Miscellaneous Rules

1 Departments of a set of a sorting mail office – (1) Each set of a Sorting Mail Office is divided, for the purpose of distribution of work and responsibility, into the following departments :

Department	Designation of official in charge
a) Mail Department	Head Sorting Assistant
b) Sorting Department c) Registration Department d) Parcel Department	Sorting Assistant Registration Sorting Assistant Parcel Sorting Assistant

(2)

In sets where the number of Sorting Assistants employed is less than the number of departments, the work is distributed according to the establishment sanctioned, the duties appertaining to two or more departments being assigned to one Sorting Assistant.

(3)

Where a separate parcel Sorting Assistant is not employed, the duties of parcel department are assigned to the registration Sorting Assistant and in sets consisting of only two Sorting Assistants, the Head Sorting Assistant performs, in addition to his own work, all the duties of the sorting department and the

Sorting Assistant, the duties of the registration and parcel departments.

(4)

In sets in charge of a selection grade Head Sorting Assistant, the duties of the mail department connected with receipt and dispatch of mails and opening and closing of mail bags will be assigned to a senior Sorting Assistant or Sorting Assistant who will be designated as mail Sorting Assistant.

NOTE: Sorting work is no longer performed in trains.

Posting of prepaid unregistered articles in trains and mail offices. – (1) The posting of unregistered articles (i.e. letters, postcards and packets) in train letter-boxes at any time during the day or night and in the letter boxes attached to RMS offices during the time prescribed for late fee collection in respect of each mail carrying train is subject to the prepayment of late fee prescribed in addition to the postage due.

(2)

Articles posted in the van or compartment letter-box will be dealt with immediately after leaving the station. The stamps on them will be first obliterated. All articles on which the prescribed late fee has been paid in addition to the postage, due will be forwarded by the nearest route to destination. The ‘Detained Late Fee not paid’ stamp will be impressed on all articles, except postcards, on which a late fee has not been prepaid. All such articles will then be made over loose by the sections to the first mail office or a Post Office which does the duties of a mail office for disposal, as if posted in that mail office or Post Office, and if there is no such office (after the posting of the article) either en route or at the end of the beat of the section, the article should be handed over to the next section, for being consigned to the first available mail office or post office for disposal as if posted in that office.

(3)

No article should be received by hand by RMS section. In cases in which the mail vans and compartments used by the Railway Mail Service are not provided with letter-boxes and also in case of big letters and packets which cannot conveniently be posted in letter-boxes attached to the trains, this rule will be treated as in abeyance, and articles should be received by hand without scrutiny until after departure from the station, when the articles so received should be treated as under Paragraph (2) exactly as though posted in the van letter-box.

(4)

The regular mail vans of sections will have the following notice painted at the letter box :

“ Letters, Post Cards and Packets posted here must carry in addition to the ordinary postage, extra postage as per rates prescribed from time to time”.

3. Mentions of sections in official correspondence – (1) In order to avoid confusion, whenever a section is mentioned in official correspondence, the beat of the section must always be added, within brackets, after designation, thus :

TP 16	(Chennai – Vijayawada)
TP 16 OUT	(Chennai – Vijayawada)
TP 16 IN	(Vijayawada – Chennai)

(2) In case where the beat of two or more sections is the same, the Railway designation of the train by which the section mentioned works should further be added when the section is referred to for the first time.

NOTE: - (1) This rule need not be observed in communications between officials of the same Division so far as the sections and mail offices of the Division are concerned.

NOTE: -(2) Report against a section should contain, in addition to th e designation, the number and date of the set concerned.

4. Interception or redirection of articles. – Except on the authority of the Director-General or the Head of the Circle, a mail office may not –

(a)

redirect any article ; or

(b)

intercept or deliver any article to the addressee.

NOTE : -This rule will not apply to camp articles for high officers which are to be dealt with in accordance with the instruction given in Appendix.A.

1. Information not to be made public. -No person not belonging to the Department may be permitted to examine any article passing through the post, even though the articles may have been posted by him nor any information respecting such an article be given to any one not belonging to the Department. Work papers may not be shown to any official unconnected with the Railway Mail Service. Officers of the Railway Mail Service render themselves liable to dismissal if they make public any information which they receive officially or in the discharge of their duties. When information from Rail Mail Service records is asked for by any Government officer, the matter should be referred to the Circle for orders.
2. Date on stamps and seals. – The date shown by the date stamps and seals of a set of section or mail office should be that of the day on which the working hours of the set begin.
3. Interruptions to mail movement – Interruptions of the mail service due to breaches on the Railway, floods, accidents or any other cause, should be reported by the Head Sorting Assistant of the set on duty to the Superintendent, the Inspector and the Record Office to which the set is attached. If the detention to mails due to breaches or accidents is likely to exceed 6 hours, it should be reported at once by fax/telegraph to the Superintendent and the Record Office. In cases of detentions of less than this period, a report by fax/telegraph should be sent only to the Record Office.
1. Extra reserved accommodation in trains – (1) Wherever, from any cause, the regular accommodation provided in a train is inadequate for the carriage of all mails that have to be forwarded by it, the Mail Agent/Mail Guard in charge of a transit section may apply to the Railway authorities for such extra accommodation as may be necessary for the exclusive use of the Post Offices.
1. At stations where a Record Officer or Mail Agent is available, the request for extra accommodation after satisfying himself that such accommodation is actually necessary, will be made by the Record Officer or the Mail Agent, as the case may be.
2. When extra accommodation is required under this rule, a requisition in the prescribed form should be prepared in four parts by the Record Officer or Head Sorting Assistant; the first part of ball point/pencil copy should be handed to the Station Master of the station from which the extra accommodation is reserved, the second part should be delivered up at the station to which the extra accommodation is reserved, and one part of carbon copy should be sent to the Superintendent attached to the daily report and the

remaining part should be retained by the Record Officer or mail Agent/Mail Guard for record. In his daily report, the Record Officer or Mail Agent/Mail Guard must explain the circumstances under which the extra accommodation was required. From the carbon copy of the requisitions and from the daily reports received by him, the Superintendent should , on the 10^th of each month, compile and submit to the Head of the Circle a return in the prescribed form showing particulars of the extra accommodation used on each Railway during the preceding month the number of bags conveyed in the extra accommodation in each case, and explaining the necessity for the extra accommodation.

9 Misconnection of mail buses, trains and air services. – (1) The misconnection of mail-carrying buses, trains and air service at junction stations and at airports should invariably be reported to the Superintendent as early as possible by Record Offices established at those places, stations and airports in accordance with instructions embodied in the “ Telegraphic Message Code” or by fax. The misconnection between air services should also invariably be reported by Record Officers to the Head of the Circle by first post.

(2)The Mail offices, or Post Offices which open and dispose of misconnected mails should intimate the disposal of the mails immediately to the Record Offices of the sections or Mail Offices and to the Post Office by which such mails are due to be received. Intimation of the disposal of such mails should also be sent to the Record Offices of the sections and Mail offices, and the Post Offices which closed the bags.

10. Circulars of Heads of Circles : (1) Orders issued by Heads of Circles for the general information and guidance of RMS officials are published in their Monthly Circulars which bear headings and a consecutive annual series of numbers. These circulars are issued and forwarded to all Supervising Officers and Record Officers and should be filed in Guard Books, care being taken to correct or cancel previous circulars, when necessary, on receipt of subsequent ones.

(2). All circulars issued by Heads of Circles should be destroyed after three years, counted from the month of April following the close of the official year in which they were issued. If it is found necessary to preserve or repeat the instructions contained in such circulars , Heads of Circles will either incorporate them in the circle orders or reproduce them in a new circular before the previous circular is due to be destroyed.

11. Receipts to be taken in hand to hand exchanges. – (1) In addition to the rules laid down elsewhere prescribing the transfer of bags or articles from one section or mail office to another or from one set to another, it is here laid down as a general rule, that whenever registered and parcel articles have to be transferred loose, the procedure described below should be followed:

When the number of registered or parcel mail articles to be made over is large, they should be enclosed in a registered or parcel bag, for which receipt should be taken in the registered or parcel abstract of the relieved set. Where the number of such articles is small and the time at the disposal of the relieving set will admit of their being counted, they should be made over loose, but under receipt on the duplicate copy of the registered or parcel list.

(2). In all such cases, the bag from one Set of Mail Office to another will be indicated in the accompanying mail list as ‘L’ bag, separate acquittance having been obtained for Registered/Parcel bags/articles. The Due Mail List will in such cases show exchange of ‘L’ ‘R’ and ‘P’ bags instead of ‘D’ or ‘S’ bag.

12. Knowledge of Sorting List and “List of Indian Post Offices”

– (1) It is essentially necessary that every Sorting Assistant should commit the sorting list for memory. He should be able to readily repeat or write down from memory the particulars of the due mails received and delivered at each receipt and dispatch.

(2)

Every Sorting Assistant should be conversant with the List of Indian Post Offices which will be useful in sorting. He must thoroughly know the names of all Head Post Offices in India and the names of Sub and Branch Offices under such Head Post Office groups to be prescribed by the Divisional Superintendent and be able to readily repeat or write down from memory the names of the Sub and Branch Offices in account with each such Head Office, and of the Branch Office in account with each such Sub-Office.

(3)

Every Sorting Assistant should be conversant with the PIN CODE of all Pin Sorting Districts in India and should be able to readily repeat or write down from memory the PIN CODE of Sorting Districts.

(4)

Additions and alterations are periodically made in the list of Indian Post Offices, and it is necessary, therefore, that Sorting Assistants should make themselves acquainted with all changes that affect them on receipt of new editions of the List, so as to keep their knowledge up to date.

(5)

No Sorting Assistant can be efficient unless he knows the sorting list by heart, and has an intimate acquaintance with the list of Indian Post Offices.

(6)

A sorting case, with cards on which the names of post towns are printed or written, is available at every Record Office for the purpose of enabling Sorting Assistants to practice sorting. As the sorting case is similar in every respect to that used by a set while on duty, and is arranged in the same way, proficiency in sorting can be attained by any Sorting Assistant by such practice. Sorting with these practice cards will be found, therefore, a useful and profitable occupation for Sorting Assistant while off duty.

NOTE: The Superintendent, Inspector or Record Officer may order a Sorting Assistant to attend the Record Office for practice sorting during his rest-time.

13. Supply of sorting list to Sorting Assistants – (1) Every Sorting Assistant in RMS will be supplied with a copy of the sorting list of the Mail Office to which he is attached and will be required to grant a receipt for it in the following form:

“ Received from the Head/Sub Record Officer at--------------

--
under	______________Division		a	sorting	list	of
____________ RMS/Sectionto____________________________		corrected				up
Date_____________ Designation_____________

(2)

It will be the duty and responsibility of each Sorting Assistant to keep his personal copy of the sorting list corrected up to date and the Record Officer will see that this important item of work is attended to during Record Office attendance.

(3)

The personal copies of the sorting lists will be accounted for in the same manner as metal tokens. In case a Sorting Assistant surrenders the sorting list, the receipt will be returned to him. It will be the duty of the Record Officer to see that sorting lists are returned by the officials when asked for and that if the sorting list is lost, a sum of Rupee one is recovered from the official as a nominal cost of the sorting list, before a new copy is supplied.

14.Metal Tokens : (1) A metal token of authorized type must be carried by all RMS officials, other than Supervising Officers, who travel on duty in a vehicle or compartment reserved for the Post Office, or who have to enter the platform for exchange of mails, in order to show their right to be present in the mail van or reserved compartment or on the platform. As all Record Officers, Sorting Assistants, Mail Guards and Group D officials of the RMS may at any time be required to travel in the mail van or reserved compartment or to enter the platform for exchange of mails, they will each be supplied with a metal token, which must be shown, on demand to Railway Guards and ticket examiners.

NOTE: Metal tokens should also be supplied to those mailmen who travel in charge of mails in reserved compartments.

(2) The tokens are the property of Government and are supplied from the stock depot to the Head Record Office. The Head Record officer issues tokens to the officials attached to his office and supplies them to record and Sub Record Officers, for issue by them to the officials attached to their respective offices. They each hear the name of the Division and a serial number and are treated as part of the stock of Record offices. Every official to whom a token is issued, is required to grant a receipt for it in the following form:

Received from the Head/Sub Record Officer at ---------

----------under---------------------Division, a metal token

bearing NO.-----------------------

Station------------------Signature of official----------------

Date---------------------Designation-------------------------

The holder must always retain possession of his token and wear it when on duty, and he will be held personally responsible for its loss or misuse. He is also required to produce it for identification before his monthly salary can be disbursed to him.

NOTE: If when called upon to produce the token, the holder does not do so, he renders himself liable to the same penalty as if he had lost it.

(3) If the holder of a token goes on leave or is transferred to the control of another Record Office or Division, or quits the service, whether by dismissal, retirement etc. or ceases to belong to the class of officials to whom tokens are supplied, he should return the token to the Record Officer in exchange for the receipt granted for it. It will be the duty of the Record Officer to see that token are duly returned by officials who proceed on leave or are transferred or quite the service. In order that each token may, as far as possible, be retained in the possession of the original holder the same token should, if not impracticable, be always restored to the official who surrendered it when going on leave.

If the holder of a token is replaced by a successor, who does not hold a token, the former’s token should be transferred to the latter who should be required to grant a receipt.

(4) If the holder loses his metal token, he must immediately report the fact to the Record Officer who will issue a new token to him and submit a report to the Superintendent. The holder will also have to make good the dues as prescribed by the Department. The usual formalities should be followed before effective recovery of the amount.

EXCEPTION : Mail carriers attached to Post Offices are supplied with metal tokens of the authorized type when such officials travel on duty with mails in a vehicle or compartment reserved for the Post Office. The metal token should be of that Railway Mail Service Division which covers the post office concerned. The Postmaster of the Post Office to which the mail carrier is attached will perform the functions of the local Record Officer, and the Superintendent of Post Offices will exercise the functions of the Superintendent, Railway Mail Service.

15. Relaxation of work on Sundays and PO Holidays. – (1) Record Offices may be entirely closed, provided that adequate arrangements are made for urgent work and that in the case of Record Offices, the attendance of Sorting Assistants under Rule 26 can be duty arranged for either on the day preceding or on the day following a Post Office holiday.

(2) In the Mail Offices –

(a)

Except the sale of postage stamps, postal stationery (and booking of registered articles during the period for each mail office on payment of usual late fee), no business will be done with the public.

(b)

On Sundays and on Postal holidays, there will be no dispatches to the Post Offices.

