blank envelopes separately


from the customers and help them in writing the addresses, enclose the


circulars/letters inside the envelopes and if necessary, affixing the postage


stamps/franking the mail. For this purpose, Mass Mailing Centre may engage the


assistance of college students, house-wives, pensioners, etc., on payment of some


amount on hourly basis. To meet this expenditure, the customers will have to pay


extra in addition to the postage as decided by the Department from time to time.


15-C. Press Sorting Office (PSO).- This sorting office is situated on the


premises of the Newspaper. The entire expenditure towards wages for the


establishment is borne by the Newspaper publisher apart from providing required


stationery for working the sorting office. This office works to suit t he dispatch timing


of the newspaper and closes direct letter bags to the Post Offices/sorting offices


concerned which are dispatched through local regular sorting offices.


NOTE- Mail offices located at Railway Stations are designated by the names


of the stations followed by the letters RMS while those not so located are designated


sorting offices, e.g., Delhi RMS Hindustan Times Press Sorting Offices.


16. Record Office.- A Record Office is a stationary office of the Railway


Mail Service where the work-papers of the sections attached to it are prepared,


checked and placed on record, and by which all forms, bags and stationery required


for the use of those sections are supplied. The official in-charge of a Record Office is


designated a Record Officer.


17. Head Record Office.- It is a stationary office situated at the Headquarters


of RMS Division which, in addition to the ordinary duties of a Record Office is


entrusted, with the preparation salary and contingent bills for the entire Division and


the accounts connected therewith is termed a Head Record Office. The official incharge


of a Head Record Office is designated a Head Record Officer.


18. Sub-record office.- A sub-record office is a stationary office of the


Railway Mail Service, situated at the same station as a Mail Office, where the workpapers


of the Mail Office as well as the sections, if any, attached to the Sub-Record


Office are prepared, checked and place on record and by which all forms, bags and


stationery required for the use of the Mail Office and the sections are supplied. The


official in-charge of a Sub-Record Office is designated a Sub-Record Officer. A Sub-


Record Officer may also work as Head Sorting Assistant or Sub-Sorting Assistant or


Mail Agent.


18-A. Bag Office.- For avoiding unnecessary movement of bags, the new


system of bag accounting has been introduced classifying PO/RMS Office into Bag


Office: the office handling it as under:-


(1) Unit Bag Office (UBO).- Every Post Office other than Branch Post


Offices and EDSOs is identified as Unit Bag Office. This office is given a


minimum/maximum bag balances once in a year by the Superintendent of


Post Offices concerned preferably on 1


st July. Each office will maintain a


day bag book and submit a daily bag balance report to its District Bag


Office.


(2)




District Bag Office (DBO).- Every HRO/SRO in RMS is identified as a


District Bag Office. This Office will maintain bag account for all types of


bags category-wise not only in respect of bags received and dispatched by


the Sorting Offices and TMOs attached too them but also in respect of


UBO attached to them. In exceptional cases, Head Post Offices can also


function as DBO.


(3) Circle Bag Office (CBO)- The Postal Stores Depot situated at the


Headquarters of Postal Circle is identified as Circle Bag Office. This


office is responsible for inspection of DBOs and UBOs and verification


of balances. This office is also responsible for procurement of bags,


distribution of bags, repair and auction of bags.


(4)




Central Bag Office.- ‘D’ Section of Postal Directorate works as Central


Bag Office. This does not deal with any bags but only deals with the


correspondence relating to procurement and distribution of bags.


NOTE- Wherever the terms "Record Office’ and "Record Officer" are used,


they include Head and Sub-Record Offices and Head and Sub-Record Clerks,


respectively, unless there is anything to the contrary in the extent.


19. Sorting A ssistant.- The term Sorting Assistant is used to designate all


officials in the Railway Mail Service other than Supervising Officers, Mail Guards


and Class IV servants.


20. Subsidiary Sorting Assistant.- A Sorting Assistant who works with a


Sorting Office over only a portion of its working hours to assist the set where the


work is heavy is called a Subsidiary Sorting Assistant.


21-A. Set of Section.- The establishment of RMS Sorting Assistants which


works together throughout the beat of the same section in both directions is termed a


set of that particular section. Sets are numbered serially and are designated by their


serial numbers preceded by the name of the section. Thus A-26/Set No. 4 denotes the


fourth set of A-26 Section. Each set of the same section has the same working hours,


same number of officials and the same mail exchange arrangement. The number of


set of a section are determined on the basis of weekly working hours.


21-B. Set of a Mail Office.- The establishment of RMS Sortin g Assistants


which is on duty at the same time in Mail Office is termed a set. The sets of Mail


Offices are numbered in a consecutive series, Set No. 1 commencing at or


immediately after zero hours. Thus, Nagpur RMS/1 denotes the first set of Nagpur


RMS working in the morning.


Unlike the sets of a section, each set of a Mail Office has different working


hours, different mail and sorting pattern. The strength may also vary depending upon


the volume of work.


In the case of the sets of a Mail Office working on alternate nights with the


same number of officials and the same mail and sorting pattern, the words ‘Batch A’


and ‘Batch B’ shall be used in addition to the usual consecutive number. Thus:


Nagpur RMS/Set No. 3 Batch ‘A’


Nagpur RMS/Set No. 3 Batch ‘B’


The batches ‘A’ and ‘B’ will be working on alternate night.


NOTE- Suffixes like "Parcel’, "PSO", "Regd. Packet", "TMO", etc., may be


used to denote the Sorting Offices with particular functions and separate serials may


be used for numbe ring Sets of such Sorting Offices as "Chennai Sorting Parcel Set 2",


"Bangalore City TMO Set 1" and "Bangalore City TMO Set 2".


22. Trip.- A journey performed by a set of a section traveling on duty from


one end of its beat to the other is called a trip. The trip from the Headquarters of the


set towards its out-station is called the Out-trip, while that towards its Headquarters is


called the In-trip.


23. Station and sorting articles.- Station articles are articles intended for


delivery from the Post Office to which they are sent but unpaid and insufficiently paid


articles of the letter mail intended for delivery from sub and branch offices are, when


sent to the Head Office or the sub-office, treated as station articles for the Head Office


or the sub-office, as the case may be. Sorting articles are articles that are to be sorted


by the Post Office or mail Office to which they are sent, and forwarded thence to


offices of final destination or to other Sorting Offices.


24. Labelled bundle.- (1) A labelled bundle is a collection of faced


unregistered articles of the letter mail securely tied with a check-slip at the top. It is


treated in sorting as a single article, and is opened by the office or section to which it


is addressed.


