Form of Register of Loss and Fraud cases as referred to above

1 – Serial Number

2 – Case mark of the Divisional Office (or Head Office).

3 – Case mark of the Circle Office.

4 – Nature of loss or fraud and modus operandi.

5 – Date on and office/section at which the fraud came to light.

6 – Month and year of occurrence of the loss or fraud (where the exact time

cannot be fixed, the approximate time may be mentioned).

7 – Amount of loss :

(a)

involved

(b)

proved and admitted.

8 – Amount written off. 9 – Amount ordered to be recovered :

(a) from officials

(b)

from other sources. 10 – Amount actually recovered :

(a) Source of recovery.

(b)

Amount. 11 – Amount remaining unadjusted. 12 – Persons involved with names and designations and a summary by number of

categories of officials (here indicate the cadre and the number involved, e.g., Asstts. 2. EDSPM 1, outsiders 2, mail contractor 1, stamp vendor 1, etc.). 12-A- Names of the office/s involved with status and strength (e.g. H.S.G., x Asstts. 2. EDSPM 1, outsiders 2, mail contractor 1, stamp vendor 1, etc.).

13 – Nature of disciplinary action taken against each official implicated or action taken against the outsiders, if any, (in the cases of dismissal, following conviction by court, this should be specified) or action ordered by Court. Names of officials should be followed by the letter ‘P’ for primary offenders (culprits) and ‘S’ for subsidiary offenders.

14 – Remarks (showing date of report to audit office).

16. Disposal of records -The records in a Circle office, of the classes shown in the following list, should be preserved for the period shown against each. All other records should be preserved for such periods as may be fixed by the Head of the Circle in accordance with the circumstances of each individual case :

List of records

Class of record Period of preservation

(1)

Appeals . . . . . .

(2)

Applications for Postal Life Insurance, Endowment Assurance and Monthly Allowances.

(3)

Annual Reports of –

(a)

The Director – General

(b)

The Head of the Circle

(c)

Superintendent

(d)

Foreign Administration

Three years after the month in which the cases are closed.

Three years after the month in which the policy is paid or becomes void except where payment is made on an indemnity bond in which case the papers together with the bond should be preserved for six years after the month in which payment is made. In the case of a proposal which has been rejected, on medical or other grounds, all the papers relating to the proposal should be preserved to the year the proposer attains 50 years of age.

The reports themselves should be kept permanently, but the other papers in the file should be destroyed three years after the year to which they relate.

One year after the year in which they are received. Three years after the year in which they are received.

(4) Budget allotments Three years after the year to which they relate.

(5)	Buildings and runners’ huts	Three years after the month in which the buildings or huts have ceased to be occupied by the Department.
(6)	Business hours and distribution of work in post offices.	One year after they have become obsolete.
(7)	Confidential records and Character sheets.	One year after the month in which the officials concerned died, resigned or were dismissed. Confidential records and character sheets of
		officials who have retired should be preserved along with the pension cases and destroyed 5 years after their retirement. In the case of officials who have absconded the records should
		not be destroyed without the special permission of the head of the Circle. Confidential re
		records and character sheets of officials who
		retire on invalid pension should be preserved along with their pension cases for 25 years or for 3 years after their death whichever is earlier.
(8)	(a) Creation, revision or abolition of establishments of any class and changes in the status of post offices in foreign territories.	Permanent.
	(b) Other establishment cases.	Twenty years.
(9) (10)	Contracts and leases (Treasure, Stamp vending, mails, Engineering and Buildings). Diaries of Superintendents	12 years after the termination of the contract except where immovable property is taken as security. One year after the month to which they relate.
(11)	Director-General’s Circulars and General Orders.	Three years after the close of the year in which they were issued.
(12)	Due Mail and sorting lists	One year after they have ceased to be extant.
(13)	(a) Field Post Offices	Five years after the month in which the cases are closed.
	(b) Volunteers for Field Service.	One year after the dateof return to India of the Voulunteer
(14)	Highway robbery	Three years after the month in which the cases are finally closed.
(15)	House breaking and theft	Three years after the month in which the cases are finally closed, except in cases of theft by postal officials who have been dismissed, when the cases should be destroyed five years after the month in which they are closed.

(16) (17) (18) (19) (20)	Irregularities, enquiries and complaints Enquiry cases relating to discharged postal certificates (together with the certificates). Enquiry cases relating to savings bank withdrawals (together with the warrants of payment). Inspection reports and copies of inspection and verification remarks in order book Indents	One year after the month in which the cases are closed, except when a pecuniary claim has been made and rejected, in which case the record should be preserved for three years after the month in which it is closed. Three years from the due dates of maturity of the certificates. Three years after the month in which the cases were closed. One year after the year in which they are received. One year after that to which they relate.
(21) (22) (23) (24) (25)	Loss of or damage to, postal articles Minors’ and insane depositors’ accounts Offences of all kinds by departmental officials as well as by outsiders. Personal files and Confidential Reports Prosecution of departmental officials and outsiders.	Three years after the month in which the case is finally closed, except in cases where the departmental official concerned has been dismissed, when the case should be destroyed five years after the month in which it is finally closed. Three years after the accounts are closed, except where withdrawals are allowed on an indemnity bond in which case the papers together with the bonds should be preserved for six years after the accounts are closed. Three years after the month in which the cases are finally closed, except in the case of departmental officials who have been dismissed, when the cases should be destroyed five years after the month in which they are finally closed. Three years after the month in which the officials concerned severed their connection with the Department, except in the case of absconders when the records should not be destroyed without the special permission of the Head of the Circle. Three years after the month in which the case is finally closed, except in cases where the departmental official concerned has been dismissed when the case should be destroyed five years after the month in which it is finally closed. In the case of an absconder, the records should be kept as permanent until the official has

(26) (27) (28) (29) (30) (31) (32) (33) (34)	Cases in which invalid or extraordinary pensions have been sanctioned. Other pension cases Public and Regimental accounts Rulings on all subjects Registers of – (a) Registered newspapers (b) Policies assigned (c) Losses with index } (d) Absconders (e) Correspondence received (f) Security bonds (g) Other kinds Returns regarding pension or gratuity. Returns of other kinds. Service Books and Service Rolls of officials who have not retired on pension. Savings Bank accounts of deceased depositors. Claims to postal certificates of deceased holders.	been apprehended or until the police intimate that his name has been removed from their register. 25 years from the date the pension is sanctioned 5 years after retirement. One year after the cases are closed. Permanent. Permanent. Three years after the Registers are used up. Three years after a new register has been prepared. Till they have become obsolete. One year after they are closed. One year after the ye ar in which they are received. Five years after the month in which the officials concerned severed connection with the Department, except in the case of absconders when the records should not be destroyed without the special permission of the Head of the Circle. Three years after the accounts are closed, except where withdrawals are allowed on an indemnity bond in which case the papers be preserved for six years after the accounts are closed. Three years after payment is made except where payment is made on an indemnity bond in which case the papers, together with the bond, should be preserved for six years after the month in which payment is made.
(34-A)	Affidavits, certificates from income-tax authorities or indemnity bond executed by the partners of the unregistered firms (holders of	Three years after payment is made except where payment is made on an indemnity bond in which case the papers together with the bond, should be preserved for six years after the month in which

certificates irregularly issued). payment is made.

(35)	Temporary		and		monsoon	Three years after the month in which the cases
	establishments					are closed.
(36)	Time-table					One year after they have ceased to be extent.
(37)	Tour programmes					Six months after the completion of the tour.
(38)	Medical Free Register					5 years.
(39)	Stock Register of forms					3 years.
(40)	Outward Register					5 years.
(41)	Inward Register					5 years.
(42)	Registered journal.					3 years
(43)	Premium Ledger Accounts					9 years after completion of review.
(44)	Surrender Value Register					5 years
(45)	Death/Maturity Register					5 years
(46)	Register of Policies cancelled					5 years
(47)	Irregularity Register					3 years.
(48)	Refund Register					10 years.
(49)	Certified Lists of Premia					10 years
(50)	Schedules of premia, payment etc.					10 years.
(51)	Register of paid-up policies					Permanent
(52)	Active Policy Register					15 years
(53)	Premium Ledger Accounts relating					3 years after full payment
	to discharged policies (files with
	insurant’s personal files).
(54)	Register of unadjusted items					10 years
(55)	Review Register (Premium Ledger					Permanent.
	accounts review)
(56)	Files	regarding		miscellaneous		3 years.
	correspondence
(57)	Non-credit Register					10 years
(58)	Refund Due Register					3 years after close

(59)	Register for watching credits	3 years after close
	(Special Register).
(60)	Discontinuance Register	5 years
(61)	Loan interest calculation register	5 years
(62)	Loan Account Register	10 years
(63)	Refund register for loan	5 years
(64)	Loan Ledger Cards	3 years after full repayment
(65)	U.A. Register for Loan	10 years
(66)	Index Register of Loan	3 years.
	applications.
(67)	Loan release register	3 years
(68)	Loan Voucher register	3 years
(69)	Register for intimation of half
	yearly interest	5 years
(70)	Paid-up policies with	30 years from the date of discharge.
	acknowledgement of payment
	endorsed or the Order of payment
	issued and the payee’s receipt taken
	on the back of the payment order.
(71)	Files of policies discharged and	3 years after full payment.
	surrendered
(72)	Proposal Register	6 years after completion of all entries.
(73)	Register of proposals rejected	10 years.
(74)	Registers of Nomination	Permanent
	Assignment
(75)	Register of Ledger cards transferred	10 years
(76)	Alphabetical list of insurants	Till the next is prepared.
(77)	Index cards	Till the policy is discharged.
(78)	Safe custody Register	Permanent.
(79)	Loan Register	10 years.
(80)	Pakistan Register (Proforma	Till the debit is actually accepted by Pakistan.
	accounts)

(81)	Register of Pakistan Policy Cases transferred to Pakistan	Permanent.
(82)	Register of P.L.I. Policy holders	10 years after the close of the year to which it relates

17. Jurisdiction and headquarters of superintendents. – (1) The Head of a circle should fix the extent and the headquarters of each Superintendent’s division. The headquarters should ordinarily be at the most central station in the division and always at one where there is a head post office.

(2) When the jurisdictions of the Superintendents in a circle are redistributed, notice of the changes should be given by the Head of the Circle to the Director-General and the Audit Office.

NOTE – The Head of the Circle may also change the name of a division but notice of the change should be given to the Director-General and the Audit Office.

1. Jurisdiction and headquarters of Inspectors. – The Head of a Circle should fix the extent and the headquarters of each Inspector’s sub-division.
2. Accommodation for Superintendents’ offices. – If there is not sufficient accommodation in the circle office or post office, the office of the Superintendent should be located in some other suitable Government building, if available, or else in a rented building.
3. Inspection of Superintendent’s office. – The office of every Superintendent of Post Offices and R.M.S. will be thoroughly inspected at least once in every twelve months. While the Head of the Circle will take up such inspections as he desires the inspection of remaining offices may be delegated to Directors of Postal Services.
4. Inspection of offices and sections. – (1) In addition to the inspection of the various departments of the 1^st Class head office and the administrative branch of the head office by the Postmaster of that office as laid down in rule 38(4) of the P&T Manual, volume VI, Part I, every first class head office (except Presidency offices) must be inspected once in every 12 months by the Senior superintendents of Post offices in whose jurisdiction the head office is situated. The inspection should be carried out in a thorough manner according to the questionnaire in the Inspection Report Form. The Senior Superintendent of Post Offices will also carry out the detailed inspection of the administrative branch of the office once a year. As regards a 1^st class Head Office which is not situated in the jurisdiction of a Senior superintendent of Post Offices, the inspection of the 1^st Class Head Office as prescribed above should be done by the Director of Postal Services controlling the Head Office. In the case of minor circles, the inspection by the Director may be delegated to the Deputy Director.

(2)

Every second class head office must be inspected twice every twelve months, in the manner laid down in rule 238, at intervals of about six months, by the Superintendent within the limits of whose division the head office is situated. The balances of every head office within the limits of the division must also be verified twice by the Superintendent and four times by the Inspector in every twelve months, -one of the verifications of balances of second class head offices by the Superintendent being made at the time of the inspection. The Head of the Circle is authorised to relax this rule in very special cases to the extent of allowing the inspection of a small head office, either with or without a complete verification of its accounts to be carried out by an Inspector. All sub and branch offices in a division must be inspected twice every twelve months in the manner laid down in the rule cited above, the inspections being divided by the Head of the Circle between the Superintendent and his Inspectors. As a general rule, the inspection of the

more important sub-offices should be assigned to the Superintendent; the inspection of the smaller sub-offices should be made the duty partly of the Superintendent and partly of his Inspectors; and the systematic inspection of branch offices should be made the special duty of Inspectors.

(3)

The Head of the Circle may, when he considers it advisable, require more than two inspections of any office within a period of twelve months and may also, in divisions where there are comparatively few sub-offices, divide the systematic inspection of branch offices between the Superintendent and his Inspectors.