(c)

Generally, attendance of the staff of mail offices on Post Office holidays should be reduced to the minimum compatible with

the due discharge of the work, arrangements being made in large offices to relieve as many of the staff as possible entirely, in rotation, on such holidays or on the next day depending on the exigencies of work.

16 Memorandum of distribution of work. – (1) The memorandum of distribution of work is issued by the Superintendent when more than one official work in an office or a section. It specifies the duties to be performed by each official, the attendance hours of sets, and in the case of a section which work by a train starting from the Station, also the hour at which the set should be present at the station.

.

(2)

In the case of Record Office, the memorandum should specify the hours during which the record officer must be present in the office, the work he is to do in the office, the trains he is required to attend and the work to be done by him on the platform The Record Officer will initially prepare the memorandum of distribution of work, and forward it to the Superintendent.

(3)

In the case of a sorting mail office, the memorandum should show in detail for each sorting Assistant the bags the contents of which should be examined and packed by him, the examination of more important bags being assigned to the Senior Sorting Assistants of the set including the Head Sorting Assistant The work to be done by a set at the Record Office on attendance day, should be apportioned among the Sorting Assistants/Mail Guards and detailed in the memorandum. The Inspector will initially prepare the memorandum of distribution of work of the mail office or section and forward it to the Superintendent.

(4)

In the case of a section, the memorandum will show proper arrangements of bags in the van. The arrangements should be such as to secure an even distribution of the bulk of weight over the surface of the van, in order that the strain may not rest on any particular portion or portions of the vehicle. The particulars of cage TBs prescribed should also be specified.

(5)

Copies of memorandum will be furnished by the Superintendent to the Record Office, Mail Office or Section, and Inspector concerned.

NOTE: The Superintendent may, if he considers it necessary, issue a memorandum of duties to be performed by the official in single handed offices and sections.

17 Disposal Records – (1) The following records should be torn and sold as waste paper on the expiration of the period of preservation noted against each.

Class of Record (I)	Period of Preservation (2)
i) Correspondence relating to robberies, thefts, etc. (Inland Post)	One year after the cases are closed
ii) Invoices of articles received from the Stock Depot	Three years
iii) Carbon copies, invoices of articles returned to the Stock Depotiv) Order Book of a mail office and a section	Three years Three years.
v) Correspondence relating to personal files (appointments, nominations, leave, pensions, punishments).	Three years after the month in which the official concerned ceased to belong to the Department. In cases where the Department is likely to be involved in some loss, they should be preserved till the monetary responsibility is fixed.
vi) Work papers of RMS offices and sections	Eighteen months
vii) Correspondence relating to the disposal of registered articles (both letters and parcels)	Eighteen months
viii) Other records of a record or sub record office with the exception of those mentioned in the following paragraph, and account records detailed in the Posts and Telegraphs Financial Hand Book, Vol I.	Eighteen months
ix) Arrangement Register, Attendance Register and Daily	Eighteen months (In cases where the Department is likely to be

Report involved in some loss, they should be preserved till the monetary responsibility is fixed.

(2)

The following records may not be destroyed without the special permission of the Head of the Circle –

Order book of a Record Office. Nominal roll of token-holders. Work papers, correspondence, or documents regarding which enquiry is in progress, or these connected with cases which have not been fully decided or closed.

(3)

When the records mentioned above are to be destroyed, the destruction should be effected in the Record Officer’s presence by tearing them into pieces in such a manner that they cannot be used again. They should then be sold as waste paper.

NOTE: 1 – Gradation lists should be destroyed three years after new ones have been issued and registers of sanctioned establishment should be destroyed at the end of the year after new ones have been supplied or prepared.

NOTE 2 -Director General’s circulars and General Orders and Postmaster General’s circular should be destroyed after the lapse of three years counted from the month of April following the close of the official year in which they were issued.

NOTE 3 -In addition, to the correspondence referred to in Paragraph (1), the Head of the Circle may order the preservation of any other classes of correspondence for a period longer than that prescribed above.

18 Postage stamps and stationery for sale – (1) Every mail office is provided with a stock of postage stamps and stationery(including embossed envelopes, inland letter cards and postcards) for sale to the public; and the Head Sorting Assistant or, in the case of a transit Mail Office, the Mail Agent or Mail Guard is responsible that a sufficient stock of postage stamps of all kinds in demand is maintained in the office. Any stamps or embossed article ordinarily in demand must be obtained, at once, if asked for by any one, out of the money realized from the sale of stamps advanced by the Post Office.

(2) The amount to be held in postage stamps/stationery (including embossed envelopes, inland letters and postcards) by each mail office is fixed by the superintendent, and stamps to that amount will, in the first instance, be supplied to the Record Office, on application, by the nearest Head Post Office. When the first supply of stamps is received from the Head Office, the Record Officer should grant a receipt for the value of the stamps; this receipt should be forwarded to the Superintendent, RMS for counter-signature and transmission thereafter to the Head Post Office. The Record Officer should distribute the postage stamps to the various sets of the mail offices according to the orders of the Superintendent, RMS and obtain receipts therefore which should be kept on record. When further supplies of stamps are required, they may be obtained by the Head Sorting Assistant by purchase from any Post Office. When case is sent for purchase of stamps, the Head Sorting Assistant must see that the money is entrusted to some trustworthy official who has furnished security; the official entrusted with the cash should give a receipt, which should be destroyed in his presence by the Head Sorting Assistant or the Mail Agent when he returns with the stamps.

(4) Postage stamps are to be kept in the office safe; but in order to save them from damage, they should first be put in the stamps case supplied to every mail office and the case should be kept inside the safe. The case consists of two boxes – one fitting into the other – each provided with (a) compartments for the several kinds of embossed envelopes and postcards, and (b) a book with indexed pages for the different denomination of postage stamps. The inner box, marked “ Daily Stock” , is intended for the stamps, etc. required for a day’s or half-a-day’s sales, and the outer box marked “Reserve Stock”, for the remainder of the supply held by the office. The former alone should be kept out during working hours, and replenished as needed from the latter, which must always remain inside the safe. When the office is closed, the “Daily Stock” box should be replaced within the “Reserve Stock” box and the complete case deposited for the night, or until the office re-opens, in the safe, or, if no safe is provided, in the mail box. In order also to prevent stamps from getting spoilt by being kept too long in the office, each supply of each denomination of stamps must be expended before the sale of a fresh supply of the same denomination begins, and for this purpose each supply purchased should be kept distinct from previous or subsequent purchases. If any stamps, cannot be disposed of within a reasonable time, and there is danger of their becoming damaged, the matter should be reported to the Superintendent.

NOTE: A Group ‘D’ official who has furnished security may be employed for the sale of stamps to the public with the approval of Superintendent, RMS but the services of Group D officials who is employed to deface postage stamps should not be utilized for this purpose.

(4) The official who is entrusted with the work of sale of stamps should write down in his rough notebook the various denominations of unsold postage stamps, stationery, etc. and the cash at the close of working hours of the set and sign the same. The Head Sorting Assistant should check the correctness of these items and sign in token of verification of the entries. No unattested correction of any figures is permissible.

19. Custody of Government Money – (1) Government money and all other articles and documents which are required by the rules to be kept in the office safe, should be locked up in the cash safe or cash chest supplied to the office. For this purpose, each Head Record Office will be supplied with an office safe. Each Record or Sub-Record Office will be supplied with either, a cash safe or a cash chest at the discretion of the Head of the Circle. No private money, property belonging to any person may be kept in the safe or chest.

1. The best possible arrangements must be made to secure the safety of the office safe; the Head Record Officer and each Record Officer and Sub Record Officer should report to the Superintendent the room or place and the manner in which it can best be secured, and the Superintendent will then issue orders on these points which must be strictly carried out.
2. In Record and Sub Record Offices having one or more Sorting Assistants, besides the Record or Sub-Record Officer, the cash chest or safe should have arrangement for securing it with two locks, one of which may be a body lock. If two padlocks are used, they should be of different patterns. Cash chests for supply to other Record or Sub-Record Offices may at the discretion of the Head of the Circle have arrangement for using only one lock (body or padlock).
3. In Head Record Office, one key of the safe will be retained in the custody of the Head Record Officer and other in that of the Accountant. In Record and Sub Record offices with one or more Sorting Assistant in addition to the Record Officer or Sub-Record Officer, the key of one of the locks should be retained by the Record Officer or the Sub Record officer and that of the other by the Sorting Assistant nominated by the SRM as the joint custodian. In single handed Record or Sub-Record offices, the keys of both the locks will be retained in the custody of the Record or Sub-Record officer.

EXCEPTION -In a Sub Record Office with a single sorting Assistant besides the Record or Sub Record Officer where difficulty is experienced in connection with the joint custody of cash and valuables, the Head of Circle may as a special case exempt the Sorting Assistant from the joint custody of cash and valuables after office hours.

(5)

During the working hours of the office, the safe or chest may be secured with only one lock- the key of which is in the custody of the Accountant in the Head Record Office and the Sub Record Officer or Record Officer in th other offices.

(6)

Beyond the working hours of the office, the safe must be secured with both the locks, keys of which should remain in the custody of the proper and authorized officials.

(7)In case the cash and valuables of an office are required to be kept in a safe embedded in a Police Stations, GRP, Treasury, Sub Treasury or any place other than the premises of the Record Offices, two safes should be supplied, one for use in office during the working hours and the other for use beyond the working hours. The former should have only one lock and the latter double locks.

CONTENTS OF CHAPTER 2

GENERAL RULES FOR TRANSIT SECTIONS AND MAIL OFFICES

T.B is to be forwarded in a sealed cover.

42. Disposal of mails addressed to a section or mail office – (1) The transit bags (if any) addressed to a section or mail office should be opened by the Mail Guard or Mail Agent himself, and the bags especially the account bags and branch office bags enclosed in them should be carefully examined and compared with the entries in the mail lists, which will be found inside the transit bags. In the case of a sorting mail office, the bag addressed to office itself, whether taken out of transit bags or received loose, should be dealt with first and disposed of in the following manner :

(a)

Parcel bags should be entered in the mail abstract and then transferred, under receipt (to be taken in the parcel abstract) to the Parcel Sorting Assistant ; and

(b)

mail bags, branch office bags and packet bags should be dealt with in the manner prescribed by the rules in the next chapter.

(2)

The forward bags including sacks containing surplus unusual bags received by section, whether taken out of transit bags or received loose, should be separated and disposed of in the following manner :

(a)

those to be delivered at stations within the beat of the section should be at once placed in the transit bags in which they are to be forwarded or if no transit bag is prescribed, they should be hung on separate hooks in the order of the stations at which they are to be delivered.

(b)

those to be delivered at the terminal station should be hung up together on the hooks at one end of the van;

© sacks addressed to the Record office to which the section is attached should be placed in the bag provided for the purpose.

(3)The forward bags received by a sorting or transit mail office, whether taken out of transit bags or received loose, will remain in the custody of the Head Sorting Assistant until it is time to dispatch them ; and so long as the bags are not disposed of, they must be kept locked up in the mail box, the key of which must always be retained by the Head Sorting Assistant on his person.

43. Prompt entry of unusual mails in mail lists – (1) As soon as the mails received have been disposed of, the forward unusual bag received should be at once entered in the mail lists with which they are to be dispatched. This duty must invariably be performed before the arrival of the train at the next station in the case of a section, and before the bags are placed in the mail box in the case of mail office; if this is done, it will be impossible for unusual mails to be left behind.

(2) if a special mail list is prescribed, one should be prepared.

NOTE: Parcel mail articles which because of their size or shape cannot conveniently be placed in parcel bags will be received loose noted in the mail list. If they are to be dealt with by the section or office (i.e. if they are entered in a parcel list addressed to the section or office) they should be made over to the parcel Sorting Assistant under receipt to be taken on the mail list otherwise they should be treated in the same way as forward parcel bags as not being made on the mail lists with which they are to be dispatched.

44. Preparation of mail lists dispatched and entries in mail lists

– (1) – When mail lists are to accompany mails, they should be prepared by the Head Sorting Assistant in duplicate by means of carbonic paper. The mail lists prepared will show the number of the due and unusual mails actually dispatched, and whenever the number of due mails entered in mail lists differs from the number due to be dispatched, an explanation of the cause of the difference should be written by the Mail Sorting Assistant with necessary remarks against the prescribed centres. The details of the unusual mails dispatched with each mail list and the number of sacks containing surplus unusual bags should also be entered in the body of the list. When the list is complete, both copies of it should be detached, the lower (or carbonic) copy being forwarded to the section or office to which it is addressed and the upper (or original) copy being kept on record by the section or mail office. If more than one page of a mail list 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 impressed with the date stamp and signed by the Sorting Assistant concerned.

NOTE: Protecting bags containing articles marked “By parcel Post” should not be entered in any of the columns of the mail list under the head “Details of unusual mails”. They should only be included in the total number of unusual mails entered at the top of the list and a remark “ that this number includes (number) protecting bags containing parcels” should be written at the foot of the list.

(2)When mails are forwarded by one section or office to another through one or more intervening sections or offices, the forwarded 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 any entry of the total number of forward bags invoiced in the forward mail list thus –

“M-26 In to M-33 Out 1 Mail list 4 with 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.

(3)A mail list should be prepared daily for the record office or sub record offices, as the case may be in which the surplus unusual bags addressed to it received by the set, whether as loose packets or in sacks, should be detailed, the loose packets being entered thus – “(number) surplus unusual bags”, and the sacks in the manner described above; the mail list being placed with the surplus bags in the bag provided for the purpose.

NOTE: If on any occasion bags are used by an office as covering or paid station or registered bundles, the Sorting Assistant or Registration Sorting Assistant, as the case may, will inform the Head Sorting Assistant, who should write the number of bags used, in words and figures on the mail list for the offices concerned.

45. Closing of transit bags – (1) When a transit bag is to be made up, the bags, due and unusual, to be dispatched in it should be checked with the entries in the mail list. The condition of each bag, the cord with which it is tied, the label and the seal, must be carefully examined by the Head Sorting Assistant/Mail Guard/Mail Agent and bags, with the mail list, placed by him in the transit bag, which should then be labeled and closed and sealed in the manner prescribed.

(2)Transit bags must always be closed and sealed in the presence, and under the direct supervision, of the Head Sorting Assistant/Head Mail Guard/Mail Agent.

46. Completion of mail abstract – (1) Before arriving at the terminal station, in the case of section, the Mail Guard/Mail Agent and before closing work for the day in a mail office, the Head Sorting Assistant should write up and complete the mail abstract.