(2) Labelled bundle s are of two classes, viz., station bundles and sorting


bundles:-


(i) A station bundle contains station unregistered articles, and may be


either a paid articles bundle, consisting of only paid articles, or an


unpaid articles bundle consisting of only unpaid articles. Station


bundles are prepared, ordinarily, when the number of articles – either


paid or unpaid – for any office exceeds fourteen.


(ii) A sorting bundle contains both paid and unpaid unregistered articles


which are not included in station bundles. Sorting bundles may be of


two kinds, viz., express bundles and deferred bundles. An express


bundle contains articles which require to be sorted immediately on


receipt by the Mail Office or Post Office to which they are consigned,


and a deferred bundle contains articles which can be disposed of later.


When a sorting bundle is prepared for a state, a clearly defined tract of


country, or a foreign country, it is termed a territorial bundle.


Territorial bundles are prepared when the number of artic les is 25 and


more.


(3) Labelled bundles are not due.


Pre-sorted bundles.- These are received from the customers as well as from


Post Offices. These should not be opened if they are station bundles and can be


opened and sorted, only if they are sorting bundles.


25. Check-slip. - A check-slip is a label tied to the top of the labeled bundle:


the from is printed on paper of different colours, pink for ordinary paid and unpaid


bundles, white or ordinary sorting bundles and blue with the words "Air Mail" for


foreign air mail bundles. The white check-slip is used for both express and deferred


bundles, the slip being marked on the face with 2 diagonal lines in blue pencil, for


express bundle. The slip being marked on the face with 2diagonal lines in green


colour for local articles, yellow strip in corner for Rajdhani and blue strip in corner for


Metro bundles. Every check-slip bears the name and date stamps of the office which


prepares the bundle, the name of the office to which it is addressed and signature infull


of the officer by whom it is made up. In case of a territorial bundle, it also shows


the name of the State, Territory, etc., to which the articles in the bundle are addressed


as well as the office by which it is to be opened, thus:-


(Delhi Air Sorting)


Check-slips are designated to fix responsibility for the mis-sending of any


article wrongly included in a labeled bundle.


25-A. Money Order Check-slip. - A check-slip (M.O. 70) printed in


red ink on white or Badami paper is prescribed for use in preparing money orders


bundles for dispatch to destination. The number of money orders included in the


bundle is required to noted on this check-slip.


26. Mail bags.- (1) A mail bag is a bag containing unregistered and registered


articles of the letter mail, viz., letters, postcards, and book and pattern packets: and


also unregistered parcels, the registered articles being enclosed in a registered bag: but


when a registered packet bag is prescribed, heavy registered packets, are dispatched


inside the registered packet bag and not inside the mail bag. When parcel bags are not


prescribed, mail bags may also contain articles of the parcel mail. A mail bag


exchanged between a Branch office and a Post Office other than its accounts office,


mail office or section, with which it is in direct communication contains all fully


prepaid articles except V.P. and insured articles and those on which customs duty is to


be realized. There are three kinds of mail bags, viz., station mail bags, sorting mail


bags and combined mail bags, Mail Bags are due bags.


(2) Mail bags exchanged between a cash office and the sub-office which it


finances will also contain inside the registered bag, a cash bag. These mail bags are


denoted in the due mail lists of the cash office, of the sub-office and of the offices


through which they transit by a distinguishing symbol "F".


NOTE – In any case in which the Head of the Circle or the Heads of the


Circles concerned consider it advantageous that the Registered bag should not be sent


inside the mail bag, the Registered bag may be forwarded outside. All bags including


those in the nature of ‘L’ bags should invariably be sealed. The arrangement will be


clearly indicated in the Due Mail and Routing List.


26-A. Airmail bag.- A mail bag containing unregistered and registered articles


to be carried by any air service under the All Up Scheme is called an airmail bag. The


bag should not contain articles not intended to be carried by air. A blue dosuti bag


should ordinarily be used for closing an airmail bag.


NOTE 1.- If on any occasion there is no article for dispatch in a particular air


mail bag, a bag with ‘nil’ contents need not be closed, but a suitable entry should be


made in the delivery bill that no bag has been closed as there was no content.


If the number of articles to be dispatched is less than fifty and there is also no


insured article or air parcel for dispatch in an airmail bag, an airmail cover of suitable


size should be used instead of a bag.


NOTE 2- When an air parcel is sent inside an airmail bag, the label of the bag


should bear the superscription "C.A.P" to indicate that it contains air parcel.


NOTE 3.- Registered articles should not be enclosed in a bag unless their


number exceeds 25 or they are bulky or there are insured articles for dispatch. But


they should be bundled and tied up crosswise along with the registered list, with a


suitable check-slip prominently marked ‘REGISTERED’ and the bundle should be


sealed with the registration seal on the knot which should come on the check-slip.


This bundle is to be tied lengthwise and breadth wise to ensure that no article gets


loose and mixed up with unregistered articles. This bundle may then be placed in the


air mail cover of bag. Whenever registere d bags are used in enclosing registered


articles for dispatch inside air mail bags, normal rules for closing registered bags


should be followed. Whenever a bag is used for enclosing registered articles not


exceeding 25 due to their bulk and unusual size, a remark should invariably be passed


on the registered list to that effect.


NOTE 4.- The weight of an air mail bag or air TB should not exceed 30 kg.


27. Registered bundle.- (1) A registered bundle is a collection of faced,


uninsured registered articles of the letter mail placed, together with a registered list, in


a prescribed form of envelope, carefully gummed and sealed, or if necessary, in a


dosuti bag, tied and sealed in the ordinary way, with the label showing distinctly that


it is a "registered bundle" and not a ‘registered bag’. Registered bundles are not due,


but are made up, ordinary, when the number of registered articles to be enclosed


exceeds two; they are treated in sorting as single registered articles.


27-A. Registered bundles from customers.- The customers booking their


articles in bulk prepare station and TB bundles in the same manner as discussed above


and present them at the sorting office.


28. Registered bag.- (1) A registered bag contains cash bag, ordinary and V.P.


registered letters and packets, insured envelopes, registered bundles, insured bundles,


ordinary and V.P. money order bundles tied with a check-slip, and a registered list.


NOTE – The registered bag inside a mail bag indicated by symbol ‘P’ in the


D.M. list w ill also contain a cash bag.


(2) A registered bag is a due bag and must be prepared, together with a


registered list, whether there is a cash bag or registered articles for dispatch or not.


