MISCELLANEOUS RULES

RULE

Departments of a set of a Sorting Mail Office
Posting of prepaid unregistered articles in trains and Mail Offices
Mention of sections in official correspondence
Interception or redirection of articles
Information not to be made public
Date on stamps and seals
Interruptions to mail movement
Extra reserved accommodation in trains
Misconnection of Mail Buses, Trains and Air Services
Circulars of Head of Circles
Receipts to be taken in hand-to-hand exchange
Knowledge of sorting list and “List of Indian Post Offices”
Supply of sorting list to Sorting Assistants
Metal Tokens
Relaxation of work on Sundays and P.O holidays
Memorandum of Distribution of Work
Disposal of Records
Postage stamps for sale
Custody of Government money

CHAPTER I

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.
(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.

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.
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.
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.

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.

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.
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.

(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.

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.
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).
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

CHAPTER 2 GENERAL RULES FOR TRANSIT SECTION AND MAIL OFFICES

NB : The rules in this chapter, except where they are obviously inapplicable, or where there is something repugnant in the subject or context, apply alike to transit sections and mail offices (sorting and transit): and wherever the Head Sorting Assistant is mentioned, the official in charge of a set is meant, whether a Head Sorting Assistant, Mail Agent or Mail Guard.

The duties connected with receipt and dispatch of mails and closing of transit bags will be performed by the Mail Sorting Assistant in the case of sets in charge of a selection grade Head Sorting Assistant.

20.Stamps and seals – (1) Every set is supplied with the following stamp and seals :

a) a date stamp b) a name stamp c) a date -seal d) ‘Detained Late Fee Not Paid’stamp

(2): Each set of a Sorting Mail Office is further supplied with an insurance seal, enclosed in a box provided with a lock and key. The insurance seal must always remain in the possession of the Head Sorting Assistant who will be held responsible for its safe custody.
(3): With each date-stamp and seal is supplied a type-box, on the lid of which is painted the designation of the section or office and the number of the set to which the box belongs. Type-boxes, containing the type not in use and the name stamps are kept in the Record office (except those offices/sections the staff of which are exempt from RO attendance.)

NOTE: In addition, special date seals are supplied to the registration and parcel departments, when there are separate registration and Parcel Sorting Assistants, and to the mail departments of a Sorting Mail Office where the duties connected with the exchange of mails are performed by an official other than the Head Sorting Assistant. Also ‘Detained Late Fee Note Paid’ stamp is supplied to mail offices/sections which deal with letter box clearance.

21 Books – (1) The following books are supplied to each set :

(a): Sorting list (to be supplied to Sorting Mail Offices)
(b): Guidance book (not supplied to transit mail offices/sections)
(c): Book of service message form (see note 2 below)
(d): Order Book – (But see Note 2 to Rule 157, Postal Manual, Volumes –V and VII );
(e): A copy of the Telegraphic Message Code’
(f): Post Office Guide Volumes –I and II (not supplied to Sections);
(g): Post Office Guide Volume –III (list of Post Offices)
(h): Classified List of Post Offices and RMS offices and sections;
(i): Due Mail List (contains the sorting list also):
(j): Pin Code Directory (not supplied to Transit mail offices/sections);
(k): MMS schedules/Air schedules (not to be supplied to transit sections).
(2): Each Order Book has 200, and each Guidance Book 100 serially numbered pages. The willful removal of a page will be regarded as a serious offence and render the offender liable to dismissal.

NOTE: 1-In addition, volumes –II, III, IV, V and VII of the Postal Manuals, Book of Standard Printed forms, compilation of Fundamental and Supplementary Rules, and General Provident Fund Rules are supplied to Record Offices and Sub Record Offices and may be referred to by the Sorting Assistant of mail offices and Sections (if any) attached to them. Branch Office Rules and financial Handbook, Volumes –I and II are supplied to the Head Record Offices.

NOTE 2 -In a Mail Office, or in a Sub Record Office, one book of service messages will ordinarily be used, the messages being sent as ‘from state’ mails or ‘from SRO’, as the case may be.