(2)

The figures entered in the mail abstract at the Record Office in the columns showing the number of mails and bags due to be received and dispatched should be reproduced in the columns headed “Actually received” and “Actually dispatched” after making the necessary additions and deductions if any owing to excess of short receipts or dispatches as explained in the mail lists received the duplicates of those dispatched and the entries made during the trip at foot of the mail abstract.

(3)

The number of unusual mails and bags received and dispatched should next be entered – the mails, from the lists received and duplicates of those dispatched, and the bags from the details on the reverse of the abstract.

(4)

Both parts of the abstract should then be totaled and balanced; under the head “Mails” the total number of forward mails received and dispatched on each trip should agree;’ and under the head “Bags” the total number of bas received and dispatched to and from all sources should agree after adding to the dispatches the bags in hand, which should be entered opposite head “returned to Record Office”, but in the case of

sections, care should be taken verify the balance of bags in hand at the end of the out-trip by deducting from the receipts (including the supply received from the Record Office) the number of bags dispatched during the trips.

(5)

Finally, the mail list should be stitched together in the order in which they were received or dispatched, and attached to the mail abstract.

CONTENTS OF CHAPTER 2

GENERAL RULES FOR TRANSIT SECTIONS AND MAIL

T.B is to be forwarded in a sealed cover.

42. Disposal of mails addressed to a section or mail office – (1) The transit bags (if any) addressed to a section or mail office should be opened by the Mail Guard or Mail Agent himself, and the bags especially the account bags and branch office bags enclosed in them should be carefully examined and compared with the entries in the mail lists, which will be found inside the transit bags. In the case of a sorting mail office, the bag addressed to office itself, whether taken out of transit bags or received loose, should be dealt with first and disposed of in the following manner :

(a)

Parcel bags should be entered in the mail abstract and then transferred, under receipt (to be taken in the parcel abstract) to the Parcel Sorting Assistant ; and

(b)

mail bags, branch office bags and packet bags should be dealt with in the manner prescribed by the rules in the next chapter.

(2)

The forward bags including sacks containing surplus unusual bags received by section, whether taken out of transit bags or received loose, should be separated and disposed of in the following manner :

(a)

those to be delivered at stations within the beat of the section should be at once placed in the transit bags in which they are to be forwarded or if no transit bag is prescribed, they should be hung on separate hooks in the order of the stations at which they are to be delivered.

(b)

those to be delivered at the terminal station should be hung up together on the hooks at one end of the van;

© sacks addressed to the Record office to which the section is attached should be placed in the bag provided for the purpose.

(3)The forward bags received by a sorting or transit mail office, whether taken out of transit bags or received loose, will remain in the custody of the Head Sorting Assistant until it is time to dispatch them ; and so long as the bags are not disposed of, they must be kept locked up in the mail box, the key of which must always be retained by the Head Sorting Assistant on his person.

43. Pro mpt entry of unusual mails in mail lists – (1) As soon as the mails received have been disposed of, the forward unusual bag received should be at once entered in the mail lists with which they are to be dispatched. This duty must invariably be performed before the arrival of the train at the next station in the case of a section, and before the bags are placed in the mail box in the case of mail office; if this is done, it will be impossible for unusual mails to be left behind.

(2) if a special mail list is prescribed, one should be prepared.

NOTE: Parcel mail articles which because of their size or shape cannot conveniently be placed in parcel bags will be received loose noted in the mail list. If they are to be dealt with by the section or office (i.e. if they are entered in a parcel list addressed to the section or office) they should be made over to the parcel Sorting Assistant under receipt to be taken on the mail list otherwise they should be treated in the same way as forward parcel bags as not being made on the mail lists with which they are to be dispatched.

44. Preparation of mail lists dispatched and entries in mail lists

– (1) – When mail lists are to accompany mails, they should be prepared by the Head Sorting Assistant in duplicate by means of carbonic paper. The mail lists prepared will show the number of the due and unusual mails actually dispatched, and whenever the number of due mails entered in mail lists differs from the number due to be dispatched, an explanation of the cause of the difference should be written by the Mail Sorting Assistant with necessary remarks against the prescribed centres. The details of the unusual mails dispatched with each mail list and the number of sacks containing surplus unusual bags should also be entered in the body of the list. When the list is complete, both copies of it should be detached, the lower (or carbonic) copy being forwarded to the section or office to which it is addressed and the upper (or original) copy being kept on record by the section or mail office. If more than one page of a mail list 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 impressed with the date stamp and signed by the Sorting Assistant concerned.

NOTE: Protecting bags containing articles marked “By parcel Post” should not be entered in any of the columns of the mail list under the head “Details of unusual mails”. They should only be included in the total number of unusual mails entered at the top of the list and a remark “ that this number includes (number) protecting bags containing parcels” should be written at the foot of the list.

(2)When mails are forwarded by one section or office to another through one or more intervening sections or offices, the forwarded 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 any entry of the total number of forward bags invoiced in the forward mail list thus –

“M-26 In to M-33 Out 1 Mail list 4 with 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.

(3)A mail list should be prepared daily for the record office or sub record offices, as the case may be in which the surplus unusual bags addressed to it received by the set, whether as loose packets or in sacks, should be detailed, the loose packets being entered thus – “(number) surplus unusual bags”, and the sacks in the manner described above; the mail list being placed with the surplus bags in the bag provided for the purpose.

NOTE: If on any occasion bags are used by an office as covering or paid station or registered bundles, the Sorting Assistant or Registration Sorting Assistant, as the case may, will inform the Head Sorting Assistant, who should write the number of bags used, in words and figures on the mail list for the offices concerned.

45. Closing of transit bags – (1) When a transit bag is to be made up, the bags, due and unusual, to be dispatched in it should be checked with the entries in the mail list. The condition of each bag, the cord with which it is tied, the label and the seal, must be carefully examined by the Head Sorting Assistant/Mail Guard/Mail Agent and bags, with the mail list, placed by him in the transit bag, which should then be labeled and closed and sealed in the manner prescribed.

(2)Transit bags must always be closed and sealed in the presence, and under the direct supervision, of the Head Sorting Assistant/Head Mail Guard/Mail Agent.

46. Completion of mail abstract – (1) Before arriving at the terminal station, in the case of section, the Mail Guard/Mail Agent and before closing work for the day in a mail office, the Head Sorting Assistant should write up and complete the mail abstract.

(2)

The figures entered in the mail abstract at the Record Office in the columns showing the number of mails and bags due to be received and dispatched should be reproduced in the columns headed “Actually received” and “Actually dispatched” after making the necessary additions and deductions if any owing to excess of short receipts or dispatches as explained in the mail lists received the duplicates of those dispatched and the entries made during the trip at foot of the mail abstract.

(3)

The number of unusual mails and bags received and dispatched should next be entered – the mails, from the lists received and duplicates of those dispatched, and the bags from the details on the reverse of the abstract.

(8)

Both parts of the abstract should then be totaled and balanced; under the head “Mails” the total number of forward mails received and dispatched on each trip should agree;’ and under the head “Bags” the total number of bas received and dispatched to and from all sources should agree after adding to the dispatches the bags in hand, which should be entered opposite head “returned to Record Office”, but in the case of

sections, care should be taken verify the balance of bags in hand at the end of the out-trip by deducting from the receipts (including the supply received from the Record Office) the number of bags dispatched during the trips.

(9)

Finally, the mail list should be stitched together in the order in which they were received or dispatched, and attached to the mail abstract.

CONTENTS OF CHAPTER 3

SORTING MAIL OFFICES Part-I-Mail Department RULE

1. Duties and responsibilities of Head Sorting Assistant
2. Supervision of set
3. Sorting of unregistered letter mail articles
4. Attendance of set
5. Deleted
6. Deleted
7. Deleted
8. Opening of mail bags
9. Registered bags received
10. Parcel mail articles received
11. Opening of other bags
12. Receipt of articles and bags for dispatch
13. Certificates of posting
14. Deleted
15. Unregistered articles for despatch
16. Preparation of mail for despatch
17. Parcel and packed bags for despatch
18. Examination and arrangement of work-papers

RULE

1. Custody of stamps, seals, keys and blank forms
2. Final duties before quitting office

Part-II-Sorting Department

1. Duties and responsibilities of Sorting Assistant
2. Importance of correct sorting
3. Preliminary duties
4. Separation of article posted
5. Stamping and removal to sorting case
6. Unregistered articles received from Head Sorting Assistant
7. Description of sorting case
8. Sorting of articles
9. Clearance of compartments of sorting case
10. Examination and packing of sorted articles
11. Process of examination and packing
12. Sorting assistants to help one another when necessary
13. Transfer of sorted articles to Head Sorting Assistant 79-A Automatic Mail Processing Centre (AMPC)

Part-III-Registration Department

80. Duties and responsibilities of registration Sorting Assistant

RULE

1. Registered abstract
2. Preliminary work
3. Treatment of articles presented for registration
4. Preparation of registered articles for despatch
5. Receipt of registered bags
6. Treatment of Money Order Bundles and of money orders contained in them
7. Treatment of High Value Money Order Bundles and Money Orders
8. Sorting of registered articles
9. Missent registered artilces
10. Insured bundles
11. Transfer of registered bags to Head Sorting Assistant
12. Completion of registered abstract
13. Delivery of work-papers etc. to Head Sorting Assistant 93-A Computerized Registration Sorting Centre

Part-III-Registration Department

1. Duties and responsibilities of parcel sorting assistant
2. Documents accompanying parcel mail articles
3. No. of slips affixed to parcel mail articles

97. Parcel abstract RULE

1. Preliminary work
2. Receipt of parcel and insured bags and loose parcel mail articles
3. Missent and over-carried parcel mail articles
4. Sorting of parcel mail articles
5. Transfer of parcel bags and parcel mail articles to Head Sorting Assistant
6. Completion of parcel abstract
7. Delivery of work-papers, etc. to Head Sorting Assistant

CHAPER 3

SORTING MAIL OFFICES

80. Duties and responsibility of Registration Sorting Assistant –

(1) The duties of the Registration Sorting Assistant comprise the work connected with the receipt, custody, sorting and dispatch of registered articles. His responsibility begins on receipt of registered bags and registered packet bags from the Head Sorting Assistant and continues till the registered bags and registered packet bags made up by him are transferred to the Head Sorting Assistant.

(2)The registration Sorting Assistant is responsible that the registered bags, registered packet bags and registered articles made over to him are fully examined; that the registered articles dealt with by him are properly treated and correctly disposed of; that the contents of registered bags and registered packet bags made up are correct; that registered bundle and registered bags closed are securely fastened and properly sealed; that the registered bags and registered packet bags are made over in due time to the Head Sorting Assistant for dispatch; that torn or otherwise unserviceable bags are not used; that all irregularities or unusual occurrences connected with the registration department are promptly detected and brought to notice; and that his work-papers are complete and correctly prepared.

NOTE: In sets where two or more Registration Sorting Assistants are employed, the Head of the Circle may, in cases where considered absolutely necessary authorize the performance of the general duties referred to in this rule by the Senior Sorting Assistant and by his assistants. The particulars of bags to be opened and closed each of them should be prescribed in the memo of distribution of work and separate registered abstracts for each should also be maintained. In larger offices, Heads of Circles may prescribe transfer of registered articles (except insured articles) from one official to another under receipt by bulk entry. However, every transfer of insured articles will always be under receipt by detailed entry. Separate registered abstract, maintained by each official, will be consolidated in a summary for the entire registrations branch by an official to whom this duty will be specifically assigned.

81. Registered abstract -(1) The registered abstract is divided into two parts, viz. “Receipts” and “issues”. The former shows the total number of registered articles received with each registered list (including in a mail office, the total number of articles booked in the office), the total number of insured articles amongst them, and the total number of registered bundles (if any) made up by the set; the latter shows the total number of insured articles amongst them and the total number of registered bundles opened by the set. Every due registered bag and every registered packet bag received or dispatched, and every registered bundle opened or made up by the set must be entered in the abstract.

(2) The totals of both sides of the abstract should agree and it should be signed by the Registration Sorting Assistant.

1. Preliminary work – The Registration Sorting Assistant should, preparatory to commencing work; take over from the Head Sorting Assistant the empty bags, articles of stationery, registered lists, envelopes for registered bundles, and registered abstract to be used during the working hours.
2. Treatment of articles presented for Registration – (1) An article presented for registration at a mail office should be examined to see that it is in good condition and that the postage and registration fee, and in the case of air mail articles, the air fee prescribed for the air route to be followed are fully paid, the article being weighed for this purpose, if necessary. If the name and address of the send do not appear on the cover, the Registration Sorting Assistant should explain to the person tendering the article the advantage of adding these particulars in the proper place. A receipt for the sender should then be prepared in the registered

journal, in which the name of the addressee, the Post Office of destination, and, if the article is a packet or letter above the minimum weight, the value of postage stamps affixed to it, should be recorded; and in the case of air mail articles, a remark “By Air Mail” should be made at the top of the form. The Serial No. printed on the receipt and the date of posting should be clearly written at once on the face of the article, in large bold figures, in ink.

(2)The receipt should be impressed with the date stamp and detached from the journal and handed over to the person, who presented the article for registration, except in the case of an article registered by Head Sorting Assistant on service, in which case the receipt should be left in the journal. All the articles registered each day should be entered in the registered list and handed over the Registration Sorting Assistant of the set.

(3) If an article presented for registration is believed to contain anything the insurance of which is compulsory, it should be refused registration.

(4)

If a registered article which has been delivered by a Post Office in the same town is presented with a revised address for registration, a fresh registration fee is payable, but no additional postage should be charged on the article unless it has been opened.

(5)

If an inland registered article, after having been accepted for dispatch is found in the office of posting to contain gold coins or gold bullion or both of a value exceeding the prescribed limit of Rs. 2,500, it should be dealt with under Rule 122 of the Postal Manual, Volume-V.

84. Preparation of registered articles for dispatch – (1) A registration No. Slip. bearing a number corresponding to the article in the registered journal and an impression of the No. slip name stamp, should be securely pasted to the upper left-hand corner of the address-side of article.

NOTE – In case of articles closed with “Economy” labels, the number slips should be affixed on the labels and not on the covers.

(2) Postage stamps affixed to the article should be defaced by the Registration Sorting Assistant himself by the minimum number of impressions of the date-stamp.

(3)The acknowledgement (if any) to accompany a registered article should be fastened with the side containing the sender’s name and address to the back of the article by means of thread or fine twine which should be threaded through the centre of the acknowledgement and then tied crossways round both the article and the acknowledgement in such a way as to ensure that they will not get separated in transit. The thread must not be passed through the registered article. The article should then be locked up until the time for preparing the mails for dispatch.