(3) The registered list sent in registered bags which are prescribed to contain a


cash bag must invariably bear, in addition to the Registration Date-Stamp impression,


the impression of the treasury date-stamp of the office closing the bag, or in offices


where there is no treasury date-stamp, the round money order stamp of the Sub-


Postmaster.


28-A. Speed Post Bag. - This bag contains Speed Post articles, Speed Post


Money orders and a Speed Post list. In the Speed Post list, the number of articles and


the office of booking in invariably written and totals are struck at the bottom.


29. Insured bundle. - (1) An insured bundle is a collection of insured letters


enclosed, together with a registered list, in an insured envelope, or if necessary, in a


dosuti bag, properly closed and sealed, showing distinctly on the envelope or the label


of the bag that it is an "Insured Bundle". Insured bundles are not due, but are made


up ordinarily, when the number of insured letters for dispatch to a Post Office is more


than one; they are treated in sorting as single insured enve lopes. When the number of


insured letters and I.Bs to be disposed of through a Mail Office is usually more than


ten, a separate insured letter bag addressed to that mail office may be prescribed to be


closed as a separate due bag. The insured letter bag should be dispatched inside the


registered bag with suitable remarks in the registered list.


30. Parcel bag. - A parcel bag contains ordinary registered parcels, V.P.


parcels and insured bags. It also contains a parcel list in which all the registered


articles of the parcel mail are entered in detail. Parcel bags are not due bags, and


when dispatched they are treated as unusual mails.


31. Insured bag. - An insured bag is intended to give cover to insured parcels


(including insured V.P. parcels) so as to afford them greater security. Insured bags do


not come under the category either of due or unusual bags nor do they contain any list


of their contents, these being detailed in the ordinary parcel list. An insured bag is


never dispatched loose, but is always enclosed in a parcel bag or mail bag. It is


placed inside the parcel bag when a parcel bag is made up for the office or section to


which it is addressed; when a parcel bag is not made up, it is placed inside the mail


bag. However, in large parcel sorting offices, when insured parcel bags are closed


separately, double canvas bags should be used for the purpose of ensuring security.


32. Registered packet bag. – (1) A registered packet bag contains heavy


registered packets and a registered list. Registered packet bags are prescribed when


justified. They are treated as due mails and entered under the column for entries of


mail bags in the mail list with the remarks ‘RP’ against the entry. When prescribed,


they must be closed irrespective of the fact whether there are any registered packets or


not. Such registered packet bags may also be closed, though not due, when the


Registered packets intended for any office or section cannot, due to their bulky size,


be included in the registered bag. In such cases, a remark ‘RP bag closed’ is to be


given in the registered list of the due registered bag.


(2) Packet bag. - Bags returned empty to UBO/DBO/CBO/PO or sacks


containing such bags are treated as packet bags. Packet bags are not due bags and


when dispatched they are treated as unusual mail.


33. Transit bag.- A transit bag is used to enclose several bags sent to the same


office or section thereby affording protection to them, and securing the disposal in


transit of only one bag in place of several. A transit bag must contain a mail list.


Transit bags are due bags.


34. Account bag. - An account bag is used between a sub-office and its Head


Office to enclose cash bags and articles, documents, etc., connected with accounts as


well as correspondence unconnected with accounts, from the Head Office to one of its


sub-offices and vice versa. When sent by the Head Office to the sub-office, it


contains the S.O. slip and when sent by the sub-office to the Head Office, it contains


the S.O. daily acc ount. Account bags may be loose or enclosed in mail bags made up


by Post Offices and Mail Offices. Account bags are due bags. They should contain


all types of postal articles posted in SOs deliverable at HO and vice versa.


35. Branch office bag. - A branch office bag is used between a branch office


and its account office to enclose cash bags and all articles, documents, etc., exchanged


with the account office. Branch office bags may be sent loose or enclosed in mail


bags made up by Post Offices and Ma il Offices. Branch office bags are due bags.


36. Cash bag. - A cash bag is used to enclose remittances of cash between


Post Offices. Cash bags are not due bags. They are ordinarily dispatched enclosed in


account bags, registered bags, or branch offic e bags, but may also be sent loose in the


charge of postman, village postman, overseer, or other subordinate.


37. Special bag.- A special bag is used to enclose correspondence of the high


officers of Government mentioned in the Post Office Guide, Part-I, as entitled to the


privilege, and the correspondence of the Director -General of Posts when on tour. A


special bag contains unregistered and registered articles of the letter mail, the latter


being tied in a separate bundle with the registered list in which they are entered placed


on top. Special bags are not due bags, but when dispatched they are treated as


unusual mails.


37-A. Camp bag. - A camp bag is used to enclose the office files and other


official papers, and is closed by the Secretariat or Headquarters offices of the high


officers mentioned in Clause 198 of Post Office Guide, Part-I, for the High Officer-in-


Camp, and vice versa. Camp bags are not due bags, but when dispatched, they are


treated as unusual mails.


38. Deleted.


39. Telegraph cover.- A telegraph cover (Form T.I. 60) is used to enclose


express telegrams, telegraph envelopes closed by Post Offices, telegraphic advices,


etc., when their transmission in the ordinary course as service registered letters is


likely to cause delay in their disposal, and one must always be used to enclose


telegraph envelopes received from local telegraph office for dispatch to another


telegraph office. The6y are treated as unusual mails and sent loose, but may in


exceptional circumstances be enclosed in a mail or transit bag.


40. Changing station - A Railway Station, where the beats of two transit


sections join and where the mails brought by one of them are handed over to the


other, is called a changing station.


41. Connecting section. - A connecting section is an RMS section working in a


train in immediate connection with another train in which another RMS section


works. If the interval between the arrival of one section and the departure of another


is sufficient to connect bags being made up by a mail office at the junction station, the


sections are not termed "connecting sections".


42. Overtime duty. - The expression overtime duty means the duty performed


under the orders of the Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, Inspector or Record


Officer by a Sorting Assistant, Mail Guard, Van-Peon, Porter, or other staff of the


RMS after the completion of prescribed term of duty.


43. Rest house.- Rest-houses are houses or rooms provided at terminal or


changing stations for the accommodation of Mail Agents, Mail Guards and Van Peons


where absolutely necessary.