22. Portfolio and its contents – (1) Each set of a section is supplied with a portfolio, provided with a lock and key, and bearing the designation of the section and the number of the set to which it belongs painted on it.

(2) In the portfolio should be carried:

Acme covers Wax heater;

Bundles of work papers; Due Mail Lists;

Stamps & seals ; Memo of distribution of work

Writing materials; Error book;

Box of ‘safety’ matches Carbolic Soap Cake/Cakes;

First Aid Box; Order Book; Duster; Book of service message

forms; Ink pad with tin case Telegraph Message Code; Parrot-billed scissors; Type tweezer; Pen knife Brass files for papers; Poker Rubber stamping pad;

Type Boxes } Carried only by those sections exempt from RO Attendance Type Stamps}

(3): The portfolio will always remain the personal custody of the Head sorting Assistant/Mail Guard who will be responsible for its safety, and to enable him to do so, the means for locking up or securing portfolio will be provided both at headquarters and outstation.
(5): Both at Headquarters and outstations, the portfolio, the sack bag containing empty bags (for the use of the section with mails or those to be returned to Record Office) and the sealed bag referred to in Para. (4) above should be dispatched to and received from the mail, record or Post Offices by the set of the section concerned with a remark on the mail list. These entries should not, however, be included in the total struck at the foot of the mail list.

23 Stationery :-(1) The stationery rate list issued by the Superintendent shows the quantity or number of the articles of stationery to be supplied to each set of every section and mail office in the Division.

(2): The Head sorting Assistant of a mail office, should at the commencement of each day’s work, give out a stock sufficient only for the day’s requirements, and the remainder of the articles should be kept under lock and key.
(3): The Head sorting Assistant of each set of the various sections attached to a Record Office will be supplied by the Record

Officer, on the Ist of every month, with a month’s supply of stationery, for which he will give a receipt in the stationery register. He should keep this stock in a spare bag which, after he has given out the articles required for the set for one trip, should be closed and sealed with the date seal of the set and deposited for custody, under lock and key, by the Record Officers in the box provided for it at the Record Office. At the end of the month, the unconsumed articles (if any) should be detailed and deposited.

24 Hand-bags – A hand bag is supplied to each Sorting Assistant, each Mail Guard and each Van Attendant of a section in which to keep his personal luggage. This hand bag and roll of bedding not exceeding 1 meter by 1.2 meter in girth are the only articles of a personal property that they may be taken into the mail van. Any Inspecting Officer has authority to require a Sorting Assistant, Mail Guard or Van Attendant to open his hand bag or bedding to see whether it contains any article which is not supposed to be with the official.

25 Relations of staff with Record Officer – (1) Staff attached to a particular Record Office are directly subordinate to the Record Officer, and must unhesitatingly carry out the latter’s orders in all official matters.

(2): The Head Sorting Assistant will ordinarily receive through the Record Officer all instructions affecting changes in the sorting list or in departmental procedure, as well as instructions issued by the Superintendent on other matters.
(3): It is the duty of the Head Sorting Assistant to personally receive from the Record Officer the work papers of the set, whenever prescribed and this duty must on no account be delegated to any other Sorting Assistant.

Note: the Head of Mail Office, if in some cases is also be sub record officer, the instructions alluded to in Paragraph (2) will be received by him direct from the Superintendent.

26. Attendance at Record office – (1) All officials must, unless exempted from Record Office attendance, attend punctually at the record or sub record office to which they are attached during attendance hours, and sign the attendance book. Any such official failing to attend will be treated as absent without leave, unless he produces a medical certificate or obtains leave due before hand. If any official applies for and is granted casual leave for the day, he is required to attend at the record or sub record office, casual leave for only half a day may be debited to his casual leave account. In case, however, leave other than casual leave is granted, one day’s leave will be debited.

(2) Sorting Assistants/Mail Guards should bring with them their metal tokens and rough notebooks. The Mail Agent/Mail Guard of a set of a Section should also see that the portfolio of the Set has been brought to the Record Office. None of the sorting Assistant /Mail Guards should leave the Record Office until they have replied to any correspondence requiring disposal, and Head Sorting Assistants completed the performance of the duties described in the following rules in connection both with their previous and their next working hours, or trips, as the case may be.