(4) Each set of number slips should be carefully and legibly impressed with the name-stamp, before the number slips are brought into use and the Head Sorting Assistant should insist on this rule being strictly complied with except where the name of the office is printed on the number slips supplied to it

85. Receipt of registered bags and registered packet bags – (1) As the mail bags addressed to the mail office are opened, the Registration Sorting Assistant will receive from the Head Sorting Assistant the registered bag taken out of each mail bag. The Registration Sorting Assistant will also receive from the Head Sorting Assistant registered packet bags.

(2) Each registered bag and registered packet bag will be made over to the Registration Sorting Assistant (under receipt to be granted in the registered abstract) and he must, before granting receipts, carefully examine the seal, cord label and condition of each of the bag and see that all the due bags are correctly received.

86.Treatment of money order bundles and of money orders contained in them– (1) Money order bundles invoiced at the foot of registered lists will be receiv ed in registered bags. The number of money order bundles received with each registered list should be checked with the number entered in the list.

(2).The Registration Sorting Assistant should himself open each bundle addressed to the office by cutting the thread and verify the number of money orders contained in it with the number noted on the money order check-slip placed at the top of the bundle.

(3). The money orders should then be sorted according to the sorting lists and dispatched to the offices concerned in money order bundles. The total number of money orders in each bundle should be clearly written on the money order check slip placed at the top of the bundle.

(4)

When money order bundles are made up for a Post Office, the money orders sent to the office for payment and those sent to it for onward transmission should be placed in separate bundles marked “Station” and “Sorting”, respectively.

(5)

If, in the money order, bundles made for a sorting office or in the money order bundles marked “Sorting” for a Post Office, there are six or more money orders for any particular Post Office, these money orders should be bundled separately, which should be addressed to the Post Office and marked “Station”.

(6) Money order bundles for dispatch including those for onward transmission should be enclosed in the appropriate registered bag entered at the foot of the registered list.

NOTE: In case the number of money orders to be sent to any particular destination is too large to be sent in bundles, they should be sent in a drill bag or bags.

87. Treatment of high value money order bundles and money orders – (i) In the sorting office, the Registration Sorting Assistant should verify from the registered list whether the bag contains a M.O.list (MO 75) and the high value money orders. If so, the Registration Sorting Assistant should open the high value sorting

M.O. bundles and verify that the details of the high value MOs invoiced in the M.O. list are correct by cross-checking the M.O. number and the office of issue. The high value station M.O. bundles need not be opened. The Money Order list received in the registered bag should be filed.

(ii) He should sort the high value station M.O. bundles according to the sorting list. He should make station M.O. bundles wherever the number of such money orders for a particular station is two or more. Lists should be prepared in duplicate of the contents of the M.O. in the bundle giving the number, office of issue of the M.Os and one copy should be placed in the bundle. A check-slip should be placed on the bundle on which the words, “HVMO………” followed by the number of MOs contained in it should be noted. If there are two or more H.V.M.Os containing the same number, the name of the office of destination should be written below the words “HVMO……….”. Thus:

H.V.M.O. Bundle H.V.M.O. Bundle Varanasi HO Tirupati HO

If two or more H.V.M.Os of the same number for the same station are received in a sorting office, the name of the office/station which closed

the H.V.M.O. should be added within brackets thus:

H.V.M.O. 5 (of Delhi GPO) . H.V.M.Ol Chandigarh HO) Tirupati H0 Tirupati HO

(iii) The bundle should be tied up cross-wise and sealed. The Registration Sorting Assistant should then invoice the H.V.M.Os and loose high value money orders (kept as sorting bundle) in the Money Order List in duplicate. Totals should be struck giving the number of H.V.M.O. and high value single money orders invoiced in each list. The duplicate copy of this list together with the office copies of the lists of Station H.V.M.Os should be filed with the M.O. abstract.

(iv)

He should wrap the M.O. list (MO 75) around sorting money order bundles and tie with a piece of thread thus making one bundle of H.V.M.Os. The due registered lists should contain the entry of one or Nil as the case may be, against the new column “M.O. lists enclosed”.

(v)

In the sorting office, a separate “M.O. Abstract” should be maintained on the same lines as “Registered Abstract”. The Head Sorting Assistant will exercise the same kind of supervision over the work of sorting of high value MOs and the preparation of the MO. Abstract as is applicable in the case of the registered articles and the registered abstract.

88. Sorting of registered articles - (i) The registered articles received, including those posted in a mail office, should be sorted into the several compartments of the registration sorting-case in accordance with the diagram prescribed the destination of each article being carefully ready before it is sorted. Forward registered bundles should each be treated as a single registered article.

NOTE: In sorting Mail Offices, the registration sorting case must always be kept locked when the work of sorting is not going on, and the key must remain, during working hours in the custody of the Registration Sorting Assistant.

1. Missent registered articles – If a registered article is received missent, needlessly delayed by a sorting office, a note of the irregularity should be made on the registered list with which it was received. The article should be stamped shown to the Head Sorting Assistant and forwarded to the correct destination in the usual course.
2. NOTE: Registered articles presented for booking, to a Mail Office during the period fixed for booking of registered articles will be accepted for registration on Post Office holidays and Sundays also on payment of usual late fees prescribed for the purpose.
1. 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 town 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 of destinatio n. A number will be given to the insured bundle corresponding to the number of letters it contains, preceded by the distinguishing letters “LB.”, with the name of the office of destination below it, thus :

I.B. – 5 I.B. – 6 etc. Delhi GPO Lucknow GPO 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 Lucknow GPO) I.B. – 5 (of Ambala GPO) 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.

1. Transfer of registered and registered packet bags to Head Sorting Assistant - A sufficient time before the hour fixed for the dispatch of a mail, the registered packet bag should be handed by the Registration Sorting Assistant to the Head Sorting Assistant under receipt to be taken in the registered abstract.
1. Completion of registered abstract – (1) Before closing work for the day in a Mail Office, the Registration Sorting Assistant should complete the registered abstract and check it to see that the totals on both sides agree. He should also examine the check sheet which should be maintained by him in the pro forma given below in respect of insured articles and satisfy himself that all insured articles received have been noted at the time of receipt and ticked off at the time dispatch.
2. (2) He should see that the registered lists received are complete, and then stamp them. Finally, the registered lists should be stitched together in the order in which they are entered on the receipt side of the registered abstract, and be attached to the abstract.
2. Delivery of work-papers, etc., to Head Sorting Assistant – The Registration Sorting Assistant should after examining and checking the work-papers in the manner prescribed in Annexure make over his workpapers, as well as any spare empty registered bags remaining in his possession, to the Head Sorting Assistant to whom should also be given the articles of stationery, etc., which are to be replaced in the portfolio and, the key of the registration sorting case.

Check sheet for insured articles of letter/parcel mail handled by

Handled by _________________dated________

RECEIPT	DISPATCHES
S.N. No.of insured O/o	Office O/o Office to	Signature of
Ins.

Letter/IB/		posting from		destina which			Sorting Assis
Parcel		which		tion	dispatched		tant
		received
1	2	3	4	5		6	7

Total received :			Total dispatched:
Prepared by	:		Checked by :
		Signature of ins.	Signature of HSA or
		Sorting Assistant	Supervisor
Rechecked by :
Signature of HSA or Supervisor			Date stamp

93-A Computerized Registration Sorting Centre (CRC).

NOTE-These rules are applicable to computerized Registration Sorting Centres (CRCs).

These rules substitute the following rules of Volume-VII pertaining to manual operations Rules 80,81,82,85,87,88,89,91,92 and 93.

Duties and Responsibilities –

1. System Administrator :

(a)The in-charge of CRC will be the System Administrator. He will be responsible for the maintenance and security in the functioning of the system by keeping secrecy of his own password and also ensuring proper maintenance of password of all officials working in CRC. He will also be responsible for the security of the Master Data fed in the system.

(b)He will enter the Master data as per the memo of distribution of work for each set such as set details, staff details, service details, opening bag details, closing bag details, mail agency details, bulk addressee details, best details, set-wise /RSA-wise allocation of closing bags. Due receipt/Due dispatch details, Pin code details, transit office details and sorting district master details, etc.

( c ) He will be responsible for the generation of MIS (Management Information System) reports such as sorter report, set wise report, booking office/delivery office reports, transmission report, keying capacity report. Forced closed remark report and Login -Logout report.

(d)He will be responsible for the maintenance of INI settings for Modern transmission and periodical Back-up/Restore of data and cleaning up of records.

(e)He will be responsible for the maintenance of System parameter for the functioning of sets according to the Modow for parallel sorting and packet sorting with option for Detailed Sorting/Intelligent sorting/count total sorting.

(f) He will take out all necessary reports under ‘Reports’ option as and

when necessary.
2. Supervisor :
	a)	He will exercise all the options mentioned
		above for System Administrator in his
		absence, except item mentioned at Para ( c )
		for the day to-day functioning of the set in
		which he is working.
	b)	He will be responsible for the timely opening
		of the set with the allotted / available RSAs.
	c)	He will make RSA allocation according to the
		number of available RSAs.
	d)	He will make the opening bag allocation
		according to the bags received including extra
		bags.
	e)	He will also make the closing bag allocation
		according to the number of available RSAs.
	f)	He will maintain the Master data for the
		interim dispatch and ensure the timely
		dispatch of all bags including interim dispatch
		as per schedule.
	g)	He will ensure equitable distribution of article
		among RSAs by periodical watch.

h) He will generate all reports assigned such as attendance list, opening bags allocation list, due bags not opened list, extra bags opened list, mail agency list, registered abstract, set remarks list, bags closed list and pending transfer summary.

i) He will ensure that all insured articles received are transferred to the ISA in time and the articles are kept in the safe custody by the ISA till dispatch. He will also ensure the timely dispatch of the insured articles according to the closing bag allocation under his direct supervision. He will also verify the insured check list submitted by the ISAs with all the reports generated and abstract of the RSAs.

j) At the time of any discrepancy with respect of articles, he will ensure that necessary remarks are recorded by him in the opening bag details section of the RSAs and in the close day option of the RSA and necessary reports generated.

k) He will ensure timely closing of the set and submit necessary Note/Report to HRO/SRO/SRM concerned.

Part-IV – Parcel Department

94. Duties and responsibilities of Parcel Sorting Assistant. – (1) The duties of the Parcel Sorting Assistant comprise the work connected with the receipt, custody, sorting and dispatch of parcel mail articles. His responsibility begins when parcel mail articles are received by him in parcel bags or loose from the Head Sorting Assistant and continues until the articles are made over by him enclosed in parcel bags or loose to the Head Sorting Assistant

(2).The Parcel Sorting Assistant is responsible that the bags and articles made over to him are carefully examined; that the articles dealt with by him are properly treated and correctly disposed of; that the contents of parcel bags made up are correct; that parcel bags closed are securely fastened and properly sealed, and that the bags or loose articles are made over in due time to the Head Sorting Assistant for dispatch; that torn or otherwise unserviceable bags are not used; that all irregularities or unusual occurrence connected with the parcel department are promptly detected and brought to notice; and that his work-papers are complete and correctly prepared.

NOTE: In sets where two or more Parcel Sorting Assistants are employed, the Head of the Division may, in cases where considered absolutely necessary authorize the performance of the general duties referred to in this rule by the Senior Sorting Assistant and by his assistants. The particulars of bags to be opened and closed by each of them should be prescribed in the memo of distribution of work and separate parcel abstract for each should be maintained.

1. Documents accompanying parcel mail articles.-(1) Every insured parcel mail article is accompanied by an acknowledgement to be signed by the addressee. An uninsured registered parcel for which an acknowledgement is due has the letters “A.D.” marked on the face and is also accompanied by an acknowledgement. No other articles of the parcel mail are accompanied by any documents. On the unregistered parcels “UNREGISTERED PARCEL’ is written in capital letters.
2. (2). If a parcel is received without the acknowledgement that should accompany it, the article should be shown at once to the Head Sorting Assistant and a note of the irregularity should be recorded on the parcel lists with which it was received and is dispatched.
1. No slips affixed to parcel mail articles – (1) A slip bearing a printed No. and impressed with the No. slip name-stamp of the office of posting is pasted to every parcel mail articles except unregistered parcels, which are not numbered. These slips are known collectively as No. Slips; the slip affixed to a parcel is termed a Parcel No. Slip, and that affixed to a value-payable article, V.P. NO.Slips.
2. (2).The weight (in grams) of an insured parcel is recorded on the insured parcel No. slip. When a value-payable parcel is insured, only a V.P. No.slip and the usual insured label are pasted to it and the parcel is treated as an insured parcel.
1. Parcel Abstract.- (1) the parcel abstract is divided into two parts, viz., “Receipts” and “Issues”. The former shows the number of ordinary registered and insured parcel mail articles received with each parcel lists; and the latter the total number of ordinary registered and insured mail articles dispatched with each parcel list.
2. (2) The totals of both sides of the abstract should agree and the abstract should be signed by the Parcel Sorting Assistant.
1. Preliminary work . – The Parcel Sorting Assistant should, preparatory to commencing work, take over from the Head Sorting Assistant the empty bags, articles of stationery, parcel lists and parcel abstract to be used during working hours.
2. Receipt of parcel and insured bags and loose parcel mail articles.- The parcel bags addressed to the office, and the parcel mail articles (including insured bags) together with the parcel lists in which the articles are invoiced or the blank parcel list taken from mail bags will be made over by the Head Sorting Assistant to the Parcel Sorting Assistant under receipt to be granted in the parcel abstract; and the latter must see that a parcel bag or parcel list, with parcel mail articles taken from the mail bag; or a blank parcel list, is received by him from every Post Office, section and mail office, authorized to forward parcel mail articles to the section or office.

NOTE: 1 -In the case of parcel mail articles received “out-side”

noted in the mail list, the Parcel Sorting Assistant must initial the

mail list in proof of having received the articles. If a blank parcel

list is received in a cover entered on the mail list (or registered

list from office closing a registered bag only), it should be made

over to the Parcel Sorting Assistant who should initial the mail

list in token of having received the cover containing the blank

parcel list.

NOTE 2 -In an office where there is a separate assistant and mail opener, the Head of the Division may prescribe that the parcel bags as well as the parcel list received inside the mail bags will be entered in a separate mail list and transferred direct to the Parcel Sorting Assistant who will give acquittance in this mail list in token of having received the parcel bags and the loose parcel list along with the parcel mail articles received in them.