(4)

Every mail office, record office or section in a division must be thoroughly inspected at least twice in every twelve months. The inspections should be divided by the Head of the Circle between the Superintendent, the Assistant Superintendent attached to the divisional office and the Sub-divisional Inspector, R.M.S. As a general rule, the inspection of the more important mail and record offices should be assigned to the Superintendent. The inspection of the more important sorting section should be made the duty of the Superintendent and the inspection of other offices and sections that of the Assistant Superintendent or Sub-divisional Inspector.

(5)

The Head of the Circle, may himself arrange the tours of any or all of his Superintendents, or require them to submit plans of tours in advance, or leave it to them to carry out their tours and perform their duties of inspection according to their own judgement.

NOTE 1. – A Head of a Circle may relieve the Superintendents of all or any of the inspections or verifications of the accounts of any head office by assigning this work to an Assistant Postmaster-General or an Assistant Director of Postal Services.

NOTE 2.- The administrative branch of the Presidency offices will be inspected by the Postmaster-General or the Director in charge of City areas while the actual inspection of the various branches of the General Post Office will be carried out by the Presidency Postmasters himself twice a year.

22. Director-General’s circulars. – (1) Copies of the Director-General’s circulars will be issued from his office in accordance with distribution lists furnished by Heads of Circles. Copies for Heads of circles will be supplied to them direct, while those for distribution to supervising officers and their subordinates will be issued to head postmasters in the case of the Post Office and to Divisional Superintendents in the case the R.M.S. Heads of Circles should supply these officers with a distribution list showing the number of copies to be distributed and the number to be retained for their own offices and should also inform the director-General’s office from time to time of any changes that may become necessary in the list furnished to it.

(2) Postal notices will be issued apart from, and not as annexures to the circulars; and, except in the case of certain large head offices selected by Heads of circles, only two copies of each such notice will be supplied to each office, one for exhibition on the office noticeboard and the other for record. In cases in which further copies are required for distribution to the public, the Head of the circle should at once telegraph for the requisite number of copies. In the printing press the type of postal notices will be kept standing for ten days from the date appearing on the circular for printing the additional copies that may be required. Requisitions received after that period cannot be attended to. If the issue of a vernacular translation of a postal notice is required, in the regional language, the Head of the Circle concerned should arrange for its supply himself.

23. Circulars of Head of Circles. – (1) Orders issued by a Head of a Circle for the general information and guidance of the officers in his Circle should be published in the form of a monthly circular which should bear a consecutive annual series of numbers. The pages of circulars should also be numbered in a consecutive series throughout the year. Every item of a circular should bear in heavy type, on the upper right hand corner, the name of the department which it concerns. Any circular which relates to miscellaneous matters or which concerns more than one department should be headed “General File”. If in any month there should be no material for a circular, none should be issued in that month.

(2)

Circulars issued by the Director-General or the Head of the Circle need not be supplied to branch offices but arrangements should be made for only such matters as concern branch offices to be incorporated in Branch Office Circulars in the local Indian language to be issued by Heads of Circles. The circulars should be supplied to all branch offices.

NOTE – The vernacular circular should be printed in the office press of the Head of the Circle where there is one, or where there is no press they should be (i) reproduced by any multiplying process available in the office of the Head of the circle, or (ii) printed at an outside printing press provided that this would not be more expensive than to reproduce them by a multiplying process.

(3)

The following matters should not be made the subject of circulars, except in special cases :

(a)

Lists of experimental offices opened,

(b)

Lists of combined offices opened } In other Circles.

(c)

Conversions of head offices into sub-offices and vice-versa.

(d)

Lists of offices authorised to perform telegraphic money order work.

(e)

Changes in spelling.

(4)

The circulars issued by Heads of Circles should deal only with purely local matters. If the Head of a Circle desires to have the attention of his subordinates drawn to matters which are not of purely local application, he should send a draft of his proposed instructions to the Director-General for orders.

(5)

Programmes of the movements of Local Government or officers on tour, should not be issued in the form of circulars but as “Tour orders”.

(6)

Copies of all circulars issued by the Head of a circle should be forwarded to the office of the Director-General.

(7)

The circulars should be destroyed after 3 years counting 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. Head 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.

24. Omitted.

25. Applications for interception of articles. –(1) Applications received by the Head of a Circle for the interception of articles passing through a sorting office or section, should be refused, except in very special cases, or for very special reasons, as compliance with such requests militates against the proper working of the Department. Such applications should never be granted if they do not furnish the names of the offices of the posting of the articles, or if they refer to articles expected by more than one mail. The disposal of the application will rest in each case, with the Head of the Circle to whom it is made.

(2)

In the very rare case in which the Head of a circle may feel justified in taking steps to have an article in transit intercepted and redirected, the applicant should be informed that his

request will, if possible, be complied with, but that, owing to the time and difficulty involved in detecting a letter to a particular name, when in transit, no responsibility in the matter can be accepted.

(3)

Nothing in this rule affects correspondence addressed, without a post-town, to the camp or other prescribed address of any Government officer to whom the special rules in the Post Office Guide regarding official correspondence are applicable.

26. Return to sender of articles posted.-(1) The rules on the recall of articles posted in India will be found in the Post Office Guide and Foreign Post Manual and P & T Manual, Volume

V.

(2) If an application for the recall of an article is received direct by the Head of a Circle, it should be forwarded, with his order on the subject, to the postmaster concerned, accompanied by the fee, if received therewith, with instructions that the fee should be converted into postage stamps and affixed to the application.

EXCEPTION – A request from a Government or a Local Administration to recall a foreign official unregistered article which has not passed beyond the jurisdiction of Indian Post Office, should, if possible, be complied with.

27. Applications for information from Post Office records. – Applications for information from the records of a post office or mail office should ordinarily not be complied with; and if the applicant is a Government officer, he should be informed that, under the orders of the government of India *, such information can only be given on the application of a Secretary to the Government or Administration concerned. The Exceptions to rule 17 of the Postal Manual, Volume VI, apply also to this rule.

*Resolution by the Government of India (Department of Finance and Commerce), No. 4110 dated the 31^st October, 1884 – His Excellency the Governor-General in Council is pleased to direct that whenever in the opinion of the Government of India or of any Local Government or Administration, it may be necessary to obtain any information from the records of any post office in India, such information shall on the application of a Secretary to the Government of India or of a Secretary to the Local Government or Administration concerned be given by the chief postal authority to whom such post office is immediately subordinate.

NOTE 1- In dealing with orders of courts as to the production of savings bank and money order and Postal certificate books, it should be borne in mind that the production in Court of these books can only be ordered for special cause, and whether the order should be opposed or not will almost necessarily depend on the circumstances of each case.

NOTE 2 – In dealing with orders of Courts for granting a preliminary inspection of such books, a question of policy is to some extent involved. It is open to the Post Office, under section 6 of Act XVIII of 1891, not only to show cause against the issue of the order, but also to offer to produce the books themselves in court in place of allowing the preliminary inspection. This is, of course, to give up the protection of the Act, so far as the convenience of the Post Office work is concerned, but it may be desirable, in view of the importance of maintaining the confidence of the public, to offer to produce the books in preference to allowing an inspection at small offices, where the manner of inspecting might not be kept under proper control.

NOTE 3 – The Establishment records (such as leave applications and medical certificates) are not records of the Post Office as they do not relate to any transactions conducted. Request from Government departments for information from these may be acceded.

1. Monthly statistics. – A Head of a Circle should submit to the office of the Director-General every month a statement in form [Ms.-14(c)] containing statistics of ordinary registered, insured and value-payable articles of both the letter and parcel mail posted in post offices and in mail offices authorised to accept such articles, as the case may be. The statistics should show separately (a) articles on Posts and Telegraphs service and (b) other articles. He should also furnish at the back of the statement the number of the ordinary registered and value-payable articles of the letter mail (under ‘Posts and Telegraphs Service’ and ‘other’. Separately) posted on the 1^st working day of each month, and the number of packets included in each. The statistics should be compiled in the office of the Head of the circle from the statistical memorandum [Ms. 14(a)] received from the head offices and also from the statements received from the mail offices concerned, and should be submitted to the Director-General so as to reach his office not later than the 20^th of the month following that to which the figures relate.
2. NOTE 1 – A separate statement should be submitted by the Head of the Circle concerned in respect of each of the following head offices (including its town offices), namely, (a) Calcutta, (b) Bombay and (c) Madras. The figures of these offices should not be included in the general statement of other offices in the Circle.
1. Irregularities in service messages despatched. – (1) After the inspection of the telegraph branch of a combined office, the superintendent of post offices concerned will forward to the Head of the Circle, along with the inspection report, the drafts of service messages (despatched by officials whom he has no authority to punish) which have been placed in fault on the ground of their having been needlessly despatched, or because they relate to the private affairs of the senders, or because they are diffusely worded or wrongly classified, or on account of any other patent irregularity. The Head of the Circle should pass such orders as may be called for in respect of those messages.

(2) In respect of each message placed in fault and brought to the notice of the Head of a Circle in the manner mentioned in the preceding paragraph or in any other way, he should decide whether any, and if any, what portion of the cost of the message should be recovered from the official concerned. When the cost of a service message placed in fault, is recovered, a copy of the message in question should be sent to the Telegraph Check Office, through the Head of Circle concerned alongwith particulars of the receipt issued for such charges realised in cash.

30. Registered News papers. – (1) Rules regarding the registration of newspapers in the office of a Head of a Circle are contained in the Post and Telegraph Guide. The Head of a Circle before granting registration under the said rules should satisfy himself that the provisions of Section 9 of the I.P.O. Act, 1898 and rule 30 of I.P.O. Rules, 1933 are fulfilled.

(2)

When a registered newspaper is to be posted at a mail office, the Head of Circle should fix the latest hour up to which the paper may be posted at the mail office and inform the proprietor, manager, or publisher of the paper of this hour, when intimating acceptance of his application for registration.

(3)

A Register of registered newspapers should be maintained in the circle office in the prescribed form. From that Register, a list in respect of each of the offices of posting should be drawn up and supplied to the office concerned.

This list will be prepared every year corrected up to the 1^st January and issued to all concerned. Any change in the list should be intimated by the Head of the Circle to all concerned immediately.

(4)

Registered newspapers referred to in sub-rule (1), which post not less than 500 articles at a time can post their papers without affixing postage stamps under the following conditions :

(i) The proprietor, Manager, or Publisher of any such registered newspaper who desires to avail of the scheme will apply in Form MS-96 to the Head of the Circle for a licence furnishing the following particulars :

a) The average number of (i) a single copy of the newspaper and (ii) packets containing more than one copy, per issue of the paper posted each time.

b) The average weight of (I) single copy of the paper and (ii) weight of a packet containing more than one copy of the paper, to be posted each time.

c) Postage payable on single copy, and (ii) the average postage payable on each packet containing more than one copy of the paper, to be posted each time.

d) Total amount of average postage on all the papers (single copy and packets)

which would be posted each time.

e) The number of days in a month on which the paper would be posted.

f) In the case of copies to be posted for addresses abroad, a separate licence should

be issued subject to the conditions at (a) to (e) above being fulfilled.

(ii) The Head of the Circle on receipt of the application should calculate the approximate total postage payable by a Registered Newspaper in the course of the month and then require the Newspaper to deposit an amount equivalent to the total of one month’s postage as a security deposit. The amount of security may be deposited in cash in a Post Office Savings Bank Security deposit account, or in National Plan Savings Certificates pledged to the Head of the Circle concerned or may be covered by a guarantee from State Bank of India. The form of guarantee shall be similar to that shown in Clause 91 of the PO Guide Part –I.

(iii) After the newspaper has deposited the amount of the security, licence in Form MS97 will be issued by the Head of the circle authorising posting of the newspaper without pre-payment under the following conditions :

a) The newspaper should be posted at the window of office or offices and on such days or dates of the week or month as have been specified in this behalf in the order sanctioning its registration.

b) The Licensee shall arrange to print in the case of newspapers for addresses in India the ‘Licence No.’ along with the words “Licensed to post without prepayment” in an oblong space either on the wrapper or below the ‘Registration No.’ printed on the paper when the paper is posted without a wrapper. In the case of copies to be sent abroad the following entries should be printed on the wrapper or under the registration No. – if posted without a wrapper.

“Licence No. ____________

Licenced to post under cash payment system”

“Postage paid”

Post payee

c) The Licence shall be deemed to be annulled as soon as the registration of the newspaper expires.

(iv)

In the event of the non-payment of the postage due within the prescribed time limit the posting of the paper without pre-payment of postage should be stopped immediately and the Head of the Circle should recover the amount due from the security deposit held by the Post Office and should also if necessary, take steps to recover any outstanding amount under Section 12 of the Indian Post Office Act, 1898.

(v)

The licence, on being terminated, may be renewed by the Head of the Circle in his entire discretion on such terms and conditions as he may think fit to impose.

(vi)

If at any time, it is found that security deposit already made or the bank guarantee provided is less than the payment for the preceding month, the Head of the Circle should call upon the licensee to increase the security deposit or bank guarantee, as the case may be, in order to cover the amount and on licensee’s failure to do so, the Head of the Circle shall have the right to cancel the licence.