NOTE: 1 - The Head of Circle may relax the provision of this Rule for the Sorting Assistant working in any section under special circumstances. As a general rule, the staff of mail offices are exempted from Record Office attendance.

NOTE : 2 -The general duties prescribed in the rule for performance by the Sorting Assistants during their attendance hours at the Record Office should, in the case of Sorting Assistants exempted from Record Office attendance, be performed during working hours of the set.

27. checking and submission of work papers – (1) The Head Sorting Assistant should, with the assistance of the other Sorting Assistants check the work papers of the set in detail comparing receipt lists with dispatch lists and corresponding entries in the registered/PL/Mail/ MO abstract and writ up from his own and other Sorting Assistant’s rough notebooks the daily report and extract reports relating to the trips. This duty should be performed before the work papers are sent enclosed in a bag with entry in the mail list to the Record Office.

(2) Each Sorting Assistant should have the work papers, for which he is responsible or which relate to him, examined in his

presence by the Record Officer, and should assist the latter in the work of examination.

NOTE: The checking of the work papers and the preparation of the daily report and extract reports may be performed by the Head Sorting Assistant either during rest time before attending the Record Office or at the Record Office.

(3) The Head Sorting Assistant/Mail Guard of set of a section or a Mail Office, which is exempted from Record Office attendance, should send the work papers of the set to the Record Office in a closed bag, duty invoiced in the mail list.

NOTE: The checking of work papers and preparation of daily report and extract reports should be performed by the Head sorting Assistant/other Sorting Assistants at the end of duty hours, and before enclosing them in the bag of work papers for dispatch to Record Office.

28. Preparation of daily report (M.S.83). – (1) The Head Sorting Assistant is required to submit to the Superintendent (or the Superintendent (Sorting) as the case may be)through the Record Officer, a daily report in which the irregularities observed by him, or reported to him by the other Sorting Assistants of the set must be brought to notice. The daily report should be written by the Head Sorting Assistant from the rough notebooks of the set. A list of the important irregularities etc. is given in the next rule. In making each entry, the Head Sorting Assistant should write, in the appropriate column, first the name of the office/section of the official at fault or otherwise concerned, and following this a brief statement of the occurrence, worded as concisely as possible, but furnishing all necessary particulars. In every case in which a telegraph/fax is dispatched by the set, the message should be copied into the daily report where the time of dispatch, class and name of the station from which it was sent, should also be mentioned. These particulars should be taken from the copy of the message left in the book of service messages. Telegrams/faxes received by the set should be attached in original to the daily report, the action (if any) taken on them being stated in the report. If the Head Sorting Assistant 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.

(2)The entries in the daily report should be numbered in one consecutive series for each report, and each entry neatly copied in a form of extract report, which should bear the same number as the entry to which it relates.

(3)In Mail Offices where LSG Supervisors have been sanctioned in addition to LSG/HSG Head Sorting Assistants, each LSG Supervisor will submit a daily note in a prescribed form to the Head Sorting Assistant who will forward it to the Divisional Office through the Record Officer along with hid daily report. On receipt of these daily notes in the Divisional Office, they will be carefully scrutinized and after taken necessary action filed along with the daily report of the Head Sorting Assistant.

(4) Supervisor, Speed Post Centre will also use the same format MS (83) for submitting his daily report to the Manager, Speed Post.

29. Important irregularities, etc., to be noted in the rough notebook and mentioned in daily report – (1) The following are the more important irregularities and occurrences which must be mentioned in the daily report :

a) all irregularities reported by telegraph/fax.

b) absence of carrier appointed to receive or deliver mails, the mails detained in consequence being mentioned.

c) receipt or dispatch of special bags;

d) non receipt of a due mail bag or bags (vide exception below Item (a) of Rule 144, Postal Manual, Volume V )

e) opening of a bag not intended for the section or office by mistake, or owing to its being mislabeled or damaged, or having a suspicious appearance.