1. Missent parcel mail articles – If a parcel mail article is received missent, a note of the irregularity should be made on the parcel list with which it was received. In every case, the article should be stamped, shown to the Head Sorting Assistant and forwarded to the correct destination in the usual course.
1. Sorting of parcel mail articles – (1) The mail articles received with the acknowledgements, if any, appertaining to them, should be sorted into the several compartments of the parcel sorting case in accordance with the sorting list.
1. The parcel sorting case must always be kept locked when the work of sorting is not going on, and the key of it must remain during working hours in the custody of the Parcel Sorting Assistant.
2. An insured parcel addressed o r redirected to a non-insurance office should be forwarded to it, irrespective of the fact that the office of destination is a non-insurance office.
2. Transfer of parcel bags and parcel mail articles to Head Sorting Assistant – A sufficient time before the hour fixed for the dispatch of a mail, the parcel bags, or the parcel mail articles (with the parcel list), or the blank parcel list, for dispatch in each mail bag, should be handed over by the Parcel Sorting Assistant to the Head Sorting Assistant under receipt to be taken in the parcel abstract.

NOTE: Where no mail bag (or registered bag, in the case of offices closing registered bags only) is closed for the office for which a parcel list is to be issued, the blank parcel list should be dispatched duly entered in the mail list of the office through which mails for the office for which a blank parcel list is intended are ordinarily dispatched.

103. Completion of parcel abstract – (1) Before the close of the day’s work, the Parcel Sorting Assistant should complete the parcel abstract and check it to see that the totals on both sides agree.

He should also examine the check sheet which should be maintained by him in the pro forma given below in respect of insured bundles and satisfy himself that all insured articles received have been noted at the time of receipt and ticked off at the time dispatch.

(2) He should see that the parcel lists received are complete, and stamp them. Finally, the parcel lists should be stitched together in the order in which they are entered on the receipt side of the parcel abstract, and attached to the abstract. Check sheet for insured articles of letter/parcel mail handled by _____________dated_________104. Delivery of work-papers, etc., to Head Sorting Assistant – The parcel Sorting Assistant, after examining and checking his work-papers in the manner prescribed in Annexure should make over his work-papers, as well as any spare empty bags remaining in his possession, to the Head Sorting Assistant to whom should also be given the articles of stationery etc., which are to be replaced in the portfolio and, in the case of a sorting mail office, the key of the parcel sorting case.

	RECEIPT		DESPATCHES
S.No.	No.of Office of	Office	o/o Office	Signature of
	Ins.letters/ posting	from	destito which	Ins.Sorting

1	IB/Parcel 2	3	which nation dispatched Assistant Received 4 5 6 7
	Total received: Prepared by :		Signature of Ins.Sorting Assistant	Total dispatched: Checked by: Signature of HSAor Supervisor
	Rechecked by:		Signature of HSA Or Supervisor	Date Stamp:

CONTENTS OF CHAPTER 4

105. Duties and responsibilities of the Mail Guard or Mail Agent –

(1)

The duties of the Mail Guard or Mail Agent comprise the work connected with the receipt, custody, sorting and dispatch of articles posted in the van or office and of closed mails. His responsibility begins when articles are cleared from letter-boxes or when closed mails are made over to him by a section, office or carrier, and continues until the bags are delivered or dispatched to destination. The Mail Guard or Mail Agent has nothing to do with the articles contained in the closed mails made over to him for disposal, but transit bags addressed to the section or office are opened and the bags contained in them are disposed of by him.

(2)

The Mail Guard or Mail Agent is responsible that the articles and bags dealt with by him are carefully examined, properly treated and correctly disposed of, that the contents of transit bags and-in the case of a transit mail office authorized to perform registration work – of the registered bags and registered bundles closed by him are correct; that the bags and bundles are securely fastened and properly labelled and sealed; that torn or otherwise unserviceable bags are not used; that all irregularities and unusual occurrences connected with his work are promptly detected and brought to notice; and that his work -papers are completed and correctly prepared.

106. Attendance of set.-(1) An attendance register will be kept in the transit mail office in which every Mail Agent/or Mail Guard of a set must sign his name and enter the time of his attendance.

(2) At the appointed time, the Mail Agent/Mail Guard of a section should be present at the Railway Station and should see that all the other officials are present in due time and that the work-papers and all other articles to be taken for use during the trip have been brought. He should see that the staff are neatly dressed, that they bring no personal luggage with them except their hand bags and bedding.

NOTE- In case when any extra staff in addition to the sanctioned strength is deputed to work with a set on account of receipt of heavy mails or any other unforeseen causes, a separate memo will be issued to the Mail Agent/Mail Guard, of the set in question as an authority, therefore. In case the extra staff so deputed is required to work with the set for more than one trip, the memo should be filed with the daily report of the last day for which the additional trip is required to work with it.

(3) In sets working is running sections, where no attendance registers are maintained, the official performing the particular duties should sign in the numerical order, against such designations in the daily report only.

106-A. Examination of van.-The Mail Agent/Mail Guard should examine the interior of the van and the fittings, glass-windows and lamps to see that nothing is damaged. He may be required to pay the cost of any damage to the internal fittings of the van caused by him, or not detected and brought to notice by him, on examination either at the commencement of the trip or as soon as possible after its occurrence, and before leaving the van at the termination of the trip.

107. Preliminary work.-(1) The Mail Agent/Mail Guard of a section should see that the hand bags/brief cases and rolls of bedding of other official are suitably placed in the mail van away from the operational area and that the portfolio is opened and the articles taken out and arranged. The Mail Agent/Mail Guard of a section should next see that the articles including the work-papers, required for use and distributed to the other different officials, as the case may be, and arranged in their placed in the manner prescribed in the memorandum of distribution of work. He should then arrange the empty bags required for use.

(2)

The Mail Agent/Mail Guard should arrange the empty bags and other articles required for use in their proper places. The latter action should also be taken by a Mail Agent/Mail Guard preparatory to commencing work in the office/section.

(3)

If the section commences its trip at a changing station, the Mail Agent/Mail Guard should first take delivery of the mails from the official in charge of the relieved set, examine the bags in the presence and then sign the sectional mail list and the special mail list, if any, in token of having received the mails correctly.

1. Receipt and dispatch of mails.-The rules prescribed for sorting mail offices regarding the receipt and dispatch of mails and the preparation of the forms connected therewith, in so far as they apply to a transit section or a transit mail office, must be strictly complied with by the Mail Guard or Mail Agent, as the case may be. In transit sections, the
2. exchange of mails should be done at both the doorways of the mail van, i.e., at the main entrance and at the storage position of the van to avoid detention of mails.
1. Disposal of unregistered articles.-Unregistered articles posted in the van or office or received from a mail peon should be sorted according to the instructions and dealt with in accordance with the procedure prescribed by the Divisional Head. Ordinarily, a sorting mail bag should be closed for each office with which mails are exchanged.
2. NOTE-The instructions contained in Rule 65 may, under the special order of the Head of the Circle, be made applicable to transit sections.
1. Certificate of posting.-Certificates of posting should be granted to the public in accordance with the rule on the subject in the Post Office Guide by transit mail offices only.
2. Treatment of late letters.-The instructions in Rule 61 of the Postal Manual, Volume-V, regarding the treatment of late letters apply also to transit mail offices.
3. Registration of articles.-(1) With a few exceptions, every transit mail office is authorized to receive articles of the letter mail or registration, but not for insurance.

(2)

The conditions under which articles may be registered and other information on the subject will be found in the Post Office Guide.

(3) The Mail Agent must carefully observe the procedure laid down

(a)

in Chapter 3 of this Volume for the guidance of sorting mail offices in connection with registration of articles, and (b) in Chapter 2 of the Postal Manual, Volume-V, in connection with the preparation of the registered lists, registered bundles, registered bags, etc.

1. Hours fixed for closing the mails.-The instructions on this subject are contained in Rule 58 of the Postal Manual, Volume-V.
1. Preparation of mail for dispatch.-A sufficient time before the arrival of the train at a station where mails are to be given out by a transit section, or the hour fixed for the dispatch of a mail by a transit mail office, the bags for delivery or dispatch, as the case may be, should be sorted, those which are not be forwarded loose being sorting according
2. to the transit bags in which they are to be enclosed; and the Mail Guard or Mail Agent must satisfy himself and the number of bags for delivery or dispatch is correct.
2. Final duties before quitting van or office.-(1) The Mail Agent or Mail Guard should examine the fittings, lamps etc., of the van to see that nothing has been damaged or lost. He should replace the stamps, seals, books, etc., in the portfolio, put the empty bags for return to the Record Office in the bag provided for the purpose and label and seal the letter bag. He should then give out the mails to be delivered and, if the trip is ended at a changing station, make over the mails, for the relieving set to the office in charge together with the sectional mail list.

(2) The Mail Agent should examine and check the articles detailed in the List of Articles and see that the articles of stationery, stamps, seals, books etc., are carefully put away; that the bag containing empty bags for return to the record office is labeled and sealed; that the mail box is properly secured and that the office room is swept and everything arranged in a tidy and orderly manner. He should then lock the office room and retain the key in his personal custody if there is no relieving Mail Agent, but if there is a succeeding set he will make over the deposit mails under entry in the mail list and hand over charge of the office to his reliever.

115-A. Computerized Transit Mail Office (CTMO).Computerization of a Transit Mail Office facilitates the location of any bag that would have passed through the TMO. It also enables a proper watch to be kept on due mails and an estimation of the extra mail received.

(i)

Duties and responsibilities of the system administrator

(1)

He is the overall Incharge of computerized TMO. He will be responsible for the maintenance and security in the functioning of the system by keeping secrecy of his own password and also ensuring proper maintenance of passwords of all officials working in the TMO. He will also be responsible for the security of the master data fed in the system.

(2)

He will enter master data as per the memo of distribution of work of each set such as set details, staff details, transport sector and route schedules, mail agency profiles, due bags, due transfer bags, etc.

(3)

He will be responsible for the generation of MIS reports, sorting-wise, set-wise, PO-wise, class-wise, sector-wise, mail-wise, total weight-wise etc.

(4)

He will be responsible for the maintenance of INI settings, for modem transmission and periodical back-up/restore of data. He will also clean up the records by taking periodical back-ups.

(5)

He will make out all necessary reports under reports open as and when necessary.

(ii)

Duties and responsibilities of Head Mail Agent

(1)

He will exercise all the options as mentioned above for system administrators in his absence except log-in and log-out details in the MIS reports.

(2)

He will be responsible for the timely opening of the set with the allotted/available Mail Agents.

(3)

He will allocate the mail agency branches according to the available Mail Agents. He will also ensure equitable distribution of bags amongst the Mail Agents by periodical watch and make changes in the allocation wherever necessary.

(4)

He will fix exchanges of dispatches in case of change in the transport modes according to the circumstances.

(5)

He will also delete the dispatches assigned to the Mail Agents as situation warrants.

(6)

He will also reopen the TBs closed by the Mail Agent for the inclusion/deletion of bags included in the TBs.

(7)

He will also generate all mandatory reports such as attendance lists, due bags not received, due bags not dispatched, due bags not received in open TBs and due bags not included in closed TBs before closing of sets.

(8)

At the time of close day option of the Mail Agents, he will ensure that necessary remarks are recorded with reference to excess/short receipts or dispatches of bags.

(9)

He will make available more empty bags if needed by the Mail Agent for closing of TBs.

(10)

He will ensure timely closing of the set and submit necessary note/report to the SSRM/SRM/HRO/SRO concerned.

(11)

In case of non-arrival/non-dispatch of regular transport, he will re-allocate the receipt/dispatch.

(iii) Duties and responsibilities of Mail Agent

(1)He will work in the position allocated by the Head Mail Agent as per the Mail Agency allocation.

(2)He will be responsible for the maintenance and secrecy of his own password.

(3)He will receive the bags from the transport mode and numbers allocated to him.

(4)He will open the TBs received by him.

(5)He will transfer the bags to the Mail Agents concerned then and there.

(6)He will acknowledge the bags received by him from other Mail Agents.

(7)He will prepare TBs allocated from the bags received by him directly and through other Mail Agents.

(8)He will dispatch all the bags for the allocated transport mode and number at the scheduled time.

(9)He will forward the bags that are to be forwarded to the next set as per the allocation sector-wise / mail agent-wise.

(10)

He will use the lose day option to complete his work of the day. The discrepancies noticed by him with reference to receipt/dispatches of bags will be brought to the notice of HMA and see that necessary remarks are recorded by the HMA when the forced day close option is to be enforced.

(11)

He will generate all the mandatory reports prescribed under reports column and hand over the mail agency summary to the HMA along with the due bags not dispatched and bags received but not dispatch lists.

NOTE – All other operations discussed in the manual, rules and regulations relating to TMOs hitherto done manually will continue except to the extent of computerization discussed above.

CONTENTS OF CHAPTER 5

RECORD OFFICES General Rules

RULE

1. Authority of Record Officer
2. Supervision of work
3. Record of orders regarding practicing test card Sorting and result of examination of portfolios, etc.
4. Distribution of work
5. Arrangement register
6. Nominal roll of metal tokens to be kept at record Offices
7. Register of sorting lists
8. Hours of attendance
9. Attendance on Railway Platform
10. Traveling of Record Officer

Duties during Attendance Hours of Sets

1. Work to be done during attendance hours
2. Importance of proper examination of work-papers
3. Points to be observed in examining work-papers
4. Disposal of daily reports
5. Issue of forms to sets
6. Inspection of work-papers prepared
7. Deleted
8. Deleted RULE
9. Deleted
10. Examination of sweepings
11. Delivery book
12. B. Orders and T.B. Orders

Records, Returns and Correspondence

1. Filling of work-papers
2. Preservations of bags and record for enquiry 140 Periodical returns to be submitted by Record Officer

1. Record Officer’s daily report
2. Corrected copies of sorting lists
3. Disposal of Superintendent’s communications
4. Inward Register for complaints
5. Monthly account bundle
6. Filing of acquittance rolls and other documents 146-A. Computerization of the HRO

CHAPTER 5

RECORD OFFICES

General Rules

N.B.-The instructions laid down in these rules for the guidance of Record Officers apply also to Head Record Officers and sub-record officers except where they are obviously inapplicable or whether there is anything to the contrary in the context. References to sections, will in that case be construed to cover mail offices also.

116. Authority of Record Officer.-(1) The duties, responsibility and authority of the Record Officer as described in this Chapter, extend solely to the staff attached to the Record Office.