(vii) The licence is revocable (on seven days previous notice in writing) at the entire discretion of the Head of the Circle without assigning any reason whatsoever for the same.

(viii) In case of cancellation of annulment of the licence under any of the circumstances, the Head of the Circle should send an intimation to the audit office about such cancellation immediately after the orders for cancellation are issued and communicated by him to all concerned.

(ix) If any dispute arises as to the effect of the licence or with regard to any matter arising therefrom, the Head of a Circle should refer the same to the Director General, whose decision will be final.”

31. Half-yearly enumeration report – (1) During the second week of the months of February and August of each year, an enumeration is made daily of the number of ordinary unregistered articles of the letter mail and unregistered parcels given out for delivery by all post offices and by those sections and mail offices that deliver such articles without the intervention of post offices. a month previous to the enumeration, a circular should be issued by the Head of the Circle warning all subordinates that the enumeration has to be made on the prescribed dates and impressing on them the necessity for making it carefully.

“The enumeration figures of the Post Offices situated at the headquarters of Circles, Division and Sub-Divisions and the principal town should be complied personally by all supervising officers (Superintendent and Inspectors of Post Offices and RMS) for all the seven days and all the deliveries. They must count the articles personally and sign the enumeration returns of the offices concerned. In the case of Head and Sub-Offices situated at the headquarters of Circles the work of counting may be distributed by the Head of the Circle amount the officers of the Circle Office. Touring outside the headquarters for the purpose of supervising the enumeration should, of course, be restricted to the minimum in the interests of economy.

(2)

After all the half-yearly enumeration returns (M.S.-6) have been received by the Head of the Circle, he should submit a report to the Director-General on the result of the enumeration. The report should include –

(i)

a statement in form Pa.-19 showing the total number of articles of each class given out for delivery during the week in which the enumeration was taken. Separate sets of figures should be given.

(a)

for all the Head Offices in the Circle,

(b)

for all the sub-offices in the Circle,

(c)

for all the branch offices in the Circle,

(d)

for all the mail offices and sections in the Circle, and the total for the whole Circle worked out. Figures for the whole Circle in respect of the corresponding week of the previous year should also be shown under all the columns of form Pa.-19 except those relating to Postal service articles and the percentage increase or decrease worked out for each class of articles;

(ii)

an explanatory memorandum giving reasons for the increases or decreases under each class of articles;

(iii) a statement showing the number of articles of each class given out for delivery from the principal Head Office in the Circle and its town sub-offices with comparative figures for the previous year and the percentages borne by these figures to the figures for the who le of the Circle; and

(iv)

a classified statement showing the number of Postal service registered (including insured) articles of the letter and parcel mails under the heads Postal, Telegraphs, Telephone and Radio services posted during the enumeration week.

(3)

The report on the February enumeration should be submitted not later than the 1^st April and that on the August enumeration not later than the 1^st October.

32.Half-yearly list of volunteers for field service. – The Officer-in-charge Army Postal Service Record Office Kamptee will prepare the ‘Field Force List’ Circle-wise and send Copies of the same to the Head of Circle concerned and to the Directorate and issue calls for enrolment through the Division or other Officers-in-charge of the Civil Units under intimation to the Head of Circle, in respect of those who are willing to accompany Military Forces on active service and who are physically and otherwise fit for such work. A supplementary list containing the names of postmasters whose maximum pay is Rs. 200 and upwards, Superintendents, and officers of higher rank who have volunteered for field service should be submitted to the Director-General’s office on the 15 th April, and 15^th October of each year. The supplementary list for the Director-General’s office should invariably contain a note to the effect that the list of volunteers is complete and upto-date.

*33. Mobilisation of postal officials for field service. – (1) The head of a Circle on receipt of a telegram from the Director-General’s Posts and Telegraphs intimating the any official in his circle has been selected to go on field service, should, if required arrange to relieve him with in 12 hours of the receipt of the telegram. In the case of any official who can not be relieved within 12 hours of the receipt of the telegram. In the case of any official who can not be relieved with in 12 hours of the receipt of the telegram intimating that he is required to proceed on field service immediately, the time with in which he can be relieved should be entered against his name in the column for remarks in the “Field Force List” mentioned in Appendix 23 of the Posts and Telegraphs Manual Volume IV. No official should be allowed to depart for the fro until he has produced the medical certificate of fitness prescribed by Rule 3 of section ! of Part-1 of the Field Service Manual, Posts and Telegraphs. The Director-General Posts and Telegraphs should be informed by telegram if any official selected for service is unable to obtain the certificate.

(2) Under Rule 4 of section 1 of Part1 of the Field Service Manual, Posts and Telegraphs a postal official under orders for field service should receive his substantive pay up to the date of his departure for the front. He may also draw an advance of a month’s pay, as well as traveling allowance to the Base or part of embarkation for the Base. To prevent delay in payment of such advances, and to enable to postal official who is under orders of field service to start at once, the Head of the Circle should, when issuing orders to the selected volunteer. Communicate his name to the Postmaster of the head office under which he is serving. On receipt of this information the latter will arrange for the immediate payment of the authorized advances, and see also that the official ordered on field service is paid up to date of his making over charge of his appointment and that a last- pay certificate is furnished to him.

34. Estimate of expenditure on field postal arrangements:-As soon as information is received regarding the composition of the force for which a post office is required in the field an approximate estimate of the probable expenditure on the under mentioned heads should be submitted for the Director General’s information by the officer responsible for the arrangements.

(a)

Preliminary charges on account of concentration and equipment i.e railway, freight, traveling allowances, cost of tents and furniture etc.

(b) Monthly contingent charges (Including traveling allowance)

(c)

Final charges for dispersing f postal establishments returning tents and articles of furniture to store etc.

35. Report on field Postal arrangements (1) A report should be submitted by the Head of the Circle to the Director General on any field Postal arrangements that may be under his charge together with a sketch map showing the position of the field post offices established and their distances from the base office.

(2) When the field operations are finished in one year the report should be made as soon as after their close as possible. If however they extend over more than one year a separate report should be made at the end of each financial year apart from the report at the close of operations, so that the results can if necessary be incorporated in the Director-Generals annual administration report submitted to Government.

36. Memo. of authorised balances and advances. – The Head of the Circle will supply each Presidency Post Office with a memo. in the form Pa.-14 showing –

(a) the authorised minimum and maximum cash balances for the office, and

(b) the authorised maximum balance for stamps. The minimum and maximum cash balances being fixed in accordance with the principles laid down in rules 138 and 139. In fixing the maximum balance for stamps, it should be borne in mind that a postmaster must keep a supply of ordinary stamps, for sale to the public, “sufficient for the probable demands of one week”, and therefore the maximum should be equal to one week’s demand plus the demand for the period between two supplies.

NOTE – The word ‘Stamps’ used in this rule includes Postage stamps, Postal Stationery and non Postal stamps.

1. Countersignature of travelling allowance bills. – When in countersigning a travelling allowance bill (TR-20 or TR-25) any retrenchment is made by the Head of the Circle, the reasons should be explained to the officer concerned, and the bill should; after countersignature, be returned to the officer by whom it was prepared. Travelling allowance bills must be disposed of as early as possible, both in order to prevent inconvenience to the officer to whom the money is due and to expedite the audit work in the Postal Account Office.
2. NOTE – The original order (or duly attested extract therefrom) sanctioning a journey outside of an officer’s jurisdiction should be attached to the travelling allowance bill in which charge is made for the journey.
1. Limit of weight of mails. – The ordinary limits of weight of letter and parcel mails are given in rule 135 of the Postal Manual, Volume V, but the Head of the Circle may prescribe lower limits under the special circumstances mentioned in that rule.
2. Due mail and Sorting lists. – (1) The due mail and sorting lists (M.9) for Post offices, Mail offices and sections in communication with offices and sections in more than one R.M.S. division will be prepared and supplied by the Head of the Circle concerned in accordance with instructions contained in Rule 136 of the Postal Manual, Volume V.

(2)

The due mail list will contain details of bags received and despatched with the hours or stations, as the case may be, at which mails are to be received and despatched. It will also show in what cases (a) mail lists are to be despatched and received with loose bags, (b) transit bags are to be used, (c) account bags and b.o. bags are to be sent or received in mail bags, and (d) in the case of post offices, surplus empty bags are due to be received and despatched. The dispatch of a mail list with loose bags will be prescribed only in cases where the number of due mail for the dispatch comprises more than one bag, or where an unusual mail may be included in the dispatch. Plural mail or transit bags will be prescribed when, as in ordinary circumstances, the bulk of the mail is more than a single mail or transit bag can contain.

(3)

The sorting list will show (a) for what offices, or sections mail bags and registered bags are to be made up, (b) in what cases express and deferred sorting bundles should be made up, and

(c)

to what offices or sections parcel mail articles may e sent direct and the manner in which they must be despatched. Sorting sections working on important mail lines will not ordinarily be required to deal with loose articles of the parcel mail, which will be sent either through sections working by passenger trains of diverted to centrally situated mail offices which can dispose of them in direct parcel bags. Every mail office or every section authorised to deal with parcel mail articles, which makes up a mail bag for a mail office or for a section so authorised, will send parcel mails direct to the latter office or section. Ordinarily, direct parcel communication will not be prescribed between two head offices or between a head office and a mail office or section, when the daily average number of articles for dispatch to the particular head office, mail office or section is less than four. An exception to this rule would be a case where no sorting office or section intervenes between the two head offices or where the section concerned is the only one of the day working into or out of the head office station.

(4)

In preparing sorting lists for offices which forward mails through the R.M.S. and for sections, the following general principles will be followed :

(a)

Post offices and mail offices will be placed in direct mail communication only with the nearest section (or sections if more than one works past or from them), that is to say, they will not be allowed to exchange direct mail bags with any office or section in advance. In cases, of course, where they may have to dispatch mails to sorting or other offices off the line of railway or steamer, they will also be in direct mail communication with those offices.

(b)

Sections should be placed in direct mail communication with post offices and mail offices in their beat and with sections immediately in advance and connecting sections only. If there is an interval to allow of bags being made up by a mail office, the mails for a connecting section should be sent to that office.

EXCEPTION – When the average number of unregistered articles despatched daily to a post office, mail office or sorting section in advance exceeds 200 (a labelled bundle counting as one article), a direct mail bag may be closed for it provided that this will –

(i)

reduce the work of the intervening section and thus secure material advantages, such as, relief to an over-burdened section or curtailment of reserved accommodation, and

(ii)

not complicate the sorting lists and bag account.

(5)

With the concurrence of the Heads of Circles concerned, territorial and territorial registered bundles may be made up by offices and sections for provinces, clearly-defined tracts of country, and for foreign countries, and the sorting list should show in what cases such bundles should be prepared.

(6)

As a general rule, the use of parcel bags will be ordered only in a cases where an office or section ordinarily despatches many parcels, or where a separate establishment of parcel runners is entertained; and the use of a parcel bag must never be prescribed with a dispatch when a mail list does not accompany it. When the average number of parcel mail articles for dispatch daily from one office or section to another exceeds 5 registered parcels a direct parcel bag should be ordered.

EXCEPTION – The Bombay and Calcutta G.P.Os. and the following R.M.S. offices will close direct parcel bags only for those offices and sections for which there are more than 10 registered parcels :

Howrah and R.M.S. Offices in Madras town.

(7)

Every office or section, which make up a mail bag for another office or section will ordinarily receive from the latter a mail bag in return. Also, whenever practicable, the number of due mails exchanged between two offices or sections will be the same; and when this cannot be arranged, the due mail list or, in the R.M.S. the due bag list, will show in what mail bags the surplus empty bags should be returned.

(8)

Bags for a section in direct mail communication with a post office, which passes that office late in the night, can often with advantage be forwarded through the intermediary of another section passing at a more suitable hours, provided that the latter is also in direct mail communication with the same office. In such cases, the post office may be required to put up the contents of the bags for that section in labelled and registered bundles for dispatch through the section which passes the office first.

(9)

Sorting lists and orders intended for branch offices, the postmasters of which do not know English, will be translated into the proper vernacular. When a mail list is prescribed for use by such a branch office, the branch postmaster will also be supplied with a specimen form of mail list having the printed entries of the standard English form translated in vernacular.

(10)

Supply of an extract sorting list is required to be done before a bag is introduced. For this purpose the head of the Circle in whose jurisdiction the receiving office is located should furnish the extract sorting list of the bag to the head of Circle in whose jurisdiction the office which is to close the bag is located. The extract sorting list should be publicized in the CSO/Stg. Memo. of the Circles concerned.

Supervisory offices of the Circle in which the receiving office is located should check the contents of the bag to see that the dispatching office or section follows the extract sorting list meticulously.

NOTE 1-Sorting list questions are matters for fair discussion between Heads of Circles concerned. Reference may be made to the Director-General where, for any special reason, agreement cannot be arrived at.

NOTE 2 – When any alteration is to be made in a due mail and sorting list effect will, except in urgent cases, be given to the change from the first of the next quarter. If the change involves extensive alterations in the due mail and sorting list, a revised list will be supplied to the office or section concerned before the change comes into effect. If the change does not involve extensive alterations, a sorting order will be issued.