44. Deleted.


44-A. Cage TB.- When a lot of bags are available at distant places, Cage TB


facility is utilized. For instance, Chennai Central Station TMO has got 350 bags


intended for the delivery at Howrah Station. If these bags are given to the Section


leaving Chennai Central Section TMO, viz., TP-16-OUT, all these bags are required


to be handled by TP-16-OUT and other intermediary sections, viz., V-10-IN, V-14-


OUT and N-2-IN. If the Cage TB facility is used, the Chennai Central Station TMO


can load all the bags in a partition in the Mail Van of the train (TP-16-OUT) and lock


the partition so that TP -16-OUT and other intervening sections need not handle these


bags. This partition which is locked sealed and labeled by Chennai Central Station


TMO can be opened only by the Mail Agent at Howrah Station TMO after N-2-IN


reaches Howrah Station. Cage TB facility avoids unnecessary handling of bags by


intermediate sections.


45. Press packet.- A press packet is a packet containing newspapers intended


for sale by a news-agent recognized as such and marked for delivery from the


Railway Mail Service van at the Railway station to which it is addressed.


46. A Orders.- A orders are orders issued by a Superintendent, RMS


prescribing changes in sorting lists.


47. B Orders.- B orders are orders issued by a Superintendent, RMS for the


guidance of the subordinates in the performance of their duties in Mail Offices on all


subjects except alternations in sorting lists.


NOTE – The letter ‘T’ will be prefixed to the letter ‘B’ in the case of ‘B’


orders issued in connection with the disposal of camp articles and camp bags for high


officials on tour.


48. Deleted..


49. Work-papers.- The expression work-papers means the documents


received and dispatched by a set of a Transit Section or Mail Office as well as


abstracts and other documents prepared by it while at work.


50. Deleted.


51. Deleted.


52. Deleted.


52-A, Due Mail and Sorting List.- The due mail list shows the details of bags


to be received and dispatched by a Mail Office/ Transit Section. It will show (a) in


what cases mail lists are to be dispatched and received with loose bags (b) transit bags


are to be used (c) account bags and B.O. bags are to be sent or received in mail bags,


(d) in the case of sub-office, the mail bags containing cash bags enclosed in registered


bags.


The sorting list will show (a) for what offices, mail bags and registered bags


are to be made up (b) to what offices parcel mail articles may be sent direct and the


manner in which they must be dispatched.


53. Due mails and unusual mails.- The term due mail comprises all the bags,


articles and documents which must be dispatched every day or at regular intervals.


The terms unusual mail comprises parcel bags, packet bas, special bags, camp bags,


telegraph bags and any other bags not included in the term "due mail".


54. Face and facing. - The face of an article is the side on which the address is


written. The terms ‘facing’ means the arrangement of articles with the address-side


upwards and the addresses turned in the same direction.


55. Beat.- The term beat used in relation to a RMS section means the portion


of a Railway or Steamer line over which the section works. When used in relation to


postal overseers and delivery agents, such as, postmen, village postmen, etc., it


denotes the area within which they are required to perform their respective duties. A


beat includes Post Office served by the off icial concerned..


56. Camp correspondence.- The expression camp correspondence means


letters and other articles of correspondence addressed "camp" or with any other


prescribed address, without the addition of the name of any post-town, and intended


for high officers on tour.


56-A. Late letters and too late letters.- Late letters are letters presented at the


window of a Post Office or Mail Office or posted in the letter box of a Mail Office


after the prescribed hour of closing the mail but within the interval allowed for


posting of such letters with the prescribed late fee affixed in addition to the postage.


"Too late" letters are those posted within such interval but without having


been fully prepaid with postage and late fee. These are stamped "Detained late fee


not paid" and detained till the next dispatch.


57. Mis-sent and mis-directed articles.- A mis-sent article is an article which


has been erroneously forwarded by an office to an office other than the office of


destination or by a route other than the prescribed one. A mis -directed article is a


vernacular article on which the incorrect destination has been written in English by


the office of posting.


57-A. Trial cards.- Trial cards are service Post Cards [M 26 (a)] which are


employed for the purpose of determining the relative advantage of alternative mail


routes or the cause of detention to articles. A trial card contains on the back the


following printed columns, viz., (1) Source of receipt (2) Remarks, misconnection,


etc., (3) Manner of disposal, (4) Date stamp of the Office or Section, (5) Signature of


Head Sorting Assistant/Postmaster/Supervisor. All these columns should be carefully


filled in by the Head Sorting Assistant, the Postmaster or Supervisor of each office or


section handling the card and on reaching the destination the Postmaster should also


note the date and hour of the mail conveying the card and the date and hour of


delivery of the card before the same is returned in a service cover to the officer by


whom it was issued. The card should be forwarded by the route if any, marked


therein and should not be included in any station bundle.


CONTENTS OF CHAPTER 2


MISCELLANEOUT RULES


MAIL AND SORTING DEPARTMENTS


RULE


58. Latest hours fixed for posting the mails


58.A. Posting of registered newspapers


58-B. Machine Franked Articles


58-C. Accounts with licensees of Franking Machines


59. Clearance of letter-boxes


60. Clearance of letter-boxes at railway stations


60-A. Separation of articles taken from letter-boxes


60-B. Stamping land removal to sorting case


60-C. Deleted


61. Treatment of late letters


62. Deleted


63. Treatment of packets


64. Treatment of articles addressed to foreign countries


65. Deleted


66. Articles with undecipherable or incomplete addresses


67. Preparation of labeled bundles


68. Deleted


69. Contents of a station mail bag for a head or sub office


70. Contents of a station mail bag for a branch office


71. Contents of a sorting mail bag


72. Contents of a combined mail bag


72-A. Bulk Bag


73. Preparation of mail bags for dispatch


74. Plural mail bags


75. Extra mail bags


76. Mail lists


76/1. Entry of forward mail lists in the mail lists for intervening


offices and sections


76/2. Inland air mail delivery bill


77. Plural transit bags


78. Extra transit bags


79. Deleted


80. Water proof bags


81. Immediate examination and verification of mails


82. Disposal of mail lists received


REGISTRATION AND PARCEL DEPARTMENTS


83. Meaning of expression "registered articles of the letter mail"


and "parcel mail articles"