(2)

The Record Officer is authorized, when necessary, to order Sorting Assistants to do overtime duty, or in urgent cases, to transfer them temporarily from one set or section to another, to summon a Sorting Assistant to the Record Office or to the Railway Station during his rest time for the purpose of enquiring into losses or complaints, of communicating to him urgent sorting or guidance orders of sending him on overtime duty in any sudden emergency or of making him practice sorting. The Record Officer has discretionary power to make such temporary arrangements in cases of sudden illness of Sorting Assistants, etc., as may be necessary to carry on the work, but every such case must be at once reported to the Superintendent in the Record Officer’s daily report.

(3)

The Record Officer may permit mutual exchange of duties between sorting assistants so long as it does not involve any extra expenditure and does not interfere with the working of the Department.

117. Supervision of work.-(1) The Record Officer is required to exercise a general supervision over the Sorting Assistants and their work, and he should therefore, make himself acquainted with the character and capabilities of the Sorting Assistants and by constant and vigilant observation see that they perform their work in strict accordance with the rules.

(2) When he observes carelessness in the preparation of work-papers, or when complaints are made against Sorting Assistants, he should warn them, and, if his warnings are disregarded, report them to the Superintendent. He should encourage Sorting Assistants to practise sorting on rest days. He should inspect, from time to time, the articles supplied to sets, to see that they are correct and that care is taken of them. This should always be done when a Head Sorting Assistant is transferred from one set to another.

1. Record of orders regarding practising test card sorting and result of examination of portfolios, etc. – The Record Officer should maintain a rough notebook to note orders to the Sorting Assistants for practicing card sorting and the Sorting Assistants concerned should be required to sign against the relative entry. This notebook should also be used for recording the result of the examination of the contents of portfolios and also the book of postmarks and cleansing of stamps and seals.
2. Distribution of work.-The distribution of work among the officials of the office, as fixed by the Superintendent in the memorandum of distribution of work, must be strictly maintained by the Record Officer.
3. Arrangement register.-Each Record Office will maintain an Arrangement register in the prescribed form in respect of each set of mail office and running sectio n attached to it. An extract from the register showing the designations of the official according to the memo of distribution of work of the mail office or section and the name of the officials composing the set should be furnished by the Record Officer to the Head Sorting Assistant of every set of the mail office or section.

121. Nominal Roll of metal tokens to be kept at Record Office.

(1)

The Record Officer must keep a nominal roll (in the prescribed form prepared in manuscript) of the holders of all metal tokens received. A separate page of the roll should be assigned to each token, where the names of the successive holders should be recorded with the other particulars provided for in the form. In respect of such tokens as have not been issued, or have been lost, the remark “In Stock” or “Lost by (name)”, the amount representing the manufacturing cost plus incidental charges (if any) realized in cash or deducted from his pay, as the case may require, should be entered in the second column of the roll.

(2)

The receipts appertaining to the tokens issued should be filed, in the serial order of their Nos. with the roll. All the unissued metal tokens in the Record Office must always be kept locked up in the office safe.

1. Register of sorting lists.-The Record Officer must keep a register (prepared in manuscript) of the sorting lists received. A separate page of the register should be assigned to each sorting list where the names of the successive holders should be recorded. In respect of such sorting lists as have not been issued, or have been issued, or have been lost, remark “In Stock” or “Lost by (name)”, the sum of Rupee one representing the nominal cost realized in cash should be entered in the appropriate page of the register.
2. The receipts appertaining to the sorting lists should be kept with the appropriate page of the register.
1. Hours of attendance.-(1) The Superintendent will fix the hours during which the officials of the Record Office and the staff of the sections attached to it should attend the office. The Record Officer should insist on their punctual attendance.

(2) An attendance register will be kept in the Record Office in which every official of the office (including the Record Officer) and every Sorting Assistant must sign his name and enter the time of his attendance in the presence of the Record Officer.

NOTE – See note to Rule 27.

1. Attendance on Railway platform.-If the Record Officer is required to be present on the Railway platform on the arrival and departure of trains, the trains to be met and the work to be done by him will be laid down in the memorandum of distribution of work.
2. NOTE- The Head of a Circle, may at his discretion dispense with the presence of the Record Officer at stations where there is an Inspector to supervise the transfer of mail bags.
1. Traveling of Record Officer.-The Record Officer’s duties do not entail traveling; but in emergencies, such as interruption to the mail service owing to a break on the Railway or any other cause, he may be deputed by the Superintendent to proceed to the spot and make arrangements for the transport of mails. He may also, in special cases, and with the sanction of the Head of the Circle be deputed on duty in connection with camp mails for high officers on tour.

Duties during Attendance Hours of Sets

126. Work to be done during attendance hours.-The work to be done by the Record Officer during the attendance hours of a set comprises the following duties

(a)

taking over the work-papers for the pre vious trips and spells of duty

(b)issuing the work-papers for the next trips and spells of duty;

(c)

taking over the empty bags brought back from the previous trips and spells of duty and issuing the bags for the next trips and spells of duty

(d)communicating to the Sorting Assistants orders received from the Superintendent or the Head of the Circle/regarding changes in the sorting list and other matters, and requiring them to give explanation of any irregularities, etc., that may have occurred in their work;

(e)

and attending to bag account corresponding work. In the case of a selection grade Record Office, he may correspond direct with other Divisional Superintendent and Postmasters in regard to cases relating the bag accounts of his Record Office.

NOTE- Staff attending the Record Offices should not be detained there any longer than is absolutely necessary for the performance of the work required of them.

1. Importance of proper examination of work-papers.-The most important duty of the Record Officer is the examination and filing of the work papers received in the Record Office. This duty should, therefore, be performed with the utmost care. A Record Officer who neglects the proper examination of work-papers renders himself liable to dismissal or to any other statutory penalty.
1. Points to be observed in examining work-papers. – In examining the work-papers of a set, care should be taken to see that all the documents included in the work-papers, bundles are received from the Head Sorting Assistant/Mail Agent, and that no correction is made in any documents where it is forbidden. All permissible corrections in the
2. documents are duly and properly attested, and that the work -papers are complete and neatly prepared. The Record Officer should check whether the registered/parcel/MO/mail abstract are tallied or not. If they are not tallied, whether a report is made or not in the daily report. In token of this verification, the Record Officer will sign the abstract.
2. Disposal of daily reports.-(1) Daily reports of sets should after examination in the manner prescribed, be stamped and signed by the Record Officer and forwarded by him along with and entered in his own daily report to the Superintendent or the Deputy Superintendent as the case may be, each with its respective extract reports attached.

(2)

Extract reports concerning unimportant irregularities committed by Post Offices and mail offices other than those within the Division should, however, be detached and sent by the Record Officer direct to the Superintendent or first class Postmaster concerned, the officers to whom they are forwarded being noted under his initials and date in the last column of the daily reports against the corresponding entries.

(3)

Check-slips attached to daily reports should be detached and forwarded by first mail to the Superintendent or first class Postmaster concerned, except those relating to bundles made up by mail office within the Division which should be sent attached to the daily report to the Divisional Superintendent or the Deputy Superintendent, as the case may be.

NOTE- If the Record Office is at the headquarters of the Division, the daily report of each set should be submitted to the Superintendent before the set leaves the office, so that if any information is required by that officer or the inspector, the Sorting Assistants may be on the spot to give it.

1. Issue of forms to sets.-After the work-papers for the previous trips or working hours of each set have been examined and filed, the Record Officer should make over the Head Sorting Assistant or Mail Guard, as the case may be, the forms and labels to be used by the set during next trips or working hours, as well as the type boxes of the set. When issuing the forms, the Record Officer should see that the bag labels are impressed with the name stamps of the offices and sections for which bags are closed by the set are in serviceable condition.
2. Inspection of work-papers prepared.-When the work-papers for its next trips or working hours have been prepared by a set and

submitted to the Record Officer, the latter should carefully examine them to see that they have been properly and neatly filled in and that the documents (including labels for mail and transit bags to be used) are duly stamped. This is a important duty and should be carefully attended to. The daily report of the set should then be stamped by the Record Officer in token of having performed this duty.

1. Deleted
2. Deleted
3. Deleted.

1. Examination of sweepings.-The sweeping of mail vans contained in bags returned by the Mail Guard should be examined personally by the Record Officer to see that no postal article or contents of any article or stamps fallen off are amongst them. The daily sweepings of Mail Offices should similarly be examined as soon as possible.
1. Delivery book-(1) All communications from the Superintendent, calling for explanation of irregularities omitted by Sorting Assistants, are sent to the Record Officer for delivery to the persons concerned, and the replies to the communications are sent through the Record Officer to the Superintendent. A book must be kept in every Record Office with columns for:
1. the No. and date of the Superintendent’s communication;
2. the signature of the Sorting Assistant concerned, in token that he has received the communication, and the date of its delivery to him;
3. the date on which the Sorting Assistant’s reply or explanation was received and forwarded to the Superintendent.

These communications should not be numbered by the Record Officer or entered in the book in which his own official correspondence is recorded.

NOTE- In case of the Head Record Office, the communications, orders, etc., for Sorting Assistants will not be numbered; they will be

made over the Head Record Officer under receipt and should be retimed by him to the Superintendent in the same manner.

(2)

The Record Officer should make over to the Sorting Assistants present in the Record Office (under receipt to be taken in the delivery book) the communication intended for them, and also require them to furnish explanation of all irregularities that he may have detected in their work. No Sorting Assistant should be permitted to leave the Record Office until all the references relating to his set requiring disposal have been replied to and the Record Officer should see that the replies given by Sorting Assistants are complete and intelligible.

(3)

All references should be disposed of in the Record Office, and the Sorting Assistants must on no account be allowed to take away unanswered communications.

137. B.Orders and TB orders.-(1) On receipt of a B order from the Superintendent, the Record Officer should have it neatly copied by one of the sorting assistants into the guidance book of each set concerned. The T.B. orders or the Tour orders received from the Superintendent should be filed separately in a guard file. The Record Officer should explain the meaning of the order to all Sorting Assistants including the Head Sorting Assistants or to the Mail Guard who should initial the order in evidence of having understood it.

(2)

The Record Officer must see that all the B. Orders that concern a set – and only these - are copied into the guidance book of the set and he will be responsible for any omission or error in this respect.

(3)

When B. Orders or T.B. Orders become obsolete or are cancelled or amended, the remark “Cancelled (or amended) by B. Order or T.B.Order No. (No.) of 20…., See Page (No.)” should be written, under the Record Officers signature in the case of B. Orders across the copies of the B. Orders in the guidance books of sets, a similar remark, omitting the page reference, being also written across the original orders in the guard file. The order so cancelled should be mentioned by the record clerk in his daily report. The B. Orders and T.B. Orders for each year should be filed in a guard book, in the consecutive order of their Nos.

(4.1) Spare copies of T.B. Orders will be supplied only to a Mail Office or section the staff of which have been exempted from Record Office attendance; provided, that the Mail Office is not located in the same building as the R.O. or has different working hours from the R.O. Even in that case, only one guard file of T.B. Orders should be mainlined for use of all the sets of mail office and the guard file should rotate from set to set. In the case of important and big mail offices, the Head of the Circle may order that a separate guard file of T.B. Orders should be maintained by each set of the mail office.

(4.2) An index of T.B. Orders, should be maintained in the prescribed form with each guard file in Record Offices and Mail Offices concerned.

EXCEPTION- B.Orders should not be copied in the guidance book of the mail offices located in the same building as the sub-record offices and having the same hours as those of the sub-record offices.

Records, Returns and Correspondence

138. Filing of work-papers.-(1) At the end of the month, all the daily bundles of work-papers of the several sets of a transit section should be arranged together in two separate monthly bundles, viz., one for the out-trips and other for the in-trips. A label should be attached to each monthly bundle, and should bear the designation of the transit section and the name of the month.

(2)

The work -papers of the Mail Office should be put up in daily bundles. Each daily bundle should bear a label on which the name and date stamps of the set should be impressed. At the end of the month, all the daily bundles of work-papers of the office should be arranged together in a monthly bundle, and a label attached to the monthly bundle bearing the designation of the Mail Office and the name of the month.

NOTE-In the case of a Mail Office where there is a separate selection grade supervisor for the different branches, viz., mail, registration, parcel, etc., each such branch of the Mail Office may be treated as separate mail office for the purpose of filing of work-papers. The daily bundles of work-paper of each branch of such mail office may be kept chronologically without making monthly bundles wherever this is found convenient.

(3)

Mail abstracts of transit sections and mail offices should be filed in separate monthly bundles, a label being attached to each bundle bearing the designation of the transit section or office and the name of the month.

(4)

After the work-papers have been filed, they should on no account be allowed out of the Record Office, unless they are required by Supervising Officers nor should any Sorting Assistant or Mail Guard be permitted to open a bundle of work-papers for the purpose of referring to its contents, except under special circumstances to be noted under the Record Officer’s signature on the back of the registered abstract, or, on the back of the mail abstract contained in the bundle opened.

(5)

Wherever any work-papers are removed from the bundle to which they belong under the orders of Supervising Officer, copies duly attested by the Record Officer should be left in their place with a note explaining why the originals were removed and mentioning the official to whom they were made over. Should the work-paper be removed by a Supervising Officer personally, he should be requested to initial the attested copies and himself write the note prescribed above. In every case, the circumstances should be mentioned in the Record Officers daily report.

(6)

Work-papers removed should when returned to the Record Officer, be at once filed again their proper bundles, and a note that effect should be written by him on the attested copies which should be left in the bundle.

139.Preservation of bags and records for enquiry.-Whenever any investigation is being made into loss of abstraction, etc., the Supervising Officer will order preservation of the relevant record and material objects such as check slips, RB and IB covers, seals cords and labels and bags. The Record Officer should preserve them in his personal custody and see that no one has access to them except with the special permission of the Investigating Officer. These should not be destroyed without the permission of the Investigating Officer.

140. Periodical returns to be submitted by Record Officer.The following is list of the periodical returns and documents to be prepared and submitted by the Record Officer:

Description of return (1)	To whom submitted (2)	Period (3)	Date of submission (4)
1. Daily Report	Superintendent	Daily	At the close of each day.
2. Indent for	-do	Half-yearly	So as to reach the

stationery			Superintendent not later than the 10th February and 10th August of each year.
3. Indent for case labels	-do-	Monthly	So as to each the Superintendent not later than the 15th of each month.
4. Indent for articles of stock	-do-		Whenever articles are required.
5. OTA bill in form AGC-37 (By all Record Officers including Sub-Record Officers and Head Record Officers) 6. Extracts from the register of miscellaneous sums received and disposed of	-do-do-	Once in every 4 weekly cycle Monthly	Within a week from the day on which the four weekly cycle ends. 3rd of each month.