f) rceipt of a bag in damaged condition, or insecurely fastened, or with the fastening or seal defective, or showing signs of tampering;

g) loss, over carriage, mis-sending or mis-delivery of a bag, registered, bundle, press packet, registered article, or parcel mail article;

h) misconnection of trains or mail buses or air service serving Head Post Office, selection grade or Class I Sub Post Office, the mails delayed or not received in consequence being mentioned;

i) receipt or dispatch of a due bag not of the prescribed description; j) insubordination or neglect of rules on the part of staff;

k) occasions on which duties other than those laid down in the memorandum of distribution of work are assigned to the sorting Assistant; l) illness of an official while on duty necessitating his leaving off work or quitting the van, or failure of an official to proceed on duty; m) misuse of bags; n) disposal of damaged articles or of an article containing anything injurious or offensive; o) receipt of (i) an unregistered article containing anything rendering registration compulsory or (ii) parcel mail article in damaged condition, or showing signs of tampering, or among articles of the letter mail posted in a letter box or received in sorting;

p) receipt of parcel mail article without a No. slip,or not bearing the impression of the date stamp of the office of posting; q) non preparation of a station or registered bundle by a Post Office, Mail Office, or section or of an insured bundle by a Post Office, when the number of article for a Post Office exceeds the prescribed minimum; r) all irregularities in respect of registered articles, insured parcels or insured bags; s) late receipt or dispatch of mail from or to the local Post Office, the cause being stated (applies only to mail offices); t) insufficient light in the van, the cause being stated (applies only to sections).

u) non supply of a mail van, or its removal during a trip by the Railway authorities or an accident occurring to the train and resulting in the detention of the mails, particulars of the mails delayed being given (applies only to sections) and

(2)In every case where bag or article is received with signs of damage or where any bag, article, or due document is missing the Head Sorting Assistant should be guided generally by the instructions contained in Chapter 3 on investigations in the Postal Manual, Volume v and he should, where prescribed, attach the seal, twine, bag or list (as the case may be) to his daily report.

Delivery of empty bags to Record Office – The empty bags remaining over from the previous trips or spells of duty are required to be sent to UBO/DBO concerned.
Preparation of work papers – (1) The work papers for the next rip or working hours of the set will be supplied by the Record Officer to the Mail Agent or Head Mail guard / Mail Guard who should make the prescribed entries in them with the assistance of any other Sorting Assistant of the set, as the case may be. A list of the work papers to be used by a set during a trip, is given in appendix-C of this volume.

(2) When the work papers have been filled up and stamped in accordance with the instructions given in the list they should be submitted to the Record Officer, who will stamp the daily report of the set.

Receipt of empty bags from Record Office .– The Head Sorting Assistant will receive from the Record Officer the empty bags and labels required for the use of the set during its next trip or working hours. He should examine and turn the bags inside out, and then enter them on the receipt side of the mail abstract against the head “Received from Record Office”. He should see that suitable
lengths of string are attached to the labels, and that care is taken to avoid waste in cutting up the string intended to fasten the bags.

Attendance of set on Railway Platform – At all changing stations, the relieving set should be present on the Platform before the arrival of the train by which it has to proceed. At all other stations where trains are made up, the set about to proceed on a trip should be present at the hour fixed by the Superintendent which will be at least half an hour before the departure of the train. Approval of the Head of the Circle must be obtained if early attendance beyond half an hour is required, as a regular measure.
Change of sets at changing station – (1) When the mails to be delivered at the changing station by the relieved set have been handed out, the Mail Agent/Mail Guard of the relieving set should enter the van and take over the mail bag to be transferred to his charge by the relieved set. After this is done, the officials of the relieved set have to quit the van and the other officials of the relieving set should enter.

(2) When the bags received by a section are many, either at the originating station or any intermediate station, and when it is not found possible to physically examine each bag and point out the irregularity, in view of paucity of time, the Superintendent may with the prior approval of the Regional or circle Office, authorize the Mail Agent of the section to take over bags in the available time, examine each bag while the train is in motion and report the irregularities by telegrams at the next station. However, keeping in view the number of bags, the Superintendent may so decide the station, where the irregularities are to be telegraphed.