84. Conditions regarding registration, insurance, etc.


85. Distinguishing letters placed before numbers


86. Number slips printed with names of offices of posting


87. Acknowledgements for registered articles and enquiries


regarding foreign registered articles of the letter mail and


foreign parcels


87-A. Complaints and enquiries relating to foreign mail


88. Parcel containing inadmissible communications


89. Preparation of registered bundles


89-A. Insured Bundles


90. Preparation of registered and parcel lists


91. Closing of registered bag, registered packet and parcel bags


92. Closing of insured bags


93. Use of more than one registered or parcel bag for the same


office or transit section


94. Deleted


95. Deleted


96. Opening of registered, registered packets and parcel bags


and examination of their contents


97. Examination and opening of insured bags received


98. Examination of insured parcels received


99. Deficiency in fees or postage on registered articles and


unregistered parcels


99/1. Re-use of used-up stamps and removal of stamps


GENERAL


100. Deleted


101. Deleted


102. Use of the term "Unpaid articles"


103. Book of postmarks


103-A. Cleansing of seals and stamps


104. Letter-boxes


105. Certificates of posting


106. Officials not to affix postage stamps to articles


107. Stamping


108. Importance of proper stamping


109. English transcription of addresses written in Indian


languages on postal articles


110. Foreign postage stamps on articles for dispatch delivery


110-A. Treatment of unpaid or insufficiently prepaid articles for


foreign countries


111. Deleted


111-A. Calculation of deficiency of postage of foreign articles


111-B. Deleted


111-C. Open and insecurely closed unpaid letters


112. Postcards of private manufacture


113. Unpaid articles addressed by the public to officia ls of the


Department


114. Articles found open, damaged or without contents


115. Treatment of articles, the registration or insurance of which


is compulsory


116. Articles marked "By parcel post"


117. Articles addressed to more than one person


118. Articles intended for ultimate return to sender


19. Articles addressed "Camp"


120. Correspondence of certain officers when on tour


120-A. Disposal of Naval Mails


120-B. Airmail correspondence posted on ships


121. Facing of articles


122. Articles prohibited from transmission by inland post


123. Articles prohibited from importation or liable to Customers Duty


124. Articles containing goods prohibited from export


124-A. Dele ted


125. Responsibility for examination of frank


126. Transmission of packets


127. Manner of forwarding parcels


127-A. Manner of forwarding Air parcels


128. Correction of documents


129. Use of proper bags


129-A. Proper use of bags


130. Manner of labeling, closing and sealing bags


131. Supply of stamped tag-labels


132. Tin seal-holders


133. Due dispatch of registered bags


134. Preparation and disposal of special bags and camp bags


135. Limit of weight of mails


136. Supply of due mail and sorting list


137. Changes in due mail and sorting lists


138. Examination and opening of bags


139. Bags to be turned inside out


139-A. Trial Cards


140. Treatment of mis -sent and mis-directed articles of the


unregistered letter mail and labeled bundles


141. Disposal of check-slip


142. Mails received damaged or tampered with


LOSS OF MAILS DUE TO AIR CRASH


142-a. loss of mails due to air crash


143. Preservation of seals and bags


144. Important irregularities to be reported by telegraph/fax


145. Record of irregularities


146. Facsimile impressions of Signature


147. Applications for interception of letters


148. Redelivery to the sender or alteration / correction of address


of postal articles in the course of transmission by post


149. Director-General’s circulars


150. Postal notice and advertisements


151. Explanation of rules and circulars


152. Production of records before Police or Excise Officer


153. Prohibited matters relating to lotteries


154. Ordinary postage stamps, coins and other articles of value


found in letter-boxes or on a counter


155. Half-yearly enumeration returns


156. Arrangement and inspection of records


157. Office order book


158. Deleted


159. Transmission by Post Office files for and from certain high officers


of Government while on tour


160. Deleted


160-A. Realization of Indian Post Office bag used for closing bulk bags


booked in India


161. to 166. Deleted.


CHAPTER 2


MISCELLANEOUS RULES


Mail and Sorting Departments


58. Latest hours fixed for posting the mails. - The la test hours of posting of


mails at a Post Office or mail Office will be notified in connection with each dispatch


in the notice of "latest hours of posting of mails" supplied to the office and the letter


box should be finally cleared at this hour except for late letters posted in letter boxes


attached to mail offices at stations at which a late fee is imposed, where the letter box


should be again cleared on the expiry of the period allowed for the posting of such


articles. In the case of night mails, the latest hours of posting will ordinarily be 6 p.m.


and in the case of day mails, thirty minutes before the hour fixed for the closing of the


mail at the Post Office. The hours of clearance of letter boxes placed at Railway


stations where there are Mail Offices should, as far as possible, be fixed by


Superintendents of RMS sometime after the hour fixed for clearance at the local Post


Office. Mails which are to be forwarded by Railway should ordinarily reach the


Railway station ten minutes before the arrival of the train by which they are to be


sent.


58-A. Posting of registered newspapers.- (1) Newspapers registered by


the Head of the Division/Sr. Postmaster under the IPO Rules, 1933, corrected from


time to time can be posted in Post Office and RMS Office shown in the application


for registration and accepted by the Head of the Division/Sr. Postmaster.


(2) A register of r3egistered newspapers posted should be maintained by


each such office to keep a watch to ensure that no newspaper not entered in the


register is allowed to be transmitted by post at concessional rates. The Head of the


Circle shall supply to the offices of Posting concerned copies and the orders granting


fresh registration, renewals of previous registrations or canceling and registration.


Even if there are changes in the date or dates of posting or office of posting, etc.,


copies of orders will be communicated in individual cases to the offices of posting


concerned. The register in each office of posting shall be kept corrected up-to-date


according to the orders communicated from time to time by the Heads of the Circle in


this respect.


(3) The Head of the Division/Sr. Postmaster concerned is authorized to


issue a licence for posting of registered newspapers at specified Post Offices and


RMKS Offices without prepaying postage under the conditions prescribed in IPO


Rules, 1933, corrected from time to time. Separate licences are issued for posting to


addresses within India and to address outside India. Copies of newspapers posted


under this system should be checked at random to see that the following conditions


are fulfilled:-


(a) That at least hundred copies are posted at a time; this limit is applied


separately to copies for inland destinations and to those for foreign


destinations;


(b) that the following indications appear on each copy in the oblong


space on the wrapper or below the registration number if the newspaper is


posted without a wrapper;


(i) for newspapers addressed to places within India


Licence No.


Licenced to Post without pre-payment


(ii) For newspapers addressed to places abroad


Licence No.


Licenced to Post under Cash Payment system


Postage paid


Post payee


( c) that are handled in with a proper invoice as indicated in the next subrule


4. (i) The copies of the newspapers will be handed over at the window


along with an invoice in duplicate in the following from showing details of the


posting. The original copy should be retained by the office of posting and the


duplicate returned to the sender after it has been duly signed and date stamped.


Before the duplicate copy is returned to the sender, the entries in the invoice should be


properly checked with the articles posted and if there be any discrepancy, the office of


posting should make the requisite corrections under the initials of the Head of the


Office or any other officer duly another in this behalf.


The licensee is bound to accept such correction.