141. The Record Officer’s daily report.-(1) The Record Officer is required to submit a daily report to the Superintendent of the Division or the Superintendent Sorting, as the case may be. The report should be accompanied by the daily reports of the Head Sorting Assistants and Mails Guards of the sections attached to the Record Office and by the Sorting Assistants, written explanations (if any) of irregularities committed by them.

(2) If any of the following irregularities occur, they must invariably be noted in the Record officer’s daily report:

(a)

absence of Sorting Assistant, mail guard or van peon from the set proceedings on a trip. The full particulars of absentees and the number of extra duties ordered should also be shown in the daily report;

(b)

Non-attendance or late attendance of a Sorting Assistant on the attendance day at the Record Office;

(c)

Negligence on the part of a Sorting Assistant, as evidence by the number of complaints received against him, or by careless preparation of work-papers;

(d)

loss of Sorting Assistant’s metal token; or sorting list

(e)

loss of, or damage to any article supplied to the set;

(3)

The daily report should also contain the following information;

(a)

closing balance of cash in hand on account of pay and allowances

(b)Permanent advance for contingencies under head (1) cash and (2) amount of vouchers in hand

(c)

Permanent advance of postage stamps under head (1) cash and (2) stamps

(d)Total cash in hand [ Items (a) and (b) (1) and (c) (1)]

In Record or Sub-Record Offices where one or more Sorting Assistants are employed in addition to the Record Officer, both Record Officer and Assistant Record Officer or Sorting Assistants nominated as the joint custodian should affix their signature in the daily report below the entries relating to the above items.

(4) In addition to the above, the Record Officer’s daily report should contain particulars of T.B. Orders cancelled in the guidance books of sets. If the Record Officer is required to attend the arrival or departure of trains, he should mention the hours at which he was present at the Railway Station. If he is empowered to apply for extra train accommodation, he should forward with his daily report a carbon copy of the requisition made by him for such accommodation.

NOTE.-When a RMS section of one Division is attached to a Record office of another division, the daily report of the section concerned should be submitted by the Record Officer to the Superintendent of the Division to which the section belongs. The instructions regarding the preparation of the Record Officer’s daily report also apply to daily reports submitted to the Superintendent of another Division.

1. Corrected copies of sorting lists.-The Record Officer must submit to the Superintendent as well as the Principal of the Training Centre concerned on the day of revision of train timings, corrected copies of the sorting lists of all the mail offices attached to the Record Office. These copies should contain all the changes intimated in monthly sorting orders. Sorting Memos and A orders up to date, and care should be taken to make the corrections legibly and neatly in red ink, quoting the number and date of the order. The correct and punctual submission of these lists is an important duty for the performance of which the Record Officer is personally responsible.
2. Disposal of Superintendent’s communications.-It is essential that all communications from the Superintendent whether addressed directly to the Record Officer or intended for Sorting Assistants, should be speedily and punctually disposed of and that the Sorting Assistants’ replies should be sent without delay to the Superintendent. With a view to facilitate their delivery, the Record Officer should arrange the communications received while the sorting assistants are on the line in the order of attendance of the sets at the Record Officer. Delay in the disposal of references from the Superintendent will be consid3ered as evidence of laxity on the part of a Record Officer, and as proving that he is unfit for his appointment.
1. Inward Register for complaints.-An Inward Correspondence Register in Form Corr.2 for entry of references concerning Public Complaints should be maintained in all Record Offices (Head Record Office, Record Office or Sub-Record Office), in the selection grade. In the register should be entered:
1. All cases bearing the file mark CR received from any office.
2. All cases relating to public complaints.

(iii) All search bills.

The form of the Outward Correspondence Register (Form Corr.9) should be used with necessary corrections in the headings.

It will be the personal duty of the Record Officer or other Supervising Officer authorized specially in this behalf, to go through – this register once a week, say every Saturday evening to ensure that all references received have been promptly answered. The Head of the Office should also carry out frequent checks to satisfy himself that all references of the categories mentioned above, received in the Dak, are duly entered in the Register.

145. Monthly account bundle.

(1) On the 5^th of every month, the Head Record Officer must submit under a cover registered on service (i) to the Office of the Head of the Circle or to the Regional P.M.G. and (ii) to the office of the Superintendent RMS monthly account bundle comprising the following documents relating to the previous month and accompanied by the under mentioned vouchers appertaining to them.

(a) to the Head of the Circle of, the monthly contingent bill accompanied by vouchers and written orders relating to it.

(b)to the Superintendent R.M.S. the memorandum of disbursement of salaries and traveling allowances accompanied by acquittance rolls.

(2)

The Head Record officer must personally see that the documents to be submitted with the memorandum of disbursement of salaries and monthly contingent bill are complete.

(3)

After check in the Office of the Superintendent R.M.S. or the Head of the Circle, the acquittance rolls and receipts for salaries and traveling allowances disbursed together with the memorandum of disbursement attested by him and the written orders relating to contingent charges respectively, will be returned to Head Record Officer who should see that the acquittance rolls and receipts returned are complete by comparing them with the entries in the memorandum.

(4)

All the documents returned from the office of the Superintendent, R.M.S. or from Head of the Circle will be impressed with a special stamp and the Head Record Officer should see that this has been done by reporting to the Superintendent of R.M.S. or Head of the Circle as the case may be, any instance in which the stamp has been omitted.

146. Filing of acquittance rolls and other documents

(1)

All acquittance rolls should be numbered in the Head Record Office in a consecutive series for each month. No. 1 being assigned to the roll for the head Record Office.

(2)

Acquittance rolls and memoranda of disbursement of salaries and traveling allo wances, should be kept loose and unfolded in cardboard covers until the end of the calendar year, when the acquittance rolls and receipts for salaries and traveling allowances disbursed, together with the memoranda of disbursement appertaining to them, should be bound into books.

(3)

Estimates of the cost of binding should be submitted to the Superintendent and the required sanction obtained before the work is put in hand. The binding should in all cases be strong and the work should be done at the Head Record Office, the binder not being allowed to take the acquittance rolls away from the Head Record Office premises. In binding together large and small forms, care should be taken, as far as possible, to place two small forms alongside each other in such a way as to match the size of the large form. Care should also be taken to see that written matter on the acquittance rolls is not covered over with binding paper. The Head Record Officer will be held personally responsible that the work of binding is properly carried out and within a reasonable time; and that no documents are lost.

NOTE-The binding of acquittance rolls in respect of staff, for whom Establishment Returns are sent to the Postal Accounts Office and fro whom Service Books of Service Rolls are maintained, need not be in leather, but in cloth, as they are to be preserved for six years only.

146-A. Computerization of the HRO. – This enables the integration of the functioning of the Mail Offices with their HRO and the Divisional Office, on the principle of one-time data entry and the transfer of data to and from the three offices between each other. It provides for a unique code for employees, their designations, Post Offices and Mail Offices and different types of correspondence.

It enables the HRO to perform the functions of accounting, checking and search-bill-follow-up with speed and accuracy. The data flows from the mail offices to the HRO through modem(s) and necessary approval of the Divisional Superintendent can be accorded through a network. In this system, the Head Record Officer functions as the Systems Administrator.

CONTENTS OF CHAPTER 6

MAILMEN AND VAN ATTENDANTS

Mailmen

RULE
147.	Duties of Mailmen
148.	Duties in the Record Office
149.	Attention to hand-trucks

Van Attendants

1. Duties of van attendants
2. Duties in Records Office
3. Duties in the mail van

CHAPTER 6

MAILMAN AND VAN ATTENDANTS

Mailman

1. Duties of Mailman.-One or more Mailmen are attached to each Record Office for the purpose of carrying the articles supplied to sections between the record office and mail van, of loading and unloading mails in vans and conveying them to and from the mail office, and performing other duties of a similar nature.
2. NOTE- See Note to Rule 150.
1. Duties in the Record Office.-The Mailman must be present in the Record Office at such time as he is required to attend, and must be ready to give his help wherever it is needed. It is his duty to keep the office, furniture, etc., clean and tidy, to see that the inkpads are in serviceable order, renewing the cloth when necessary and that the stamping ink is of proper consistency.
2. Attention to hand-trucks.-At stations where hand-trucks are used, one the Mailmen will be told off, under the Superintendent’s orders to look after the trucks. He must regularly grease the wheels and keep the vehicles in proper order, informing the Record Officer whenever any truck is in need of repairs.

Van Attendants

1. Duties of Van Attendants.-In the transit sections, official designated van attendants is attached to each set as a general assistant, and must be ready to give help wherever it is needed. The Chief duties of van attendants are to stamp articles and documents, to face letters and packets posted in the van letter box, preparatory to handing them over the Mail Guard/Mail Agent to pack, close and seal bags. Van attendants should be able to stamp with rapidity and clearness, and to tie and seal bags with facility and dispatch.
2. Duties in the Record Office.-The Van Attendants must attend the Record Office with the set to which he is attached on its attendance days. He should assist the Head Sorting Assistants in taking over the bags and labels to be used by the set on its next trips; he must reverse the bags and attach to the labels the lengths of string with which bags are to be tied. When labels are to be mounted on wooden blocks, this work must be done by him. He is required to keep the stamps and seals of the set clean and change the date and other moveable type and to stamp work-papers for the next trip.
3. Duties in the mail van.-The van attendants must be present with his set on the Railway platform at the time fixed for attendance. On entering the van, he must help the Mail Guard/Mail Agent in arranging the mails and articles, he must stamp any articles made over to him for the purpose, assist in packing, tying and sealing bags and facing articles posted in the van letter box for further disposal and perform any other work of a general nature that may be required of him.

NOTE- In Mail offices, the duties laid down in this rule will be performed by one of the porters.

CONTENTS OF CHAPTER 7

MAIL OPERATIONS

RULE

1. Introduction
1. Manual Sorting
2. 154-A. Sorting in an Automatic Mail Processing Centre (AMPC)
2. Sorting Pattern
3. Closing of bags
4. Checking of Quality of Sorting 157-A. Sample Surveys of Mail
5. Second Class Mails
6. Sorting Equipment
7. Miscellaneous

CHAPTER 7

MAIL OPERATIONS

153. Introduction.-(1) Mail Operations or the system of mail transmission from collection to delivery, which is the core function of the Department, is an infinitely complex system. The network of mail arrangements has been carefully evolved over years taking into account several new factors as they have developed. This edifice of mail operations rests on the twin pillars of speed and economy. Both are equally important because speed without economy would raise the cost of transmission to prohibitive levels while economy without speed would lead to consumer dissatisfaction. A healthy blend between speed and economy is, therefore, the goal of all mail arrangements.

(2) Both and speed and economy are retarded by one factor and that is the number of time an article is handled during the course of transmission. The greater the rehandling the grater the cost because more people are involved and more the delay because each handling means time. Therefore, rehandling has to be curtailed/avoided as far as possible. But, rehandling is inevitable given the large number of delivery Post Offices in India. Therefore, operational efficiency would depend upon a sorting pattern that keeps the element of rehandling to the minimum.

The rate of handling within one office as per the accepted practice should not exceed 1.6 per article. This 1.6 handling is arrived by dividing the current expected speed of sorting which is 1000 articles per hour by 600 which is the presently acceptable end product of the sorting effort in an office. To achieve this, it is necessary that at least 40% of the articles should be disposed of directly from the preliminary table and the remaining number of articles re-handled at the detailed tables. This beak-up could also give us the re-handling rate within the system as a whole since the maximum an article can be rehandled is 3 times as explained below, the rehandling should not exceed 1.8 per article on an average. This is the maximum tough efforts should be made to reduce the rehandling to as much as possible. There can be a maximum three rehandlings since articles can be sorted into station, TD District, Circle selections which will respectively undergo 1, 2, 2 & 3 handlings. Thus, the maximum number of handlings in the case of Circle bundle will be three. It is, therefore, obvious that to keep the rehandling rate to 1.8, the quantum of articles going in Circle bundles has to be not more than 20% to 30% in TD or District bundles between 40% and 50% and between 20% to 40% in station bundles. High percentage of disposal in station bundles for outward mail would normally not be possible in the originating Mail Office. Hence the need of maximizing TD and District selections and of minimizing circle selections. This would be possible only by utilizing the optimum sorting equipment containing the optimum number of pigeon holes. The type of equipment utilized would vary from office to office depending on the traffic pattern but whatever be the equipment used, it would satisfy the norm of 1.8 handling per article. As far as inward mails are concerned, normally there should be no rehandling and the disposal rate should be one per article unless the number of delivery offices exceeds the number of pigeon holes.

(3)

District based sorting introduced after the abolition of sorting sections in the ighties, has made the task of the Sorting Assistant easier because the Sorting Assistant does not have to remember the Head Offices and exceptions. He has only to look at the address of the letter and put it in pigeon hold of the District on the sorting table. However, this has also meant giving greater work to the district concentration centres which now has the responsibility of doing detailed sorting for the entire district. To off-set this greater pressure of inward mail especially during peak hours, Post Office sorting has been introduced on a wide scale to take care of outward mail. The idea is that the Post Offices can do preliminary sorting which would eliminate the necessity of doing it in the mail office.

(4)

In the final analysis, mail operations depends upon the nature of mail and since the mail differs qualitatively and quantitatively from place to place, there cannot be a single set of rigid rules for mail handling. The accompanying set of rules are, therefore, to be viewed in this light; a definite framework for mail handling within which flexibility and local variations would be permissible.

154. Manual Sorting - (1) Norms for doing detailed sorting.Detailed sorting should normally be done on a full sorting case for a Circle if the quantum of mail for that circle exceeds 6000. In case the quantum of mail is between 3000 and 6000, then detailed sorting on half a detailed table should be done in 30-40 selections. If the quantum is between 500 and 3000, then the number of selections will be correspondingly less. However, the number of selections for a particular Circle on a full sorting case or a half sorting case will depend upon the analysis of mail. In case, the quantum is less than 500, no detailed sorting for that Circle should be done unless the mail is concentrated for a particular area/city and labeled bundles can be taken out for them.

(2)

Selections to be based on statistics.-All the selections provided on the sorting cases should be based on the actual traffic pattern of the last two years.

(3)

Types of selections.-Selections can be either Station, District TD or Circle. A station selection is by far the best sorting solution since no further handlings are involved. If there is a choice between a Station bundle and a District bundle, station bundles should be preferred but it the average number of letters included in a District bundle are more than twice than that of a Station bundle, a District bundle should be preferred. This is equally applicable to TD bundles also. For example, if there are 25 articles for Agra TD and 60 articles for Agra District, then it would be worthwhile having one selection for Agra District rather than Agra TD in case there has to be only one selection due to limitation of equipments.