40. Objection statements. – (1) The Head of the Circle is expected to give the Audit Office every possible assistance by enforcing the prompt adjustment of outstandings, retrenchment, etc.

(2)

It is not, of course, expected that the Head of the Circle should personally attend to every objection statement received from the Audit Office but wherever any delay in the submission of the due account returns of vouchers or any serious discrepancy in the accounts is separately reported to him by the Audit Office by a letter or telegram, he should give the matter his personal attention and keep it under his personal notice until it has been finally disposed of.

(3)

In all cases of loss arising through fraud, robbery, or accident, the Head of the Circle should pass early orders so that the amount may be adjusted without delay. The matter should, in every case, be settled within three months either by recovery from the persons in fault, where this is possible, or by requesting the Director-General to write-off the amount, any subsequent recoveries being credited against the loss which has written-off in the first instance.

41. Omitted.

42. Detention of outward mail steamers. – (1) The Postmaster-General, Bombay, is authorised to detain the outward P. and O., mail steamer for a period not exceeding 24 hours when any of the following outward foreign mails fails to arrive at Bombay in proper time :

(a)

Foreign mails originating at Calcutta, Madras, Delhi and Nagpur.

(b)

Foreign mails containing despatches from The President and the Governor of Bombay.

(c)

Foreign mails originating at Ranchi, when the Government of the Bihar is there.

(d)

Foreign mails originating at Lucknow, when the Government of the Uttar Pradesh is there.

(2)

A special train should not ordinarily be employed for the carriage of the outward foreign mails, even when the detention of the outgoing steamer for the prescribed period will not suffice, if the mails were sent by ordinary trains : but the matter is left entirely to the discretion of the Head of the Circle concerned, which should be wisely exercised, as each emergency occurs.

(3)

It will always be necessary for the Head of the Circle and other R.M.S. officials to use the telegraph freely in cases of railway interruptions affecting the outward foreign mails. The Head of the Circle concerned should, in such instance, telegraph to the Postmaster-General, Bombay, to detain the steamer, if necessary, stating at the same time when the delayed mails are likely to reach Bombay. It will also generally be necessary to telegraph to other postal circles.

43. Deleted.

1. Report of changes in postal routes and communications. – The Head of a circle should keep the Local Government or Administration constantly informed of all material changes in postal routes and communications. The full nature and extent of the information to be supplied will depend, in some measure, on local circumstances; but generally, it may be laid down that all changes in the times of the departure and arrival of contract steamer, all alterations in main mail
2. routes, and all cases of acceleration or retardation of mail services on important lines, should be reported at once to Local Governments and Administrations.
1. Interruptions of mails during transit. – When a report is received from the Railway Mail Service of a break or accident or misconnection causing or likely to cause delay to mails, the Head of a circle will, at his discretion advice postmasters at stations of importance affected by the interruption. Information regarding the mails concerned and the probable duration of the delay should be communicated, and definite orders should be given when the postmaster is to advise the public by the circulation of a local notice. A notice should ordinarily be circulated whenever the delay affects the foreign mail of an important station; and when the outward mail must be posted in advance of the usual date, the actual time in advance should be stated for inclusion in the notice.

45-A. – Permitting class IV officials of P.O. to be requisitioned by R.M.S. – The Head of the Circle may prescribe the Post Offices from which the Head Sorter or Mail Guard of an

R.M.S. section, not having a mail office at the starting station of the trip, and not having more than one van peon may requisition for Class IV official, to escort mail in a compartment not having an intercommunication door, or to work as van peon in case the van peon of the section falls sick or misses the train.

46. Functions of post offices. – (1) The Head of a Circle may impose any restriction that he may consider necessary on the classes of business to be performed by any particular head, sub or branch office in the Circle. Should he think it necessary for any special reason, he may also at any time, in respect of any particular office or offices, suspend the acceptance or dispatch of all or any of the classes of postal articles or restrict the number or description or both of all or any of the classes of postal articles to be accepted or despatched but in such case he should immediately inform the Director-General of the nature and details of restriction imposed and the reasons for taking such action. In case he thinks it necessary for the same reasons that the issue of money orders upon or by any particular post office or group of Post offices should be suspended, or that money orders should not be so issued, except on payment of special rates of commission higher than the ordinary rates prescribed, the orders of the Director-General should be obtained. Any restriction imposed by the Head of the Circle on his own authority on the powers of an office, should be notified in the next issue of the Post and Telegraph Guide Office and in the case of a head office, it should also be reported to the Director-General.

(2)

The Head of a circle may authorise any branch office in his circle to accept articles for insurance up to a limit of Rs. 600, to accept foreign parcels for dispatch, to receive inland telegrams for transmission to a telegraph office, or to perform savings bank work.

NOTE. – Divisional Supdt. of Post Offices may also authorise any Branch Office under their jurisdiction to perform Savings Bank work.

(3)

When a post office which performs savings bank work is to closed or deprived of savings bank powers, a month’s notice should, if possible, be given to the depositors to prevent inconvenience to them.

47. Changes in status of offices and their transfer from one head office to another. –

(1)

Every proposal for –

(a)

conversion of a head office into a sub-office;

(b)

conversion of a sub-office into a head office;

(c)

transfer of a sub-office from one head office to another;

(d)

transfer of a branch office from one head office to another;

should be submitted to the Director-General or, if the Director-General’s sanction is not required, sanctioned by the Head of the Circle in time to allow of its being carried out from the beginning of a quarter. In every case, the Head of the Circle should give the Audit Office at least one month’s notice of the proposed conversion or transfer.

(2) Other changes in the relations between one post office and another, or in the functions of an office, such as the conversion of a sub-office into a branch office, or vice versa, or the grant or withdrawal of authority to transact savings bank or other business in the case of a branch office, may be carried out at any time without giving previous notice to the Audit Office.

48. Instructions regarding the exchange of cash remittances. – (1) The Head of the Circle is required to prescribe how first class head offices situated at stations where there is no treasury or sub-treasury are to be supplied with funds and how they are to be relieved of their surplus funds. A first class head office may be authorised to exchange remittances with any other head office.

(2)

When it is not desirable that cash should be sent through the post from one office (head, sub, or branch) to another, the head of the Circle will prescribe the system under which the remittances are to be exchanged. It may be ordered that a special carrier, such as a postman, village postman, overseer or other subordinate, should be employed to convey the remittances, or remittances may be ordered to be made by means of bank-bills (hundi) or in any other way that the Head of the Circle may consider best suited to the needs of the case; but if remittances are to be systematically made by means of bank-bills (whether commission has to be paid or not) or through an outside agency, the Director-General’s sanction must be obtained. The detailed arrangements in the case of post offices under the control of a Superintendent will be prescribed by him, but they must be based on the system ordered by the Head of the Circle.

(3)

Cash sent through the post must always be enclosed in cloth or leather cash bags, and ordinarily leather cash bags are to be used when the remittance includes coins or exceeds Rs. 100. Cloth bags are to be used when the remittance consists of currency notes only and does not exceed Rs. 100. In exceptional individual cases, the remitting office may exercise its discretion on the use of leather or cloth cash bag provided no risk is involved. It is, however, not intended that all offices that send cash by post should be supplied with leather cash bags as well as cloth ones. However, offices which exchange remittances exceeding Rs. 100 on an average of at least 10 times a month may be supplied with leather cash bags. In a special cases, a deviation from the above principles can be made under the previous orders of the Heads of the Circle.

Whenever it is ordered that a special carrier should be employed to convey remittances, it should be laid down whether the money is to be made over loose to the carrier or enclosed in a cash bag. Ordinarily cash in excess of Rs. 250 should be enclosed in cash bag.

NOTE – Cash remittances should, as far as possible, be excluded from the mails when they travel by runners at night, and when such remittances cannot be altogether excluded, a maximum limit as to the amount which may be sent should be fixed in each case. (See Note 1 below rule 171).

49. Fixing limits of aggregate amounts to a single Postman or Village Postman. – The Head of the Circle may raise the limit of aggregate amount to be entrusted to a single postman to Rs. 2,000. In the case of Village Postman he may raise the aggregate amount to be entrusted to a single Village Postman to Rs. 500 provided the route of village postman’s beat and the village where he passes the night while on his beat are considered by the police authorities to be reasonably free from danger. Where the limit is increased to Rs. 500 the village postman should also be authorised to take out money orders upto the limit of Rs. 100 each. This limit will be shown in the memo. of authorised balances (PA-4) and consolidated memo. of authorised balances (PA-15).

49-A. Fixing percentage of MOs to be verified by I.P.O., T.I., Overseer-Postmen and Overseer. – The Head of a Circle may take steps to ensure that payment of an adequate percentage of the number of money orders paid by postmen, village postmen and delivery agents attached to Post Offices in his jurisdiction is verified monthly by the Inspectors of Post Offices, Town Inspectors, Overseers and Overseer-postmen in his Circle. An Inspector of Post Offices is required to verify payment of at least 25 money orders in a month while each of the others is required to verify payment of 50 money orders per month. Should the Head of a Circle consider the number prescribed above, as not yielding a percentage considered by him as adequate, he may at his discretion, fix an percentage of the number of money orders to be verified by a particular official or class of officials in his jurisdiction. The percentage may be fixed either uniformly for all units in the Circle, or varying from unit to unit according to the money order traffic, at the discretion of the Head of the Circle.

1. Payment of money orders by pay order. – The Postmaster-General may authorise Head Offices and Sub Offices incharge of lower selection grade sub postmasters or above to pay money orders by pay order provided there is a demand for it.
2. Copies of his letters sanctioning the introduction or abolition of the pay order system should, in every case, be sent to the audit office.
1. Sale of Indian Postal Orders. – A Superintendent of Post Offices will fix the aggregate value of Indian Postal Orders in respect of Head Offices. He will supply a copy of his authority to the office concerned.

A Head Postmaster may authorise any such Sub-Office in his jurisdiction to keep a stock of Indian Postal Orders. He will supply a copy of his authority to the office concerned and the Superintendent.

Every Head or Sub Office in the circle which pays British Postal Orders and that which is authorised to pay Irish Postal Orders will be supplied by the Head of the Circle on requisition from the Superintendent concerned with specimens of the respective Postal Orders overprinted “Specimen”. A reserve stock of such specimen orders is kept in the office of the Head of the Circle and this stock should be replenished from time to time as may be necessary by requisition on the Office of the Director General. When a specimen order supplied to a Post Office has been spoilt, lost or mislaid and a requisition is received by the Head of the Circle for a fresh specimen order to replace it, the requisition should be complied with. In every case, specimen Postal orders will be supplied to the offices concerned under intimation to the Superintendent.

52. Payment of out -of-date and defective British or Irish Postal Orders. – (1) The Head of the Circle may sanction the payment of out-of-date British postal orders and Irish postal orders

(i.e. orders presented for payment more than six months after the last day of the month of issue), under the conditions laid down in rule 394 of the Posts and Telegraphs Manual, Volume VI, provided that hardship would result if payment was delayed. In other cases payment may not be made until a reference has been made by the Head of the Circle to the Controller. Money Order Department, G.P.O., London, in case of British postal orders, and to the Secretary, Department of Posts and Telegraphs, Dublin, Ireland, in case of Irish postal orders. Complete particulars of the orders should be furnished by the Head of the Circle to these offices.

(2)

The Head of a Circle may also sanction the payment of defective British or Irish postal orders in cases other than those enumerated in rule 127 B-1.

(3)

A Head of a Circle may sanction the payment of a British or Irish postal order, the payee of which is dead, to the payee’s heir or legal representative after satisfying himself as to the legal right of the person claiming payment.

52/1. Payment of defective Indian Postal Orders. – (1) the Head of a Circle may sanction the payment of defective Indian Postal orders in all cases other than those referred to in rue 127-C.

(2)

Head of a Circle may sanction the payment of an Indian postal order, where the payee is dead, to the heir or legal representative of the deceased after satisfying himself as to the legal right of the person claiming payment.

52/2. Agreement by banks for the payment of crossed British, Irish and Indian Postal Orders. –(1) A bank may enter into an express agreement with a Head of a Circle, in the form given below for the relaxation of the conditions under which British, Irish or Indian postal orders are paid when presented by private persons :

To

The Postmaster-General __________________,

___________________.

SIR,

Our attention has been drawn to the rules in the Indian Post Office Guide providing for a relaxation in the case of British, Irish and Indian postal orders presented by or through a Bank which has entered into an express agreement with the Post Office, of the conditions on which such orders are paid to private persons.

We are desirous of making such an arrangement with you on behalf of

The Head Office of our Bank at _________________ The branch office

All our branches and on behalf of The branches of our bank at the placed detailed below

All our existing branches as well as branches which

may be opened hereafter

and we accordingly hereby undertake to have the name of our constituent, on whose behalf a postal order is presented by us, the said head office of our Bank or by any of the said branches thereof, entered on each such order presented for payment; and upon request, to furnish the Post Office with the address of any such constituent.