INVOICE FORM


Name of the paper with frequency of publications


No. of single copies Weight of a single Date posting copy Postage


due


No. of bundles with 2


copies each Weight per bundle "


No. of single copies Weight of a single Date posting copy Postage


due


No. of bundles with 3


copies each Weight per bundle "


No. of bundles with 4


copies each Weight per bundle "


No. of bundles with 5


copies each Weight per bundle "


____________


Total amount of postage


____________


Signature of Manager


Proprietor or Publisher of


Registered Newspaper


Signature of


receiving


Postmaster


Dated…………………………


Stamp of the Office of Posting


(ii) The amount of postage due on all posting will be adjusted twice a


month, i.e., on the 16


th for postings between the first and the 15th of the month, and 1st


of the following month, in respect of the postings from the 16


th to the end of the


month.


The office of posting should prepare fortnightly a bill in Form M.S. 98 for


the posting during the periods shown in conditions (3) above showing the total


amount of postage payable for each day as shown in the invoices and present the bill


to the licensee on the 16


th and 1st of each month, a copy of the bill being forwarded at


the same time to the Had Office and the Post Office where the bill in to be paid where


necessary, and to the Audit Office to enable them to watch the credit. The payment of


the bill will have to be effected by the Licensee, within seven days from the date of its


presentation at the Post Office indicated in the bill. The Post Office should keep a


close watch on the receipt of the amount within this period and in case of no0npayment,


report the matter at once to


the Head of the Circle. A Post Office receiving a copy of the bill from an RMS


Office for realization of the amount of the bill should intimate the date of recovery of


the amount to the RMS office concerned on the date the payment of the bill is


received. In case of non-payment within the stipulated time, this fact should be


intimated to the RMS Office immediately. The amount should be created in the


schedule of ‘unclassified receipts’. The monthly statement in the Form M.S. 99


should be sent by the office of posting if it is a sub-office to its Head Office, and to


the Audit Office on the 1


st of every month.


(iii) In the event of non-payment of a bill within a fortnight following the


fortnight to which the bill relates, the posting of the paper without prepayment of


postage should immediately be stopped, and the licence deemed to have been


cancelled.


58.B. Machine-Franked Artic les.- (i) Postage on postal articles (both


official and private) ay, under a licence issued by the Head of the Circle, be paid by


means of impressions of franking machines, which will be of a bright red colour and


be made as far as possible on the right -hand top corner of the address side of the


postal article itself or an address wrapper or an address label firmly attached to it.


The franks recorded by each machine will bear an impression or impressions showing


the amount of postage with the number of the machine in the center, as in the


specimens given below:-


Seal P 5 P


Seal U 5


The illustrations are not exhaustive and licensees may arrange with the


agents of the franking machines for any denominations. The number in the center


denoting the number of frank there is a date-stamp impression showing the name of


the office of posting, the date, as well as the identification mark of the licensee and


the licence No. preceded by the index letter of the circle.


(ii) Machine franked articles can be posted at not more than two offices


specified by the Head of the Division in the license. Where only one office of posting


is desired, these must be handed in by a representative of the licensee at the counter of


either the Post Office or the Mail Office or the night Post Office. Where the licensee


desires to post them at two offices, they may be handed either at a Post Office and a


Mail Office or at a Post Office and a night Post Office, or at a Mail Office and a night


Post Office.


(iii) The franked articles will be tendered at the counter bundled in


separate bundles according to the value of the franks and each consignment must be


accompanied by a Window Delivery Ticket for identification of the licensee’s


representative. The Postmaster of the office of posting is responsible for seeing that


the articles have been franked in the prescribed manner and that systematic


underpayment is not going on.


(iv) With the last dispatch of the day or on the close of business hours of


the day, the lice nsee will be required to tender at the office of posting a Daily Docket


(in the prescribed form), filled in, signed and date. In case, where a licensee has been


permitted to post the articles at two offices, the Head of the Circle will prescribe


which of the two offices constitute the Main Office of posting and the Daily Docket


will have to be sent to this office by the office other than the main office if the last


dispatch is tendered at that office. As far as possible, the mail offices should not be


constituted as the main office of posting for this purpose. Where the Mail Office is


the only office selected for posting, the Head of the Circle will prescribe which office


will maintain the Register of Daily Docket and the Mail Office will sent the Daily


Docket to that Post Office. The Head of the Circle will also prescribe which office


will maintain the Register of Window Delivery Ticket issued.


The main office of posting will record in the prescribed register of Daily


Dockets the metre reading shown in the Daily Docket submitted by the licensee. A


separate page will be allotted to each licensee of the franking machine. The entries in


the prescribed register will be attested by the Postmaster daily.


(v) The impressions of the franking machines recorded on postal articles


should not be interfered with in any way. The articles should be impressed with the


date stamp of the office of posting to indicate the date on which the article is actually


posted, but in such a manner as not to interfere in any w ay with the impressions of the


franking machines. If the franking impressions on articles indicate the place of origin


and the date of posting, it is not compulsory to date stamp such articles. Moreover,


the application of the date stamp is not required on unregistered articles sent at a


reduced rate of postage (book packets, etc.) provided that the place of origin in


indicated on the articles. The franks passed by the office of posting should not be


challenged by any other office, but the offices of delivery must carefully check the


postage paid on machine-franked articles and if any underpayment is noticed, taken


action in the ordinary manner.


(vi) Machine-franked articles posted in letter-boxes should be treated as


unpaid articles. Unregistered art icles bearing impressions of the previous date should


not also be accepted.


(vii) In places where the authorized dealers have their own servicing


centers with qualified and experienced staff, the repairs and servicing will be carried


out at those centers in the presence of the postal officials deputed there for the


purpose. In other places, the machines will be sent to the Post Office where the Daily


Docket Register is maintained. The Post Office will remove the license die from the


machine which will then be sent for repair, etc.


In all cases, the re-setting of he credit metres of the machines will be done


at the Post Office.


(viii) Cut-out labels with frank impression on them for prepayment of


postage can be used on all postal articles except articles of the insured mail subject to


the following conditions:


1. Not more than one cut-out label bearing the frank impression or


impression in full payment of postage and other fees will be permitted


to be affixed on such postal articles.


2. When more than one frank impression is obtained on a cut-out label or


wrapper, the impressions should not overlap nor be more than 1 cm


apart. In such cases, the impressions of the stamp bearing the name of


the firm, the license number, the date and any slogan used should


appear only once and should not overlap any frank impression.


3. The cut -out label should be securely posted to the postal articles on the


right hand side over the name and address of the addressee. Cut-out


labels may not be affixed to separate address labels attached to such


postal articles; frank impressions in such cases should be taken on such


address labels themselves.