(4)

Co-relation between preliminary and detailed tables.-The rationale of sorting is to minimize the handlings within the office and within the system as a whole. For this purpose, there should be a corelation between the preliminary and detailed tables of the mail office. The intention is to channelise mails to the detailed table in a scientific manner. Therefore, for each detailed table there should be one selection on the preliminary table. More than one selection for the same detailed table should be station selection or a TD/District selection.

(5)

Disposal from preliminary table.-Only station articles and TD and District articles should be disposed of from the preliminary table. All other mail should be sent to the detailed table for detailed sorting. An exception to this as indicated above would be in the case of those Circles for which articles are less than 500 and for which no detailed sorting is possible. In case there is a single stage sorting in the Mail Office, this rule will naturally not apply.

(6)

Sorting case diagram.-Sorting caser diagram should be readily available in the mail office. These diagrams can be different for first-class and second class mails, registration, money order, etc.

7) Separate arrangements for inward and outward mails.Separate arrangements should exist for sorting inward and outward mails. If in one District there is more than one Mail Office, then only one office should be identified as the inward mails office for mails emanating from other Circles. Within the same Mail Office, inward and outward mails should be handled separately. In case the same equipment is utilized for inward and outward sorting, then care should be taken not to mix up the two sets of mails. Opening of mails should be done on a separate table for at different times.

(8)

Opening of TTBs by mail offices.-TTBs prepared by Post Offices and Mail Offices will as a normal rule be opened in the Circle to which these are addressed and not by the intermediary Mail Offices.

(9)

Preparation of territorial registered bundles and money order bundles.-The Post Offices must prepare territorial RBs for each State when the number of RLs for the State is 10 or more. These territorial RBs received in the RMS offices need not be opened unless detailed sorting is being done in that office for the State/Circle. Likewise, territorial money order bundles should be prepared when the number of money orders is 10 or more and should be disposed of in the same manner as territorial RBs.

(10)

State Capitals Sorting.-Each of the State capitals should do detailed sorting for the other capitals, provided there is sufficient quantum of pin -coded mail and sorting time is available.

(11)

Role of Post Office sorting.

(i)

To send stamped, faced and bundle mail to the RMS.

(ii)

To reduce further handlings till the mail reaches its destination.

(iii) To ensure that whenever possible the mail received from Post Offices reaches the detailed tables of the Mail Office without the intervention of the preliminary stage. (iv) To relieve pressure on the Mail Office during peak periods.

(12)

All Post Offices irrespective of status will carry out sorting work.

(13)

Types of sorting case.-Sorting in Post Offices can be done in sorting cases with as many selection as will maximize the result of sorting effort.

(14)

Co-relation between sorting pattern of the Post Office and on the linked Mail Office.-The effort in the Post Office sorting has to be aimed at minimizing the rehandling of the mail in the linked Mail Office.

This can be achieved by designing the sorting pattern in the Post Office in a manner that the largest number of solutions of the preliminary table in the linked mail office are included in the sorting case diagram of the Post Office.

In a large Post Offices, the sorting case diagram to be adopted may be exactly that of the preliminary table of the linked mail office. However, in a small Post Office, while it may not be worthwhile to include all the selections of the preliminary table of the linked mail office, an effort should be made to include as many of them as possible.

In case a Post Office is linked to a large number of mail offices, as is often the case in metro cities, the Post Office sorting should cater to the important (i.e., heavy) selections of each of the mail offices.

(15)

Station and circle selections in Post Offices.-These may comprise of ‘own office’, home district selections and selection as per preliminary table of the linked mail office subject to provisions of para.14 above.

(16)

Inter circle bags form Post Office.-No inter-circle bag should be closed by the Post Office except where it is a station bag and except in those cases where the Post Office is doing detailed sorting like a mail office.

(17)

Separate equipment should be provided for the Post Office sorting.

(18)

Adjustment of LB clearances.-Letter box clearances of the Post Offices should be so adjusted that there is adequate time margin to sort all the LB clearances and dispatch the sorted mail to the RMS.

(19)

Night Post Offices.-In the case of Night Post Offices, they should close direct bags for various air-centres and Mail Offices in other circles in addition to closing bags for the offices in the home circle, provided these bags are statistically justified. However, an exception to this will be those cases where there is an immediate air or surface connection. In such cases, the Night Post Offices will close bags irrespective of volume because otherwise such mails would suffer detention if consigned to the local sorting Mail Office.

154-A. Sorting in an Automatic Mail Process Centre (AMPC).

The regulations prescribed in respect of manual sorting, pertaining to the norms and the preliminary and detailed sorting arrangements do not hold good in the case of an Automatic Mail Processing Centre.

The concept of the number of selections for preliminary and detailed sorting is not valid of an AMPC because of the capability of a machine to sort for a very large number of destinations in one step. Moreover, the speed of the machine also enables us to undertake the detailed sorting of mail and ensure its directs disposal which may not be statistically justified in a manual operation, or may not be feasible because of its complexity, for human capabilities to master.

155. Sorting pattern.- (1) List of concentration centres.-The list of concentration centres of all the circles should be readily available in the mail office and the Sorting Assistants should be conversant with it.

(2)

Utilization of flights/trains.-Orders regarding the utilization of particular air flights for major and minor airports and for dispatch by particular trains should be scrupulously followed. In case of any misconnections, it should be reported immediately to the Divisional Superintendent and a monthly reports sent to the Director, Postal Services. The load factor per flight and the number of bags to be transmitted in each train should also be readily available.

(3)

The procedure for disposal of mails for the home circle as well as mails for all the other Circles should be available in the Mail Office.

(4)

In case there are two or more outlets for a particular destination, the utilization of a particular outlet as against another should be assessed in terms of sorting time available and the delivery advantage at the terminal station. The sorting time available should be determined with reference to cut-off time, so that, sufficient quantum of mail could be sorted.

156. Closing of Bags 0 1) Statistical Justification.-Bags should be closed strictly as per their statistical justification which is as follows:

(a)

Surface L bags: More than 50 articles.

(c)

Air Mail PC: Between 50 to 150 articles.

(b)Surface D bags: More than 50 articles, 6 registered letters.

(d)Air mail bags: More than 150 articles.

(e)Air mail registered bag: As provided for in note 3 to Rule 26-A of Postal Manual, Volume-V.

(2)

Exceptions.-Exceptions to the above rule will be in the following cases:

(a)

A Mail Office closing bags for all the delivery offices in a District or for those offices for which it is the focal inward point.

(b)Closing of bags from each mail office to each inward Mail Office in the same Circle and from the State Capital to each District headquarters and vice versa within the same Circle.

(c)

Closing of bags from each Mail Office for the principal concentration centres of the destination Circle in case no other bags are justified.

(3)

Bags to be closed only when there is a dispatch.-A bag should be closed only when there is a dispatch or there is sufficient traffic. If there is no dispatch from a set, the contents may be combined with the contents of the set from where there is a dispatch. While introducing the bag, it should be ensured that the direct bag is introduced only from the set from which there is a transmission outlet for the bag along the entire route of the bag. Other sets should transfer the mail in LBs and RBs to the set which closed the bag. These LBs and RBs should be transferred in a bag which should be personally closed by the Supervisor/Head Sorting Assistant of the set concerned, who will be responsible for ensuring that the mail is fully sorted and consigned only in LBs and RBs.

(4)

Utilization of account bags.-Insured, registered and ordinary articles of the letter mail from the Head Office to the sub-office and vice versa should be sent in the closed account bag. The insured and registered articles should be invoiced in the SO slip/SO daily account as is done in respect of unpaid/insufficiently paid articles. In case the quantum of mail exchanged is large, then bags can be introduced between Head Offices and sub-offices and vice versa. The exception to the above procedure of sending mail in the account bag will be in cases where the transmission through the RMS is faster than from the Head Office to Sub-Office.

(5)

Bags for EDBOs/EDSOs.-A Sorting Office should not close any bags for any EDBOs/EDSOs. EDBOs will be served by their account office, EDSOs through the sorting sub-offices.

157. Checking the quality of sorting.- (1) Minimum frequently of visits.-The minimum frequency if visit to Mail Offices for the Field Officers of RMS will be as follows:

(a)

SSRMs/SRMs/ASRMs of Divisional Office of City Divisions.-Three visits a week to mail offices; each night set once a fortnight, one Post Office a week.

(b)

SSRMs/SRMs/ASRMs of Divisional Office of non-citydivision.-Once a week visit to a mail office at headquarter, 3 mail offices in a month outside the headquarter. All the sets are to be visited including the SRO as well as one Post Office in that place.

(c)

SRMs (Sorting) attached to mail offices.-Should visit one set of the Mail Office daily. Of these, two visits will be to the night set every week.

(d)

Sub-Divisional IRMs.-Once a week visit to each Mail Office at headquarters; once a month visit to all Mail Offices including all the sets and the SRO and at least one Post Office.

(e)

Superintendents/ASRMs/IRMs attached to Mail Offices.

Should spend major portion of time with the major set.

(f)

Superintendents of Post Offices, Assistant Superintendent of Post Offices/Inspectors of Post Offices should also make it a point to visit regularly the Mail Offices to which Post Offices are consigning makes (i) to check the quality of Post Office sorting and (ii) to examine and design a suitable system of Post Office sorting in their jurisdiction..

(2)

Checking of bags –

(a)

The Head Sorting Assistant and Supervisor of the sets should check a minimum of three sorting bags and five stations bags received and dispatched daily, so that, all the bags received and

closed are covered within a cycle of 28 days. Apart from this, a minimum of two bags closed for the local Head Office or delivery TSO should be checked by the Head Sorting Assistant and Supervisor.

(b)The ASRMs and IRMs as well as the Superintendent Sorting attached to Mail Offices should examine not less than 5 sorting bags opened and closed and 5 station bags.

(c) A register for the purpose of checking of bags should also be maintained in each Mail Office which should show the particulars of the bag received/dispatched together with the messendings and the remedial action.

(3) Deposits register.-A register should be maintained in each Mail Office which will show the details of articles received, transferred from the previous set, received in the set, disposed of in the set and transferred to succeeding set. This register should be personally seen by ASRM on duty and in case the set to set transfer exceeds 24 hours, it should be brought to the notice of the Divisional Superintendent. In case it exceeds 48 hours it should be brought to the notice of the Heads of the Circle and P.M.G. (Mail Management) and in case it exceeds 72 hours it should be brought to the notice of the Director-General (Posts).

157-A. Sample Surveys of Mail.-In order to test the efficiency of the mails system and to devise remedial steps to be taken in this regard, samples surveys are to be undertaken as follows:

1. Metro Mail survey

(i)

It will be carried out in respect of Metro Channel in the cities of Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Bangalore.

(ii)

The survey will be done by Project Co -ordinators concerned in the respective Metros; with the assistance of SSRMs/SRMs/SSPOs/SPs/ASRMs/ASPs/IRMs/IPOs as required.

(iii) One Gpo, TWO Sub-Post Offices and one Head Post Office should be selected for the survey.

(iv)

The survey may be conducted separately in the GPO, the Head Post Office and the Sub-Post Offices. The Sub-Post Offices selected should have a reasonable quantity of mail.

(v)

25% of the total mail received in the Post Offices is to be studied.

(vi)

The list of the Post Offices where the survey has been conducted must be annexed to the report in proforma Forms C &

D.

(vii) The survey is to be undertaken in the month of September.

2. All India Mail Survey

(i)

The survey has to cover Home District, Home Circle, Neighbouring Circle and Distant Circle mails.

(ii)

The survey will be conducted in one selected P.O. in each Division. The Post Office can be a Head Post Office or a Sub-Post Office.

(iii) The Heads of Circles will chalk out the Survey Programme in such a way that at least 25% of the Post Offices selected are in rural areas.

(iv)

The Post Office selected should received a reasonable quantum of mail.

(v)

The survey is to be conducted personally the the SSPOs/SPOs/Dy.SPOs with the assistance of the ASPOs/IPOs.

(vi)

At least 25% of the articles received in the Post Office should be taken for the study.

(vii) The list of the Post Offices studied should be annexed to the report in pro forma Form D.

(viii) The survey is to be undertaken in the month of September.

(ix) In report is to be prepared as per pro forma Form B.

3. Live Mail Survey (monthly)

(i)

The survey is to be conducted in one delivery Post office in each Postal Division.

(ii)

The Post Office to be selected should have a reasonable quantity of mail for study.

(iii)The survey is to be conducted personally by the SSRMs/SRMs/Dy.SRMs with the assistance of the ASRMs/IRMs.

(iv)

25% of the Post Offices selected for the survey should be in rural areas.

(v)

At least 25% of the total mails received in the Post Offic e selected is to be studied.

(vi)

The list of Post Offices where the surveys has been conducted must be annexed to the report indicating whether the Post Offices is in an urban or rural area.

ALL INDIA MAIL SURVEY FORM A: To be filled up by the officer conducting the survey at Post

Office level. Name of the Post Office: District: Nature of Mail:

(a)

First Class ordinary letters

(b)Accountable articles, viz., Regd & Insured articles, Parcels & VPs

(c)

Money Order/HVMOs (d)Second Class Mails

D+1 D+2 D+3 D+4 D+5 & above Total

Name and Designation and Signature of the officer who conducted the survey ALL INDIA SURVEY

FORM B: Circle-wise Consolidation Name of the Circle :

Date of Survey	:
Nature of Mail	:
	(a) First Class ordinary letters
	(b)Accountable articles, viz., Regd. & Insured Articles, Parcels & VPs
	(c) Money Order/HVMOs
	(d)Second Class Mails

Mail		No. of articles emanated from
Transit Time	Home District	Home State		Neighbouring State	Distant State Total
D+1 D+2 D+3 D+4 D+5 & above
Total

PART-B

1. Percentage of Home District Mails delivered in Rural areas in standard transit norms.
2. Percentage of Home State Mails delivered in Rural areas in standard transit norms.
3. Percentage of Neighbouring State mails delivered in Rural areas in standard transit norms.
4. Percentage of Distant State mails delivered in Rural areas in standard transit norms.

5. Percentage of All Mails deliv ered in Rural areas in standard transit norms. Name and Signature of the Head of the Circle FORM C Mails emanating from Metro Cities :

Name of the PO : Date of Survey :

Name of the Metro City of Origin	Total Mails received in Metro Channel Bag for Delivery	D+1	D+2 D+3	D+4	D+5 & above
Bangalore Chennai Kolkata Delhi Hyderabad Mumbai
TOTAL
AVERAGE

FORM D

Metro Mail Survey consolidation of Data of all Offices Under Survey and Analysis

Name of		% of mails delivered in
the Metro City of Origin	D+1	D+2