Dated, the 20 Yours faithfully,

List of Branches included in the Agreement

(2) Stamp duty will have to be paid on such agreement at the rate fixed by the Government of the Province in which the bank executing the agreement is situated.

52/3. Payment of Time Barred Indian Postal Orders and Waiving of 2^nd Commission.

– Heads of Circles may sanction ex-gratia the payment of the value of time barred Indian Postal Orders subject to a maximum of Rs. 500 in each case. and without limit in the case of payments made to any Government or Quasi-Government Departments, provided that the delay in presenting the Indian Postal Orders within the period prescribed under rule 180-D (2) of the Indian Post Office Rules is entirely due to the action of a public authority viz, a court of law or the Post Office etc. or due to circumstances beyond the control of the payee or purchaser of the Indian Postal Orders concerned. The Head of a Circle may also waive the recovery of second commission due on such Indian Postal Orders at his discretion provided that the delay in presenting the Indian Postal Orders is entirely due to the action of a public authority viz., a court of law or the post office etc. or due to circumstances beyond the control of the payee or purchaser of the Indian Postal Orders concerned provided that except in cases where payment is to be made to any Government or Quasi-Government Departments the value of the Indian Postal Orders does not exceed Rs. 500 in each case.

1. Refund of the value of Indian Postal Orders. – Heads of Circles may sanction payment of the defective IPO’s which are beyond the powers of Superintendent of Post Offices, first class Postmasters or Presidency Postmaster’s sanction.
2. Miscarriage, Loss or destruction of orders – Issue or Duplicates. – Applications for enquiry in respect of the miscarriage, loss or destruction of British Postal Orders and for the issue of duplicates thereof should, if they comply with the prescribed conditions, be forwarded to the British Post Office in the manner prescribed in Rule 52.

All applications should be accompanied by the counterfoils of the orders or in the case of partial destruction, an identifiable portion (i.e. containing the full serial number and amount of the Order).

54/1. Applications regarding miscarriage, loss or destruction of Indian Postal Orders.

– The original applications for enquiry in respect of miscarriage, loss or destruction of Indian Postal Orders along with counterfoils should, if they comply with the prescribed conditions, be forwarded to the Deputy Accountant-General, Posts and Telegraphs, Delhi to ascertain if the orders in question have been paid or not. A certificate of non-payment of the orders from the Deputy Accountant-General, Posts and Telegraphs, Delhi, can be obtained only after the expiry of sixteen months counting from the last day of the month of issue of the orders. On receipt of this certificate of non-payment (from the Audit Office) the Superintendent of post offices or the first class Postmaster, as the case may be, may sanction the refund if he is satisfied that the claim is genuine.

55/1. Loss of unsold Indian Postal Orders. – The Head of a Circle is authorised to sanction refunds to postal officials of the amounts recovered from them on account of the value and commission of lost Indian Postal Orders, subject to the condition that the refund shall not be made until one full year has elapsed since the date of loss of the order or orders concerned and then only after it has been ascertained from the Deputy Accountant-General, Posts and Telegraphs, Delhi that no payment has been made by any post office in respect of the missing order or orders.

55/2. Loss or theft of unsold Indian Postal Orders. – On receipt of a report of loss or theft of an Indian Postal Order from the stock of a Post Office and a certificate of non-payment in respect of the same from the Delhi Audit Office, the Head of the Circle should notify the loss in his Circular. The Delhi Audit Office will also immediately report the loss by express letter to other Heads of Circles stating the full particulars including the amount and the index-letter and serial No. of the missing Order so that the latter may notify the loss in their Circular to stop its payment.

56. British or Irish Postal Orders lost after payment. – The Head of a Circle may authorise the issue of a certificate of payment in respect of a British or Irish Postal Order lost after payment.

56/1. Indian Postal Orders lost after payment. – The Head of a Circle may authorise the issue of a certificate of payment in respect of an Indian Postal Order lost after payment.

56/2. Post Office Certificates lost after payment. – When a report of loss of a paid Post Office Certificate is received by the Head of the Circle under Rule 554 of Posts and Telegraphs Manual, Volume VI and the whereabouts of the holder are not traceable the Head of the Circle should issue the certificate of payment after making detailed enquiries and notifying the loss of the certificate in his Circular with a view to banning the issue of a declaration in lieu and entertainment of second claim without sufficient proof.

56/3. Loss of Post Office certificates before issue from stock after issue but before delivery to the holders. – On receipt of a report of loss, theft, or destruction before issue of a certificate from or at a Post Office or after it has been issued but before delivery to the purchaser and on receipt of a certificate of non-encashment from the Audit Office, the Head of the Circle shall notify the loss, theft, etc., in his monthly Circular. The Audit Office will also immediately report the loss by Express letter to other Heads of Circles stating the full particulars of the lost, stolen, spoiled or destroyed certificate so that the latter may notify the loss in their circular to prevent its encashment.

57. Accounts opened on behalf of minors. – (1) When a person who wishes to open a savings bank account on behalf of a minor is not the father or if the father be dead, the mother of the minor, the postmaster will send the Head of the Circle a form (S.B. –15) filled up by the applicant giving particulars of his claim to be considered the minor’s guardian, together with any documents produced by him. If the Head of the circle is satisfied that the claim has been established, he should issue a certificate recognizing the applicant as the guardian of the minor and send it to the head office concerned for delivery to the applicant. The certificate should specify the conditions under which withdrawals may be made from the account, i.e., whether without further reference to the Head of the Circle, irrespective of the balance at credit of the account, or only when the balance is under Rs. 500. The Head of the Circle should be guided in issuing the orders permitting withdrawals by rule 41 of the Rules for Depositors.

(2) The Postmaster-General has discretionary power to sanction payment of interest on an account opened on behalf of minor for any period after the date on which the minor attains his majority, by relaxation of the provisions of rule 34(3) of the Rules for Depositors.

NOTE. – In case in which an account is desired to be opened on behalf of a minor by a person other then the one who has been appointed guardian of the minor by a court of law in India, and also in the case in which an account on behalf of a minor is desired to be opened in a post office situated in a place not within India, the application for opening the account will be forwarded to the Head of the Circle and should be disposed of by him in the manner indicated above.

58. Withdrawals from minors’ accounts. -When a person other than the father, or, if the father is dead, the mother claims to withdraw money from an account opened on behalf of a minor as being the guardian of the minor, a form filled up by the applicant giving particulars of his claim to be considered the minor’s guardian, and accompanied by any documents produced by him, will be sent to the Head of the Circle, unless the withdrawal may be permitted without reference to the Head of the Circle, under a certificate issued at the time the account was opened. The Head of the Circle should be guided in issuing orders by rule 41 of the Rules for Depositors.

NOTE 1. – When a Hindu minor has been given in adoption, the adoptive father is the legal guardian of the minor, and payment can be allowed only on his signature, the natural father having, in such a case, no right to deal with the account.

NOTE 2.- In the case of the child of a Kulin Brahmin, who has more than one wife and does not live with them, the Head of the Circle, may in his discretion, allow the application and warrant to be signed by the mother.

NOTE 3.-In the case of Hindus, the father, mother, or any other relative, ceases to be the guardian of a female minor after her marriage, when her husband becomes her natural and sole guardian. Accordingly, during the minority of a married female minor, her husband alone is entitled to withdraw money from an account opened on her behalf. In the case of Muslims however, the husband should be allowed to make withdrawals from the account opened on behalf of his minor wife, only on the production of an order from a competent court appointing him guardian of the minor’s property, or on the production of the written consent of the minor’s fa ther, which should be attested by a responsible officer of the Post Office.

NOTE 4.-When the husband of a female minor is himself a minor, then, if the husband is a member of a Hindu undivided family, his father as the Karta or managing member of the fa mily would be the guardian of the property of his son’s minor wife. If the husband be living separate from his father, he (the husband) alone would be entitled to the guardianship of the property of his minor wife, but he would be under disability, and for the purpose of management, it would be necessary to have a guardian appointed by a court. The minor husband’s own guardian cannot be treated as the guardian of his minor wife, unless appointed to that office by a court.

NOTE 5. – For payment of interest on an account opened on behalf of a minor for any period after the date on which the minor attains his majority. – See Rule 57(2).

1. Issue of duplicate pass-book. – When the balance at credit of a Savings Bank account is less than Rs. 100 the Head of the Circle may, at his discretion, grant exemption from the payment of the usual fee for the issue of the duplicate pass-book or sanction refund of the fee already paid, provided the pass-book is lost or spoiled in circumstances over which the depositor had no control. In other cases the exemption will be granted only when the pass-book is lost or spoiled through the fault of the Post Office.
2. Opening and closing of public accounts. – (1) When an application to open a public account is received by the Head of the Audit Office, in every case which he does not consider to be clearly and undoubtedly within the rules.

(2) The Head of a Circle is empowered to direct that the public account be closed, should its object at any time be such that the account could not under the rules be opened as public account.

NOTE – The opening of public accounts in the P.O. Savings Bank on behalf of “Cemetery Funds” should not (except in the Madras Presidency) be authorised by the Head of the Circle, when the money is collected for credit to Government.

1. Intimation from Audit Office regarding closing of public accounts. – When the Audit Office considers that a public accounts should be closed, owing to the fact that it was opened
2. in contravention of rule, or for any other reason, it will communicate its reasons to the Head of the Circle before ordering the account to be closed. If the Head of the Circle concurs with the Audit Office, he should inform that office accordingly if the Postmaster-General differs from the Audit Office, and the latter does not withdraw its objection, the case should be referred to the Director-General for orders.
1. Withdrawals in excess of prescribed limit from public accounts and regimental and other conjoint accounts. – (1) Clause (m) of rule 42 of the Rules for Depositors limiting to Rs. 1,000, the amount of withdrawals, without notice within a calendar month from the deposits in a public account, is the general rule. The Head of a Circle may however, at his discretion, sanction the withdrawal from a public account of a sum in excess of Rs. 1,000 in any calendar month, without a month’s notice as laid down in the Note below the rule referred to above.

(2) In the case of regimental and other conjoint accounts, the Head of a Circle is empowered by clause (i) of rule 44 of the Rules for Depositors to specially exempt Commanding Officers and other holders of such accounts from giving the month’s notice required for withdrawals from the deposits in excess of the limit of Rs. 1,000 laid down in that rule.

63. Payment of deposit of deceased depositor or depositor incapable of managing his affairs. – (1) Applications for repayment of savings bank deposits at credit of deceased depositors, or depositors who are incapacitated for business will be submitted by postmasters for the order of the Head of the circle with a report [in form S.B.-15(a)] accompanied by any documents produced by the applicant in support of his claim, except in the cases referred to in the Exception below rule 503(6) of the Posts and Telegraphs Manual, Volume VI, in which the head postmaster himself is competent to pass orders on the claims.

(2)

In the case of deceased depositor’s accounts if the cash balance at credit of the account on the date of depositor’s death (inclusive of interest up to that date) did not exceed Rs. 5,000 or if the aggregate face value of the Government securities held by the Accountant-General, Posts and Telegraphs, on behalf of the depositor was not in excess of Rs. 5,000, the Head of the Circle will decide as to the claim of the applicant in accordance with rule 37 of the Rules for Depositors.

(3)

(a) If the cash balance exceeded Rs. 5,000 and the application is not supported by probate of will, letters of administration, or a certificate granted under the Indian Succession Act (Act XXXIX of 1925), the applicant should be required to produce one or other of these documents. If the applicant seeks exemption from the production of such evidence, the Head of the Circle should be guided in disposing of the application by the following principles :

(i)

Ordinarily the applicant should be told that payment can only be made on the production of the legal proof of heirship or representation which the rules require.

(ii)

Ordinarily the applicant should be told that payment General recommending the exercise of his dispensatory power, unless a clear case of hardship is established and unless it is also clear that no appreciable risk will be involved by granting the exemption.

(iii) In the case of claims by persons other than the widow or children of the depositor, the obligation to produce legal proof of heirship or representation can rarely, if ever, be considered a hardship.

(iv)

In the case of claims by the widow or children of the depositor, the obligation to produce legal proof of heirship or representation involves no hardship unless the cost of obtaining such proof is great in proportion to the amount involved, and the heirs have very little property except the savings bank deposit.

(v)

When an application is submitted to the Director-General to exercise his discretionary power, it must be clearly shown in the report in what way and to what

extent the production of legal proof of heirship or representation would cause hardship.

(b)

If the aggregate face value of the Governme nt Securities at credit of the account exceeded Rs. 5,000 the applicant should be required to produce probate of the deceased depositor’s will, or letters of administration, or a certificate granted under the Indian Succession Act (Act XXXIX of 1925). The production of this evidence cannot be dispensed with.

NOTE – In the case of a deceased depositor in whose name more accounts than one stand open under the special circumstances mentioned in the rules for the guidance of depositors, the balances at credit of all the accounts should be added together for the purpose of exercising this power by the Head of the Circle.