35 -Staff not in leave the van or mail office-Except under special circumstance and with the permission of the Head sorting Assistant or the Superintendent or Inspector, no official may leave the mail van at any intermediate station during the trip, nor may any official of mail office leave the office at any period during the working hours except that the Head Sorting Assistant is allowed to leave the office only for the purpose of exchanging mails.

36 -Window of van to be closed when at platform -When the train is drawn up at Railway station platform, the window of the van on the side of the platform should be closed after the mail have been exchanged, and kept closed till the train starts. Staff on duty are prohibited from talking to travelers or acquaintances at Railway stations.

37 -Prohibition against smoking, cooking and the use of naked lights or entry of unauthorized persons in mail vans – (1) Smoking, cooking and the use of naked lights or entry of unauthorized persons in mail van is strictly prohibited and renders the offender liable to removal.

(2): No stove or private lamp should be carried in a mail van except with the specific written authority of the Divisional Superintendent. In such case, the stove or the lamp must on no account contain any combustible substance or be unpacked. The Mail Agent / Mail Guard will be responsible that the order is strictly observed.
(3): Supervising Officers, when on tour should make a point of observing carefully whether smoking, cooking or the use of naked lights in mail vans is indulged in by any of the staff; and whether any cooking apparatus is being carried unpacked. They should, as far as possible, pay surprise visits to mail vans for the purpose. A note should be made in the diary in every case in which such a check is carried out. Prompt action must always be taken against any official who has been found to infringe any of the prohibitions in question and in these cases Mail Agent / Guard should be dealt with for allowing such irregularities to occur.

38. Sudden or serious illness of an official on duty – (1) – When an official on duty in a mail van is attacked with any serious illness, the Mail Agent / Mail Guard should communicate the fact, with as little delay as possible, to the Guard of the train, and also report it to the Superintendent. The Railway Staff are provided with full and explicit instructions for their conduct in such cases, and will, in addition to providing such medical assistance and care as the sufferer is in need of, take such measures as they may deem necessary for the disinfection of the van and its contents. Should the illness be cholera or other infectious disease, it is imperative to remove the sufferer from the van and to fumigate the mails; it may even be necessary to vacate the van and to occupy such other accommodation as the Railway authorities may provide.

(2): When an official on duty in a mail office is attacked with any serious illness, the Head sorting Assistant should communicate the fact by telegraph/fax to the Superintendent. If the Head Sorting Assistant is himself taken ill, the Senior Sorting Assistant should assume charge of the set and act as directed above.
(3): In the case of single-handed offices or sections, the information about the illness should invariably be given to the Superintendent by telegraph / fax. In other cases, the Head Sorting Assistant or the Senior Sorting Assistant in charge as the case may be, should use his discretion and report the incident either by letter or by wire / fax according to the circumstances of each case.

39. Mail abstract (M.42 for Transit Sections and M-43 for Mail Offices) -(1) The mail abstract is divided into two parts, viz., “Mails” and “Bags”.

(2): The former (or part headed “Mails” ) shows, on the left hand side under the head “Receipts”, the number of due mails due to be received and the number actually received, and the number of unusual mails received, the bags opened by the section or office and forward bags being shown separately; and on the right-hand side under the head “Dispatches”, the number of due mails due to be dispatched and the number actually dispatched, the bags closed by the section or office and forward bags being shown separately. The totals of forward bags on both side should agree.
(3): The latter (or part headed :Bags”) shows, on the left-hand side under the head “Receipts”, the number of empty bags of each description due to be received from the UBO/DBO as the case may be, and on the right-hand side under the head “Dispatches” the number of bags of each description due to be dispatched with the due mails closed by the section or office and number actually dispatched, the number dispatched and the number returned to the record or sub-record office. The totals on both side should agree. Particulars of the bags received and dispatched (including insured bags and bags used a s coverings for paid station and registered bundles) are given on the reverse of the form.
(5): The information as to the number of due bags to be received/opened by the set and the number of empty canvas/drill bags to be received with due bags opened is to be provided by the Record Officer, before issue of mail abstract to the set.