4. The cut -out labels should have the name and address of the sender


printed on the left hand side. In cases where the name and address of


the sender is printed elsewhere on the address side of the postal article,


it will not be necessary to have his name and address printed on the


cut-out labels..


5. The total value of the frank impression or impressions should be


written in figures in red ink on the cut-out label below the printed


name and address of the sender.


(ix) An advertisement may also appear alongside the date impression,


provided that:-


1. it is first approved by the Head of the Postal Division in which the


machine is used;


2. it relates solely to the business or profession of the licensee;


3. it is quite separate from the impressions of the identification marks,


license number, the date stamp and the postmark;


4. it is confined to the top left hand corner of the postal article; and


5. the cost of cutting the die is met by the licensee.


The licensee can get approval from the Head of the Postal Division for as


many slogans and advertisements as he may desire, provided not more than one


slogan or advertisement is used on the article. No change in the tenor of the


advertisement shall be made,, once it is approved, with-out similar prior approval of


the Head of the Postal Division concerned.


(x) The Head of the Postal Division, as and when notified by the licensee


in the change of address or the location of the franking machine, will intimate this


change to the Divisional Superintendent, etc., concerned.


58-C. Accounts with licensees of franking machines.- (1) An account will


be maintained in the prescribed record book in duplicate with each licensee of


franking machine and payments will be made by him on account of postage, in


accordance with the procedure laid down in the Rule 185 of the Posts and Telegraphs


Financial Handbook, Volume-I.


(2) The invisible metre of the franking machine will be set to the figure


representing the initial payments made by the licensee, by the suppliers under the


supervision of an official of the local Post Office and be sealed with a Post Office


seal. The machines will be brought to Post Office for resetting the metre. AT the


time of resetting, the original seal in the machine must be broken and after resetting, a


fresh seal should be affixed. The amount paid and particulars should be entered in the


copies of the record book kept by the licensee and the Post Office, as prescribed in the


Financial Handbook referred to in the preceding paragraph. An account should be


prepared in Form M.S. 10 which, after the Accountant has signed the certificate,


should be placed in the separate files for each machine. The licensee’s and the Post


Office copy should be authenticated by the Postmaster.


Payment other than by cheque should be discouraged. If payment made in


cash, the official resetting the machine will obtain the signature of a responsible


officer of the firm bringing the machine for resetting in the ‘Remarks’ column of the


Post Office when crediting the amount in the accounts of the Post Office will see that


this had been done.


It is further prescribed that a postal official other than the one who rest the


machine should carry out a random inspection of the franking machines, and see that


metre reading found on that day are in order as compared with those noted in the


Daily Docket submitted by the licensee. He will also note in the metre books, the


metre readings as found by him, and report to the Postmaster immediately in the event


of any irregularity being noticed.


NOTE 1.- The Post Office seal for sealing franking machines must be


kept by the Postmaster in his personal custody except in the General Post Office at


Mumbai and Kolkata where it should be kept by the Dy. Director. It should be


handed over under receipt to the official deputed for resetting the machines and this


official will be held personally responsible for its safe custody under lock and key


when not in use by him personally and until it is returned to the Postmaster.


Note 2.- The pliers for the lead seal which are used for preventing the


unauthorized removal of the bottom will be in the custody of the agents for the supply


of the franking machines. The impressions made by the pliers on the lead seals


should be examined by the Postmaster or in the case of GPO at Mumbai and Kolkata


by the Dy. Director to see whether they are clear and distinct.


59. Clearance of letter-boxes.- (1) The letter-box of a Post Office or Mail


Office should be opened and cleared by the postal or Sorting Assistant, as the case


may be, at convenient intervals during the day, so as to expedite the preparation of the


mail for dispatch. The key of the letter-box must remain in the custody of that official


during working hours.


(2) Deleted.


(3) Articles posted in fixed outside letter-boxes should be brought to the


Post Office immediately before the hour fixed for the final clearance of the office


letter-box. The keys and changeable hour-pates must be kept in the custody of the


Sorting Assistant during working hours.


(4) The Sorting Assistant should see that the letter-box peons leave the


office for the clearance for outside letter-boxes and return from their rounds


punctually at the time fixed. He should make over the keys of fixed outside letterboxes


and, where changeable hour-plates are used, the proper plates to the letter-box


peons, and see that the correct keys and plates are brought back t to the office.


60. Clearance of letter-boxes at Railway stations.- (1) Letters posted


without late fees in letter-boxes at railway stations at which mail office are not


established should, whenever practicable, be cleared by the Mail Peon and handed


over to the Transit Section. The following procedure should, however, be observed:-


(a) When the Mail Peon or other official appointed to clear the box is


competent to sort the articles found in it after the last dispatch through


the local Post Office, he will make over to the section any articles for


the direction in which the set is traveling for being handed over to the


next sorting office coming en route.


(b) At small stations at a distance from the Post Office and where not more


than 10 articles on an average are posted in the station letter-box


between the last clearance for inclusion in the Post Office dispatch and


the arrival of the train, articles taken from the letter-box shortly before


the train is due may, with the previous concurrence of the


Superintendent, RMS concerned and, when the Mail Peon is not


sufficiently literate to sort letters, be handed to the officer in charge of


the section for transmission to the next sorting office.


NOTE.- At places where letter-boxes are not cleared by Mail Peons who


attend the Railway Stations for the exchange of mails, they are forbidden from


accepting any loose letters from any member of the public. Heads of Circles may


however, use their own discretion in regulating acceptance of articles by Mail Peon or


other officials deputed to exchange mails where local conditions demand it, keeping


in view principles underlying the rules on the subject.


(2) The keys and the changeable hour -plates of the letter-boxes


concerned must be kept by the Sorting-Postal Assistant during working hours, but


should be temporarily entrusted to the Mail Peon or other official appointed for the


purpose of clearing the boxes. In RMS, the key should be in the cus tody of the


Sorting Assistant concerned.


60-A. Separation of articles taken from letter-boxes.- (1) The articles


taken from letteer0-boxes should be placed on a table, examined and divided into 1


st


Class and 2


nd Class mails. The former should include articles (both inland and


foreign) intended to be forwarded by surface as well as by air routes, and the latter


should include articles (both inland and foreign) intended to be forwarded by surface


as well as by air route. The above classes of mails should then be separated into:-


-- fully prepaid letters (including postcards, letter cards, air letters and


articles to which fee air transmission is given);


-- fully prepaid packets, i.e., newspapers and book and pattern packets;


-- letters which appear to be insufficiently paid, unpaid letters, and


postcards and inland letter cards on which postage is chargeable


owing to infringement of conditions;


-- Inland postcards and inland letter cards of private manufacture on


which postage is either not prepared or not conforming to the


prescribed size;


-- packets, i.e., newspapers and book and pattern packets which appear


to be unpaid or insufficiently paid or on which postage is chargeable


owing to infringement of conditions.