(4)

When a decision has been arrived at, orders for repayment of the deposit, in the form given below, should be sent by the Head of the circle to the person to whom payment is to be made, and instructions should at the same time be issued to the Postmaster concerned. In cases where Government securities are held by the Accountant-General, Posts and Telegraphs on behalf of the deceased depositor, a copy of the orders should be furnished direct to the Deputy accountant-General, Posts and Telegraphs, Postal Branch, Calcutta. If it has been decided that the person to whom payment is to be made should be required to execute a bond of indemnity, a form of bond (S. B.-25) should also be sent by the Head of the Circle to the Postmaster with such instructions as may be necessary :

I hereby authorise the payment to you of Rupees (in figures and words) …………… only, being the balance, inclusive of interest, at credit of the Post Office Savings Bank Account No. ………………… standing in the name of the late …………………… on the date of his/her death, viz. the ………………….19 .

The amount mentioned, together with interest which has since accrued on the account, i.e. up to the close of the last month, will be paid to you on your making application direct to the postmaster ………………..

NOTE. – The Head of the Circle has discretionary power to sanction payment of the interest on money deposited in the account of a deceased depositor, after his death, by relaxation of the orders contained in Note 2 below rule 29 of the Rules for Depositors.

(5)

When the Head of a Circle authorises the payment of a cash balance in excess of Rs. 5,000 or of Government Securities in excess of Rs. 5,000 (nominal value) at credit of the account of a deceased depositor, the evidence on which the claim is admitted, i.e., production of probate, letters of administration of a certificate granted under the Indian Succession Act (Act XXXIX of 1925), should be specified, for the information of the Audit Office, in the order furnished to the postmaster.

(6)

If the deceased depositor has at his credit a balance in cash as well as Government Securities in the custody of the Accountant-General, Posts and Telegraphs, and it is found in investigating the claims of the heirs of the deceased that one person is entitled to receive the cash balance at credit of the account and a different person the Government Securities in the Accountant-General’s custody, the latter, and not the former, will be entitled to the interest which may have accrued on the government Securities after the death of the depositor. The orders of payment in such cases should, therefore, clearly show that the person entitled to the cash balance will receive the cash balance (including interest) at credit of the account on the date of the depositor’s death plus any interest that may have accrued on that amount until the end of the month preceding that in which orders of payment are issued, and that the other person will be entitled to

the amount of the Government Securities plus any interest that may have accrued on that amount until the end of the month preceding that in which orders of payment are issued, and that the other person will be entitled to the amount of the Government Securities plus any interest that may have accrued on them after the death of the depositor.

(7)

If any depositor becomes insane or otherwise incapable of managing his affairs, the Head of the Circle should be guided by rule 39 of the Rules for Depositors in issuing orders for payment from his account.

NOTE 1-If a minor is entitled to money at credit of a deceased depositor’s account, the amount is payable only to the minor’s guardian.

NOTE 2-The payment of balances standing at the credit of accounts of deceased officers and soldiers of the British Army and sepoys, is governed by rules 504 and 505 of the Posts and Telegraphs Manual, Volume VI.

NOTE 3.-A bond of indemnity (see paragraph (4) of this rule) must be stamped but need not be registered, the stamp being provided by the person who executes the bond.

NOTE 4.-The fact that it would be troublesome or inconvenient to the claimant to obtain legal evidence or that he would be put to the inconvenience and expense of a journey in order to procure it, is held not to constitute in itself hardship of the kind contemplated by rule 38 of the Rules for Depositors and recommendations should not, therefore, be made to the Director-General for the exercise of the discretionary power vested in him by that rule on this ground alone.

In case of Government securities are concerned, a certificate granted to an applicant by the District Magistrate in accordance with the proviso to section 12 of the Indian Securities Act, 1920, in the following form will be sufficient evidence of the claim of the application :

“Certified that ………………………… (the depositor’s name) the deceased holder of Government Promissory Notes Nos. ………………….. of the …………………..loan for Rs. …………….., who died intestate, belonged to a Hindu undivided family governed by the Mitakshara Law, that the Government promissory notes formed part of the joint family, property of the family and, that …………………… (the applicant) is the managing (or sole surviving) male member of the family and the deceased holder had left him surviving no female relative specified in class I of the Schedule to the Hindu Succession Act, 1956 or a male relative specified in that class who claims through such female relative.”

EXCEPTION – When the amount due on the cash certificate exceeds Rs. 5,000, or in the case of Post Office Savings Bank, the balance at credit on the date of depositor’s death (inclusive of interest up to the date of depositor’s death) exceeds Rs. 5,000, or in the case of Government Securities held in the custody of the Accountant-General, Posts and Telegraphs, if the amount is in excess of Rs. 5,000 and the claim is based on survivorship the claimant should be asked to produce a District Magistrate’s certificate on the above lines or failing this, a declaration on the lines of the above certificate affirmed before Magistrate and an affidavit from some independent disinterested person affirming before a Magistrate the facts stated in the declaration. In all such cases sanction to the payment of the amount may be issued by the Heads of Circles without reference to the Director-General.

NOTE 5. – Heads of Circles have discretionary power to authorise the closure of savings bank accounts belonging to deceased depositors without production of the pass-book in all cases in which they are competent to issue payment orders under rule 37 of the Rules for Depositors.

NOTE 6.-The Head of a circle has discretionary power to sanction payment of interest on the Savings Bank account of a deceased minor depositor, after the date on which the minor would have attained majority had he (or she) lived.

1. Applications for withdrawal from depositors who have left India. – If a depositor, who has left India and is residing in a country with which there is no money order exchange, sends his pass-book with a letter applying for the withdrawal of money from his account, the orders of the Head of the Circle are necessary before the withdrawal can be granted. The orders should specify the manner in which the remittance is to be made. The actual cost of remittance should be deducted from the amount withdrawn.
2. Postal Certificates held by lunatics. – (1) When postal certificates stand in the name of a lunatic, who is incapable of managing his affairs, the Head of the Circle may allow the father or, if he be dead, the mother of the lunatic to discharge them, if the nominal value does not exceed five thousand rupees.

(2)

When the applicant for payment is neither the fathe r nor the mother of the lunatic, and when the value of the postal certificates does not exceed five thousand rupees, the Head of the circle may sanction payment on production of a certificate by the Magistrate of the district in which the lunatic ordinarily resides, to the effect, that the applicant is the actual guardian of the lunatic.

(3)

If the value of the postal certificates exceeds five thousand rupees, payment shall not be made unless and until the applicant for payment shall have produced evidence to the satisfaction of the Head of the circle that he is the legal guardian of the lunatic.

65/1. Transfer of Postal Certificates held by a minor to the name of another person.The Head of the circle may sanction the transfer of a Postal Certificate standing in the name of a minor to that of another person without insisting on the production of proof of necessity from a Court of law in cases where the guardian of the minor holder applying for the transfer is a parent or a very near relative.

66. Payment of Postal Certificates standing in the names of deceased persons. – (1) Applications for payment of postal certificates standing in the names of deceased holders, will be submitted by postmaster for the orders of the Head of the circle with a report, in form c.c.-16 accompanied by any documents produced by the applicant in support of his claim, except in cases in which the postmaster himself is competent to decide the claim. In disposing of the application the Head of the Circle giving orders for payment should be guided by the provisions of Rule 63. Orders for payment of postal certificates left by a deceased holder should be issued by the Head of the Circle in which at least one of those postal certificates stands registered. On receipt, therefore, of the application and other documents if the Head of the Circle finds that none of the postal certificates left by the deceased holder stands registered at any post office in his Circle he should arrange to obtain orders for payment from the Head of the proper circle.

(2)

The payment of cash certificates belonging to deceased joint holders will be regulated by the provisions of Rule 550(4) of the Posts and Telegraphs Manual, Volume VI.

(3)

If the title of the applicant is admitted and he desires to receive payment of the amount immediately, it should be sanctioned on the certificate standing in the name of the deceased investor. The applicant should, however be informed that he is not required to receive payment of the amount due before the certificate has reached maturity. If the applicant desires to hold the certificate, the head postmaster concerned should be asked to transfer it to the applicant’s name in

accordance with the procedure for the transfer of postal certificates from the name of one holder to another.

NOTE – The Head of the circle should advise the Audit Office when the applicant’s title is admitted and in the case of the loss, theft or destruction of a certificate being ascertained at the time the applicant enters his claim, or when it occurs in the interval between his application and recognition of his title, he should be required to proceed in the same manner to obtain a declaration as if the holder was alive and it had been lost, stolen or destroyed while in his custody.

The Audit Office in issuing the declaration will add thereto the following :

______________ (name of applicant) has been recognised as the present holder of this declaration.

67. Articles addressed to deceased persons. – (1) Under section 38 of the Indian Post Office Act, an article received in the Returned Letter Office as undelivered to the addressee must be returned to the sender if his name and address are known or can be ascertained, and, therefore, no application from, or on behalf of, the representatives of the deceased addressee for the delivery of such an article to them, after it has reached the Returned Letter Office, can be entertained.

(2)

If an application is received from the sender for the delivery to him of an article that is lying in deposit at a post office as “unclaimed” because of the death of the addressee and which in the ordinary course would be returned to the sender through the Returned Letter Office the claim should ordinarily be admitted in preference to any claim that may have been received from, or on behalf of, the representatives of the deceased addressee.

(3)

In the absence of any claim from the sender, a claim made by, or on behalf of, the representatives of the addressee, may be admitted if the Head of the circle is satisfied that the applicant is entitled to represent the addressee, provided always that, if the article is insured or there is reason to believe that it contains valuable property, or there is any other special cause for caution, an indemnity bond should be obtained from the person to whom the article is delivered.

(4)

An application from, or on behalf of, the representatives of a deceased addressee for the delivery of any article in the custody of the Returned Letter Office, which cannot be returned to the sender and has, therefore, been treated as “Returned” may also be complied with, subject to the conditions laid down in the preceding paragraph.

EXCEPTION – If the representatives of a deceased addressee claim delivery of an insured article on the strength of a probate of the deceased will, or letters of administration the article may be delivered to them without an indemnity bond. In the case of a certificate of succession, however, the execution of an indemnity bond may be dispensed with only when the insured article is mentioned in the certificate.

67-A. The Postmaster-General may at his discretion sanction delivery of registered articles, parcels and insured articles addressed to and payment of money orders payable to students and inmates of educational institutions to the head of the institution subject to the conditions mentioned in the Post Office Guide.

68. Disposal of injurious, indecent or obscene articles. – (1) The Head of a Circle is empowered by section 23(3) (a) of the Post Office Act to direct, if necessary, that a postal article suspected to contain any explosive, dangerous, deleterious of filthy substance, or anything liable to injure postal articles in course of transmission by post or any officer of the Post Office, the transmission by post or any officer of the Post Office, the transmission of which by post or any officer of the Post Office, the transmission of which by post is prohibited under section 19 of the Act, may be opened and destroyed. If, however, only a part of the contents of the postal article is of nature the transmission of which is prohibited under section 19 of the Act, the article may be disposed of under the ordinary rules after destroying only that portion of the contents which is prohibited. He may, however, with the written consent of the sender, but not otherwise, authorise the sale of the contents of a leaky parcel and the remittance of the sale-proceeds to the sender. The Head of the Circle will record an order in each case showing clearly his reasons for authorising the opening or destruction of any such postal article.

Note – Leaky and perishable articles are “deleterious” and “likely to injure postal articles in course of transmission by post” within the meaning of section 19 of the Post Office Act.

(2)

The Head of a Circle is also empowered to direct that the under mentioned postal articles shall be disposed of as stated below :

(a)

Any article found to bear words, marks, or designs or a seditious character, shall be made over for disposal to the Provincial Criminal Intelligence Department.

(b)Any article found to contain anything indecent or obscene, or to have on its outside – whether on the article itself, as in the case of a newspaper, or on its cover – words, marks, or designs of an indecent, obscene, securilous, threatening, or grossly offensive character, shall be destroyed or be otherwise dealt with in such manner as the Head of the Circle may direct.

(c)

Any article found to contain –

(i)

ticket, proposal or advertisement relating to a lottery, or

(ii)

any other matter descriptive of, or otherwise relating to a lottery which is calculated to act as an inducement to persons to participate in that lottery shall be destroyed.

Explanation. – ‘Lottery’ does not include a lottery organised or authorised by the Government.

This power should be exercised only when the article has reached the Returned Letter Office and the reasons for ordering the destruction of an article should be recorded in writing. As regards indecent or obscene article, only those articles as to the indecency or obscenity of which there can be no possible doubt, should be ordered to be destroyed : all other such articles should be forwarded to the Director-General for orders. In the case of a lottery, where the Head of the Circle has the slightest doubt, whether the matter contained is actually a ticket, or a proposal etc. or not, he should consult the law officers of the State or refer the case to the Director-General; if considered necessary.

69. Disposal of articles with prohibited contents. – (1) On receiving information from the Manager of the Returned Letter Office, that a postal article received in that office has been found to contain intoxicating drugs, the transmission of which by post is prohibited, the Head of the circle should, after satisfying himself as to the correctness of the report, issue orders for the article, with all its contents, to be made over to the nearest Excise Officer for the adoption of such further proceedings as may be deemed proper.