NOTE: 1 The bags used for extra mail and transit bags, paid station bundle and registered bundles, if any, addressed to or made up by a transit section or sorting mail office should be accounted for in the mail abstract in the same way as bags received and dispatched with unusual mails, except that a reference should be placed against the entry of the number in the body of the abstract under head “ Details of unusual bags” and the remark “including (number) extra bags” preceded by a similar sign should be written in the blank space at the foot of the form. The bags used for extra transit bags addressed to or made up by a transit section or mail office should be accounted for in the mail abstract in the same way, except that the word “extra” should be substituted for the work “unusual’ in the printed entry on the face of the form and in the heading on the reverse.

NOTE: 2 In the case of sections, the entries for the out and in trips are shown separately in the mail abstract.

40. Exchange of Mail – (1) the Due mail list of a section shows the stations and that of mail office the hours at which mails are received and dispatched and also the details of the mails and in what cases they will be enclosed in transit bags.

(2) The Mail Agent/Mail Guard of a section or any other official specified for the purpose should, on the arrival of the train at station where mails are to be exchanged, take delivery of the mails for the set before giving out those for dispatch, and the Mail Agent/Mail Guard of a mail office should first make over the bags for dispatch and then take delivery of those of the office.

EXCEPTION - At important stations where a large number of bags is exchanged, the Head of Circle may authorize the Mail Agent/Mail Guard

of a section to deliver his mails before receiving those for onward transmission, in order to make room in the mail van.

(3) The carrier (Head Sorting Assistant, Mail Agent, Mail Peon, or other official appointed for the purpose) who exchanges mails with a section is not permitted to enter the van and whenever possible, the bags should be passed through the door / window of the van. Mails exchanged between a mail office and the local Post Office should be received and delivered at the door of the mail office, the carrier not being permitted to enter.

NOTE: 1 – The Postmaster-General may where considered necessary, permit officials of mail office to enter the mail van of a section to help in loading or unloading mails.

NOTE: 2 -The Head Sorting Assistant, Mail Agent or any other official of a mail office may enter the mail van of a section for opening or clo sing cage TBs prescribed in the due mail list.

NOTE : 3 -The exchange of mail should be done at both the doorways of main entrance and mail carriage portions of the sections whenever it is necessary and prescribed.

(4)In all cases of exchange of mails, where no mail list is used, the receipt should be taken for a bag in receipt book by the Post Office, mail office or section. In other cases, receipt should be taken by the mail carrier in the Mail Peon’s Book (Form MS-28).

NOTE : 1 Every section must carry spare loose forms of mail list to prepare the triplicate copy of Mail list, prescribed in this rule, when necessary.

NOTE : 2 In large mail offices and sections where it would be impracticable for the Head Sorting Assistant or other official to whom the duty is delegated by the Head of Circle to be performed on behalf of the Head Sorting Assistant to personally attend to the duties connected with the exchange of mails, part or whole of the work may under the orders of Head of Circle be performed by an official or officials specially appointed for the purpose or the Second Sorting Assistant, as the case may be, the duties so distributed being shown in the memo of distribution of work issued by the Superintendent. In such offices and sections, the official concerned and the Head Sorting Assistant must enter in the mail lists exchanged from time to time every bag or article transferred from one official to another, the signature of the receiving officer being taken in the mail lists concerned.

41. Cage T.B – If the Case TB of a mail van is addressed to the mail office of a terminal station by a mail office of originating station, the Head Sorting Assistant should enter the van and after examining the seal and fastening to ascertain whether they have been tampered with or not, should open the Cage TB and examine the seals, cords, labels and condition of the bags and check them with the mail list contained in it. The bag should then be taken delivery of. The key of the Cage

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 opene

CHAPTER NO.	SUBJECT
1. 2. 3. 4. 5.	Miscellaneous Rules General Rules for Transit Sections and Mail Offices Sorting Mail Offices Transit Sections and Transit Mail Offices Record Offices
6. 7. 8.	Mailmen and Van Attendants Mail Operations Bag Accounting
APPENDIX-A	Rules relating to Camp Articlels
APPENDIX-B Railway	Rules governing the relations between administration and the Post Office in regard to train timings
APPENDIX-C Mail	List of work-papers issued to sections and Offices