Second class mails (packets, newspapers and book and pattern packets) are


further divided into air mail articles, i.e., articles intended to be forwarded by an air


route and articles intended to be forwarded by ordinary route.


The unpaid articles and those that appear to be insufficiently paid should,


if necessary, be weighed for the purpose of ascertaining the postage due; unpaid or


insufficiently prepaid articles for foreign countries should be disposed of as laid down


in Rules 110-A, 111 and 111-A. Contents of book packets (air -surcharged and


ordinary) would be carefully scrutinized with a view to see whether they fulfil the


conditions for transmission (by air or by surface route, as the case may be) at book


packet rates.


The result of the security should be noted daily by the assistant concerned


in the error book, and the entry should be certified by the Officer in charge of the


branch. Supervising Officers should satisfy themselves at each inspection by an


examination of the Error Book that the work is being done regularly.


NOTE.- Unpaid and insufficiently paid articles addressed to troops


should not be sent to Army Post Offices but should be detained and disposed of as


undeliverable articles and where necessary through their RLOs.


(2) First class mails (including surcharged packets, newspapers and book


and pattern packets which are to be given air lift) should be dealt with expeditiously.


Inland surcharged second class mails and foreign surcharged air mail articles of all


classes should be carefully scrutinized with a view to see whether the blue air mail


label has been affixed by the sender to each article.


(a) If the airmail articles do not bear the name and address of the sender or


if these particulars cannot be easily ascertained, they should be dealt


with as follows:-


(i) In the case of letters, postcards and aerogrammes, if the postage


paid represents at least 75% of the surcharge (in the case of


letters) or 50% of the combined charge (in the case of postcards


and aerogrammes), as the case may be, the articles should be


forwarded by air after being taxed for the deficiency. If the


postage paid is less than 75% of the surcharge or 50% of the


combined charge, the articles should be dispatched by surface


mail. If the amount prepaid is less than the charges for a


surface item of the corresponding category (aerogrammes being


treated as letters) then the articles will be taxed like surface


mail articles.


(ii) In the case of articles other than letters, postcards and


aerogrammes, if the amount prepaid represents at least 75% of


the surcharge, they should be forwarded by air after being taxed


with the deficiency. If the amount prepaid is less than 75% of


the surcharge but not less than the postage required for


forwarding by surface, the articles should be sent by surface


mail. If the postage prepaid is less than either 75% of the


surcharge or the surface postage rate, the articles should not be


forwarded.


(b) Unpaid and insufficiently prepaid articles intended for transmission


by air and bearing the address of senders should be disposed of in


accordance with the instructions contained in Rule 110-A (3).


( c) Any privately manufactured aerogramme with does not conform to


the specifications, should be treated as an air mail letter and dealt


with accordingly.


(d) When an unpaid or insufficiently prepaid article in diverted to the


surface route, all airmail markings must be cancelled by means of


two thick horizontal lines and reasons for the diversion must be


indicated on the articles.


(e) Greeting:- These articles are treated as First Class mails in sorting.


In greetings season, they are given air lift also without air surcharge.


During non-seasonal period, they are sent by earliest available


surface mode.


(3) Should any surcharged a rticles duly prepaid for transmission by an air


route and bearing a superscription indicating that they are intended for transmission


by the air route, be found to be without the prescribed Air mail label, the Sorting


Assistant should past the label on the articles and dispatch the articles by the air route


concerned.


(4) Deleted.


60-B. Stamping and removal to sorting cases.- Articles cleared from


LBs are examined to see whether they are fulfilling the conditions for posting; fully


prepaid or not. If there are any variation, action is taken to tax the articles as per the


orders.


61. Treatment of late letters. - "Late letter", i.e., letter presented at the


window of a Post Office or a Mail Office or posted in the letter-box of a Mail Office


after the hour fixed for closing the mail should be dispatched by the outgoing mail,


provided they are tendered or posted within the interval allowed for the posting of late


letters, and the late fee is paid in addition to postage. In mail offices, "too-late"


letters, i.e., letters posted within the interval mentioned above but without having


been fully prepaid with postage and late fee should be stamped "Detained: late fee not


paid" and detained until the next dispatch.


EXCEPTIONS – See Rule 107 (1) (b).


62. Deleted.


63. Treatment of packets.- (1) Packets taken from letter-boxes should be


examined in order to ascertain whether they fulfil the conditions prescribed in the IPO


Rules. Those which fulfil the prescribed conditions should be stamped and remove d


at once to the ledge of the sorting case: those which do not, should be charged with


postage at letter or parcel rates, whichever may be less, according to the rules and


then disposed of in the same manner as other packets.


(2) Book packets containing documents wholly or partly printed in


imitation of type-writing, or reproductions of a manuscript or type-written original,


having the appearance of an ordinary manuscript or type-written letter, which are


presented for posting at the window of a Post Office should be counted and examined


and if the conditions laid down in the IPO Rules are fulfilled and then stamped with


the combined obliterator with the legend "B.P. posted at counter" by the Post Office


Official accepting the Book Packets in offices where such obliterator is in use or with


rubber stamp with the legend "B.P. posted at counter" before the articles are removed


to the ledge of the sorting case. Packets posted at a presidency, town which bear no


postage stamps but are impressed in red or maegenta ink with the special stamp


showing that the postage has been prepaid in cash, should be treated as fully-paid


articles. When such articles are once passed by the office of posting, they may not be


challenged by any other office.


(3) A pattern in the sense of a specimen to be copied such as a book or


an article of apparel, is admissible to the pattern packet rules, provided that there is


reason to believe that the person to whom it is addressed manufactures goods of this


kind, and provided, of course, that the article has no salable value.


(4) Any violation, is dealt with, as per instructions.


EXCEPTIIONS- A packet containing samples of glass, liquid oils, fatty


substances, dry powers, or lice bees, which is not packed in the manner prescribed in


the IPO Rules should be dealt with in accordance with the procedure prescribed for


the treatment of injurious articles.


64. Treatment of articles addressed to foreign countries.- In all offices


and sections, articles addressed to foreign countries should be treated in the same way


as inland articles, except that in no case should postage, be taxed on them; the duty of


taxing postage rests entirely with the offices of foreign exchange.


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