(2) If an article has been found to contain anything else, the transmission of which by post is prohibited, the Head of the Circle, on receiving a report from the Returned Letter Office or from the post office concerned, should issue orders as to the action to be taken, after enquiry, if necessary, of the civil authorities.

EXPLANATION.-This rule applies only to cases in which it is known for certain that the contents of the postal article are prohibited.

70. Complaints relating to v.p. articles sent dishonestly or fraudulently. – If a complaint is made by the addressee immediately after the receipt of a v.p. article that it was sent dishonestly or fraudulently, the Head of the Circle may (a) withhold the payment to the sender of the v.p. article of the money recovered from the addressee, and (b) order the return of the v.p. article to the sender and refund to the addressee the sum of money recovered from him on the delivery of the article on his furnishing an indemnity bond in the form given below. Before exercising this power, the Head of the Circle should satisfy himself that the v.p. article was sent with the intention of defrauding the addressee. At the first stage, he must satisfy himself, that there are prima facie grounds for believing this to be the case, while at the second stage he must, after having made such enquiries as may be necessary, fully satisfy himself on the point. Great care must be taken that the power is exercised only in absolutely clear and obvious cases of fraud.

“I …………….. son of …………………… resident of …………………………... having received payment of v.p. money order No. ……………..dated ………………. addressed to ………………………….. and sent by ……………………………. do hereby undertake to indemnify the Postal Department against any future claims by any person in respect of the above amount.”

71. Correspondence with Foreign Administrations. – (1) Communications received from the British Post Office relating to the loss, delay, damage, or miscarriage of parcels, registered articles, and ordinary articles of the letter mail, will be addressed to the Postmaster-General Bombay, who will dispose of them as follows :

(a)

References regarding parcels and registered articles sent to, or received from Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the mails from, or for, Calcutta and references regarding ordinary articles of the letter mail affecting post offices in the Bengal, Assam, Bihar and Orissa Circles, will be transferred to the Postmaster-General, West Bengal.

(b)

References regarding parcels and registered articles sent to, or received from, Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the mails from, or for, Madras and references regarding ordinary articles affecting post offices in the Madras Circle, will be transferred to the Postmaster-General, Madras.

(c)

All other references will be retained by the Postmaster-General, Bombay.

(2) The Head of the Circle concerned will dispose of the references assigned to him and he will also deal with all enquiries originating in India in respect of articles for, or from, the post offices specified in the preceding paragraph.

(3)

Correspondence with the British Post Office should be addressed as shown below :

(a)

Replies to references received from the British Post Office should be addressed to the office or officer of the British Post Office from which or whom the reference was received by the Postmaster-General, Bombay.

(b)

Enquiries regarding the loss of any article should be addressed to :

The Director, Postal Services Department, General Post Office, London, E.C.1.

(c)

Enquiries regarding the disposal, delay, damage and abstraction of contents of articles of the letter mail included in the mails, received from, or despatched to, Great Britain and Northern Ireland (whether for delivery in that country or sent in transit through the British Post Office) should be addressed as follows:

(i)

in the case of articles included in the mails for or from London, to –

The Assistant Controller, Foreign Section, London Postal Service, London, E.C.

(ii)

in the case of articles included in the mails for or from Edinburgh, to –

The Secretary, General Post Office Edinburgh, Scotland.

(iii) in the case of all other articles, to –

The Postmaster,

(British Office of Exchange)

(d) Enquiries regarding parcels, similar to those referred to in (c) above, should be addressed in the same way, except that in the case of parcels included in the mails for or from London, the enquiries should be addressed to –

The Assistant Controller, General Post Office, Parcel Depot, London, E.C.

(4)

When any enquiries have to be made, or any information has to be collected, in connection with references to or from the British Post Office, the Head of the Circle dealing with the reference will, when necessary, call for the required information from the Head of the Circle concerned, who should endeavour to make the desired information complete and then furnish the Head of the Circle concerned with a report on the case, so as to enable him to address or reply to the British Post Office.

(5)

In the case of all other countries, the medium of reference is the Head of the Circle of the Circle in which the Indian office of exchange is situated. Offices of exchange can correspond with their counterparts or the specific offices in the case of certain administrations (vide recueil published by the International Bureau) abroad, on routine questions, like notices of non-delivery, verification notes, reclamations etc., for which standard forms are prescribed in the Convention and Agreements and on matters which involve collection or furnishing of factual information particularly in regard to complaints enquiries or requests for information. But in all other cases the matter should be referred to the Head of the Circle in which the office of Exchange is situated.

NOTE – Formal references such as notices of non-delivery, verification notes, reclamations, etc. and reminders relating thereto, are not dealt with by the Postmaster-General, but by the Indian Officers of foreign exchange.

71-A. Disposal of enquiries or complaints relating to the loss or non-delivery of unregistered and registered articles of the letter mail and of foreign parcels posted in and addressed to a country other than India. – If an enquiry is made regarding the disposal of an unregistered or registered article of the letter mail posted in a foreign country which is a member or the Universal Postal Union and addressed to another country which is also a member of the Union, the following action should be taken if the enquiry has been received within the prescribed period – nine months if the enquiry has been made by a member of the public and two years if it has been made by an Administration of the Union :

(1)

If the enquiry or complaint relates to an unregistered article, the requisite particulars to be furnished in the Union form C-12 should be obtained from the applicant so far as he can furnish this information, and entered in the form which should then be forwarded in a closed envelope without any covering letter to a Chief of the Administration of the country of origin of the article.

NOTE – See Rule 71(5).

(2)

If the enquiry or complaint relates to an unregistered article, it should be seen whether the prescribed enquiry fee of Twenty Paise has been sent with the application in the form of postage stamps. If the fee has not been so sent, a demand for it should be made. The postage stamps or stamps representing the enquiry fee should be defaced and affixed to the Union form C12 or the form C-13 in which an enquiry in such cases is to be made. If the stamp or stamps have been already affixed to such an application they should be removed or cut out from the application and pasted to the Union form. The necessary information to be furnished in the Union form C-12 or the form C-13 should be obtained from the applicant so far as can be furnished by him. If the applicant is the sender of the article, the receipt for the article granted to him at the time of posting of the article should also be obtained from him and the form together with the receipt should be forwarded in a closed cover without a forwarding letter to the Head of the Postal Administration of the country in which the article originated. It should be borne in mind that in all cases in form C12 or the form C-13 with enclosures is to be returned to the Administration from which the enquiry originated as quickly as possible and at the latest within 3 months (6 months in the case of distant countries) from the date of application for enquiry. No time should, therefore, be lost in completing such enquiries.

(3)

If the enquiry relates to a cash-on-delivery article it should also be accompanied by a duplicate of the M.O. form C-8 or by the transfer note as the case may be.

II. If the enquiry relates to a foreign parcel and is made in accordance with the provisions of clause 230 (3) of the Post Office Guide Part I action should be taken as described in paragraphs

(1) (2) and 1(3) above except that the enquiry form to be used in such cases will be the Union form C.P.-5, and that the latest period within which the enquiry form is to be returned is 6 months (9 months in the case of distant countries pays elogues). The period of limitation mentioned in paragraph I is also applicable to enquiries in respect of parcels. Form C.P.-5 should, if necessary, be accompanied by the sender’s receipt for the posting of the parcel.

NOTE 1. – A single enquiry fee is payable for enquiries concerning several registered articles posted simultaneously by the same sender to the address of the same addressee. This rule does not, however, apply in the case of registered articles posted in India and addressed to Aden, Ceylon and Portuguese India

NOTE 2.-If it is desired that the enquiry should be sent by air to a country to which surcharged air mail service exist, the sender will have to pay the initial rate of air mail fee for the country of destination.

71-B. Procedure for dealing with complaints and enquiries relating to foreign postal articles. – 1. Complaints and enquiries ma y be received by offices in India in any of the following

ways :-
(i)	in respect of an article booked in India for delivery in foreign country :-from the sender in India
(ii)	in respect of article booked in foreign country for delivery in India :

(a)

from the foreign postal administration of booking (-or from an intermediate administration);

(b)

from the sender in foreign country; and

(c)

from the addressee in India.

The procedure for dealing with the complaint or enquiry is different in each of the above cases.

2. Outward articles – (a) Complaints in respect of outward foreign articles received by a Head of a circle should normally be transferred to the Superintendent of Post Offices or First Class Postmaster concerned unless it is decided to take up enquiries direct. In the latter case the officer receiving the complaint should enter it in the Complaint Register in the same way as in the case of an inland complaint and then institute enquiries regarding its disposal within India in the same way as for an inland article. If it is found that the article has been duly consigned by an office of exchange to an office outside India he should, if he does not control that office, request the Head of the circle controlling the office of exchange or the Directorate in special cases to take up the matter with the foreign Administration concerned. It should be remembered that when enquiries have to be made from foreign countries, replies take much longer to be received than in the inland service.

(b) If, in any particular case, a request is receive from the office of exchange to address the Foreign administration, as a routine enquiry is not considered by it to serve the purpose or no replies are received to reclamation issued by the office of exchange, the Head of the Circle should take up the case and address the Foreign Administration a formal letter in the matter or in special cases refer the case to the directorate for taking it up.

3. Inward articles.-(a) Normally, in respect of an inward article, complaints should be preferred by the sender to the Postal Administration of the country of origin. Complaints addressed to the Indian Posts and Telegraph Department in such cases should normally be disposed of by requesting the complaint to take up the matter with the country of origin. In special cases, in which it is considered that there are very special reasons for this Department to entertain such a complaint enquiries may be taken up with the administration of origin. In such cases, the matter will be referred by the officer receiving the complaint or enquiry to the Head of the Circle who will decide whether he should correspond on the subject direct with the Foreign Administration concerned or refer the matter to the Director General for referring it to the foreign country.

(b)

In a large majority of cases, however, complaints and enquiries are received from the postal Administration of the country of origin. Such enquiries may be in the form of routine enquiries in the prescribed International standard from (“reclamation”) or regular letters, which in most cases are addressed to the Director-General.

(c)

An inward reclamation is intended for the office of exchange which first received the article in India. It should be addressed to such an office but it is found that many reclamations are received in the Director General’s office. When they are received in the Directorate, they are transferred for disposal either to the head of the Circle in charge of the inward office of exchange or to the officer in charge of that office direct. If, by any chance, a reclamation is transferred by the directorate to some other authority, the latter should promptly pass it on to the office of exchange concerned.

(d)

in regard to complaints addressed by foreign countries to the Director-General or to some other authority in India, replies to the foreign countries should be issued only by the Director General or the Head of a Circle. In no case should any other authority correspond with the foreign

country. Very few of the enquiries addressed to the Director-General in this manner are transferred for disposal to Heads of Circles, but if the Heads of Circles do receive such complaints transferred by the Director-General to them for disposal or if they receive any enquiry direct from a foreign country, there is no objection to replies being sent to the foreign countries direct by the Head of the Circle.

72. Special procedure for Presidency Offices. – (1) The rules relating to the conduct of work in head offices apply equally to Presidency offices, except that a special rule or procedure may be adopted for a presidency office, or the duties of verifying the cash balance may be transferred from a Presidency Postmaster to any other officer with the sanction of the Director-General. In such cases, the Postmaster-General should submit his proposals to the Director-General in the following form :

Name of

Modification

No. of rules

Reasons in brief

Department

proposed

affected.

(2) With the exception given in the preceding paragraph and also with the exception of the duties of the postmaster which may, under the ordinary rules, be delegated to other officials under the orders of the Postmaster-General the delegation to other officers of any of the duties of the Presidency or First Class Postmaster may be sanctioned by the Postmaster-General, a statement in the following form being at the same time submitted to the Director-General for Information:

Name of Department No. of rule affected Officer to whom assigned

73. Deleted.

74. Licenses for the use of franking machines. – (1) The Head of a Circle may issue licenses (M.S. 22) to Government officers, public bodies, firms and persons of standing to use franking machines for the payment of postage on postage articles or charges on State telegrams or both, under the terms and conditions prescribed from time to time by Director-General. A copy of the license will be sent by him to the post and telegraph offices in which the articles or telegrams will be presented for dispatch. The post office will be required to maintain an account with the licensee for the amounts paid by him from time to time and inspect the machines, but if the postal articles are allowed to be posted at more than one post Office or if the machine is used for the payment of telegraph charges only and there are more than one post office in the station, the Head of the Circle will decide what post office will carry out these duties. A copy of the license authorising the use of a franking machine to pay charges on State telegrams will also be sent to the Telegraph Check Office the name of the post office where, the account will be kept being intimated at the same time.

(2) In the event of a breach of any of the conditions of the license, the license will be forthwith cancelled by the Head of the Circle, who will not be responsible for any loss which the licensee may incur thereby. In such a case, any sum that may be due to the licensee on account of amount advanced should be refunded any any sum that may be due to the Department on account of postage or telegraph charges should be recovered from him

75. Prepayment of postage in cash on unregistered packets. – (1) In order to meet convenience of firms at Presidency Towns which have a very large number of inland unregistered packets to post, the head of the Circle may make special arrangements to accept payment of postage in cash, subject to such conditions (time, place, manner of posting, previous notice) as he may consider it necessary to impose and provided the minimum number of packets is not less than

(2) The fact that postage has been prepaid in cash on such articles will be indicated by the impression on them, in red or magenta ink, of the special stamp supplied for the purpose which must remain in the personal custody of the Head of the Office except in the case of Presidency Post Offices where a Gazetted Assistant Postmaster may keep it.

NOTE – This system may be extended to Head and sub post offices other than those which are in charge of an official in the Lowest Selection Grade or time scale of pay, where there is a demand for it or such a facility is likely to be utilised by the public.

75-A. Prepayment of postage and registration fee in cash on ordinary Inland registered articles of letter mail. The Head of the circle may authorise post office to accept payment of postage and registration fee in cash in respect of ordinary registered articles of letter mail subject to the conditions given in Rule 171-A of P&T, Manual Volume VI, Part I (Fourth Edition). When a demand for providing this facility at a post office is received from the public, the Head of the Circle should before authorising introduction of the facility, considered the importance of the place to see whether the facility to be utilised by other firms, individuals etc. in that locality.

NOTE – This facility may be made available only at those Head Offices and sub offices under Higher Selection Grade officials or above in the towns of Bombay, Calcutta, Madras and Delhi only.

76. Enumeration of articles by Returned Letter Offices.- During the second week of the months of February and August of each year, an enumeration will be made of the number of ordinary unregistered articles of the letter and parcel mail received in and despatched by each

R.L.O. Statistics of ordinary unregistered articles of the letter and parcel mail received during the previous week or weeks and disposed of during the enumeration week will be recorded and shown separately. The enumeration for three out of the seven days should be carried out by an Assistant Postmaster General or Assistant Director of Postal Services. A copy of each of the enumeration returns (R.L.O.-1 or R.L.O.-2) will be received with the R.L.O. returns for the corresponding half-year.

1. Half-yearly R.L.O. return. – Two returns in form (R.L.O.-5) for each of the six-monthly periods ending 30^th September and 31^st March, will be submitted by the Manager, Returned Letter Office to the Head of the Circle, who should forward them to the Director-General not later than the 15^th of October and the 15^th of April, respectively. The estimated number of unregistered article shown in the half-yearly R.L.O. return should be checked in the office of the head of the Circle, with the enumeration returns (R.L.O.-1 or R.L.O.-2) before the former is forwarded to the Director-General.
2. NOTE – In the forwarding letter it should invariably be mentioned whether the enumeration period was intervened by a post office holiday in addition to Sunday and whether the figures had been multiplied by 26 1/14 or 31 2/7.
1. Unusual bag account. – The Head of a Circle must prescribe in what cases post offices should keep unusual bag accounts (M.S.-75) with other post offices. A post office need not keep an unusual bag account with another post office, unless unusual bags are frequently despatched from the one to the other.

79. Deleted.

80. Compensation for loss of, or damage to, inland insured articles. – (1) In dealing with claims for compensation for loss of, or damage to inland insured articles or their contents, the Head of a Circle should be guided by the conditions laid down in the Post and Telegraph Guide regarding the payment of compensation in such cases, and should also observe the instructions given in the following paragraphs.

(2)

Claims for compensation for loss of insured articles or of any of their contents should be decided by the Head of the Circle in which the office of posting is situated, while similar claims in cases of damage should be decided by the Head of the Circle in whose jurisdiction the office of delivery is situated. If a claim is admitted, the Head of the circle concerned should issue the necessary instructions for payment of compensation to the head office (if in his circle) to which the office of posting is subordinate, or request the Head of the Circle in which that office is situated to issue such instructions, the amount of compensation to be paid and the date on which it is payable being specified in either case. The amount of compensation paid, and the date and office of payment should be stated in the report to be submitted to the Director-General under rule 176 of the Posts and Telegraphs Manual, Volume V by the Head of the Circle to whom the head office concerned is subordinate.

(3)

(a) Should the entire contents of an insured article which had been lost be recovered before payment of compensation, they should be made over to the sender. Should only a portion of the contents of the insured article be recovered before payment of compensation, it should be made over to the sender and the amount to be paid as compensation will be either (I) the difference between the amount of the original loss and the value of the recovered contents, or (ii) the amount for which the article was insured. – whichever is less.

(b)

In the event of the whole or any potion, of the property being recovered after payment of compensation, it should be dealt with in accordance with the instructions given in the Post and Telegraph Guide.

(c)

When any recovered property cannot be returned to the sender under the provisions of the clause (b) of this paragraph, it should be sold under the orders of the Head of the Circle in which the office of posting is situated. So much of the proceeds as the Head of the Circle is entitled to retain, should be credited to Government in the accounts of the head office by which the compensation was paid and the balance, if any, made over to the sender of the insured article.

(4)

The same procedure should be followed whether or not a postal official is held responsible for the loss or damage and required to make good the value of the insured article or any of its contents. This should not affect the payment of compensation to the sender, which should be made irrespective of any action taken against the official in fault. The amount (if any) made good by the official should be credited in the accounts of the office from which he draws his pay.

(5)

In the case of claims for compensation for the loss of halves of currency notes enclosed in insured articles, compensation to the extent admissible under the rules should be paid in the ordinary course in accordance with the instructions given in paragraphs (2) and (3), above on the sender making over to the post office the corresponding halves of such of the notes in his possession as would cover the amount of compensation payable, and this he should always be asked to do as soon as the loss is brought to light and responsibility for the loss is accepted. The Head of the Circle should then tender the latter halves to the currency Office and apply for their full value. The Currency Department will pay the full value of the Notes only if it is satisfied that the missing halves have been lost in such circumstances that there is no chance of their ever being

presented and in that case the money will be paid not less than five years after the claim has been admitted. If, on the other hand, the Currency Department is not satisfied that the missing halves will not turn up at future date, the Post Office can received only half value immediately and the other half as and when the counter halves are presented and the counter claims are rejected. In cases where the missing halves had been tendered and their value paid before presentation of the safe halves by the Post Office, the Currency Department may pay only the half value of the full notes. On receipt of the half value in the latter cases, the amount already paid as compensation should be reoccupied and credited in the accounts of the head office by which the compensation was paid and, if any balance remains, it should be made over to the sender. In the event of the full value being recovered the same procedure should be followed.

NOTE 1. – If the contents’ of an insured parcel are damaged by an escape insured article is first reported should at once give notice to the office of posting of the article for communication to the sender.

NOTE 2 – If the contents of an insured parcel are damaged by an escape of (say) oil from any other parcel, the sender of the parcel containing the oil may be held liable civilly for the compensation paid by the Post Office to the sender of the insured parcel if the leakage was due to the latter’s negligence in not properly packing the parcel.

81. Compensation for loss of, or damage to, inland uninsured registered articles. – (1) The Head of a Circle may sanction compensation up to a limit of Rs. 25 in respect of the loss of any inland uninsured registered letter, packet, or parcel, or its contents, or of any damage caused to it in the course of transmission through the post, subject to the conditions laid down in the Post Office Guide. Claims for compensation for the loss of an article, or of any of its contents, should be decided by the Head of the Circle of the circle in which the office of posting is situated, while those in respect of damage to an article by the Head of the Circle of the circle in which the office of delivery is situated. In granting compensation, the following special instructions are to be carefully borne in mind :

(a)

No compensation should be given in the following cases :

(i)

Where the registered article contained anything the insurance of which is compulsory.

(ii)

Where the registered article contained nothing of value, e.g., a mere notice to the addressee.

(iii) Where damage has been caused owing to insecure packing.

(b)

In no case should compensation be given on account of postage, registration, or packing charges.

(c)

A complaint of loss or damage made by the sender or addressee within the period prescribed for the sub mission of a formal claim for compensation, may be regarded as a claim for compensation.

(d)

The fact that the loss of a registered article has not been communicated by the Post Office to the sender, does not relieve the latter from the Obligation to submit a claim for compensation within the prescribed time .

In all cases of doubt, a reference should be made to the Director-General.

(2) In the event of the whole, or any portion, of the contents of a lost registered article being recovered after payment of compensation, it should be left to the option of the sender or addressee to whom the compensation was paid, to retain the compensation paid to him, or to take delivery of the recovered articles and refund the whole amount paid as compensation.

1. Compensation for loss of, or damage to, articles of the foreign post. – In all cases in which registered articles or parcels exchanged between India and other countries by the foreign post are lost or damaged, and compensation is payable under the rules, the question whether the compensation, or any part of it, should be paid by the Indian Post Office may be decided by Heads of circles without reference to the Director-General, except in cases in which there is any dispute between the Indian Post Office and any other Postal Administration, when the orders of the Director-General should always be taken. In all cases of loss, and in cases of damage to parcels and insured letter posted in India, the decision will rest with the Head of the Circle to whom the office of exchange is subordinate. In cases of damage to parcels and insured letters received for delivery in India, the decision will rest with the Head of the Circle in which the office of delivery is situated, who will communicate his decision and the reasons for it to the Head of the Circle to whom the office of exchange is subordinate. The liability of the Indian Post Office in respect of the payment of compensation for the loss of a registered article exchanged with Great Britain and Northern Ireland will similarly be decided by the Head of the Circle to whom the office of delivery or the office of exchange is subordinate according as the article was received for delivery or was posted in India.
1. Omitted.
2. Omitted.
1. Cash safe for Branch Offices. – Although it is laid down in rule 287, that in cases in which a safe has not been supplied to a branch office, the branch postmaster will make his own arrangements on his own responsibility for the custody of cash and valuables, it is not intended that the branch postmaster’s responsibility should be strictly enforced in all cases of loss. There may be cases in which the loss was clearly due to causes over which the branch postmaster had no control and to which he had in no way contributed through negligence or carelessness, and it is necessary, therefore, that discretion should be exercised in enforcing responsibility. If, however, in any case it is proposed not to enforce the branch postmaster’s responsibility, full reasons should be recorded in cases which are within the powers of the Head of the Circle of write-off and reported to the Director-General in other cases.
1. Weekly sorting orders. – All changes in the sorting arrangements of the circle should be incorporated in a sorting order which should be issued weekly and numbered in a consecutive annual series. Copies of these sorting order should be supplied direct to all Heads of Circles, Superintendents, R.M.S. concerned of other circles, Superintendents of post offices whose jurisdiction there are offices in direct mail communication with the sorting offices and sections in the circle, and to all post offices which are affected by the changes ordered therein. Copies should also be supplied direct to all Superintendent, Inspectors, record clerks and sub-record clerks in the circle.
2. NOTE – Occasionally, owing to urgency, it may be necessary to issue a sorting order without waiting for it to be included in the next weekly sorting order. In such case, a serial No. should be assigned to the “occasional” order in the weekly sorting order and against this No. a brief reference should be made to the “occasional” order, without repeating it in full detail. For the purpose of this references, all occasional sorting orders should be numbered consecutively in a separate series.
2. Construction of an alteration in, mail vans -The Head of the Circle, controlling the budget allotment for a particular railway, should submit to the Director-General all proposals for the construction of mail vans over that railway. He should also submit for approval of the Director-General such of the proposals for alterations in the internal fittings of the mail vans as are

not covered by the standard designs. These proposals should be accompanied by plans which should, as far as possible, follow the standard designs of mail vans authorised by the Railway Board in their drawings noted below :

BROAD GAUGE POSTAL VANS

Nomenclature	Postal accom-	Layout drawing for		Length of postal comptt.
	modation	Timber Body	Light weight steel body	Timber body	Light weight steel body
1	2	3	4	5	6
2 SW	Full Bogie	CSC-1461	CSC-1226	69’-0”	70’-0”
SW + ½	¾ ”	CSC-1462	CSC-1227	50’-0”	51’-0”
SW	½ ”	CSC-1463	CSC-1228	33’-0”	33’-0”
ST	3/8 ”	CSC-1464	CSC-1229	27’-0”	27’-0”
SH	¼ ”	CSC-1465	CSC-1230	21’-9”	22’-0”
SQ	1/8 ”	CSC-1122		10’-6”

METRE GAUGE POSTAL VANS

Nomenclature	Postal accommodation	Layout drawing	Length
1	2	3	4
2 SW	Full Bogie	CSC-1323	58’-0”
SW + ½	¾ ”	CSC-1324	42’-0”
SW	½ ”	CSC-1325	26’-0”
ST	3/8 ”	CSC-1326	21’-0”
SH	¼ ”	CSC-1327	15’-0”

88.Revision of reserved accommodation. – The previous sanction of the Director-General should be obtained, in cases where it is necessary to increase or decrease the reserved accommodation on railways for sorting sections. Proposals for such changes should be submitted in the form of accommodation statement in form Est.-45, stating fully the reasons for the revision and whether the existing stock of vans is sufficient for the purpose and any other particulars which the Head of the Circle may think necessary.

89. Check of memorandum of disbursement of pay and allowances of Post Offices. –

(1) On the 5^th of each month, each Head Office “which is not under the control of Supdt. of P.O./Sr. Supdt. of P.Os.” will forward the memorandum of disbursement of pay and allowances

(A.C.G.

26) of the preceding month accompanied by the acquittance rolls for amount disbursed.

(2)