NORMS FOR VARIOUS POSTAL SERVICES

Department of Posts is proud to have the largest postal network in the world. Our service area continues to expand to reach people even in hilly, difficult and inaccessible terrains. At the same time there is a continuous endeavor to improve our services/operations with innovative ideas and induction of technology. Our commitment towards rendering better service emanates from our Mission. Our Mission guidelines are:

     Total dedication to understanding and fulfilling customer needs;

     Total devotion to providing efficient and reliable service which the customers consider to be value  for money;

     Total commitment to providing challenging and rewarding career for every employee;

     Total recognition of the responsibilities as a part of the social, industrial and commercial life of the country

     Total enthusiasm to be forward looking and innovative in all areas.

The Department has formulated and implemented in all major offices its  citizen's charter, which is an expression of our commitment towards improving our services offered to make them more efficient and responsive and at the same time making our working more transparent to our valued customers.

The citizen's charter is an attempt to bring the Department closer to its customers.

Our Citizen's Charter Commitments

  We will treat you with courtesy and consideration.
  Our staff will be helpful.
  We will attend promptly to your enquiries and complaints.
  We will provide all the necessary information at customer care centers.
  We will speedily redress customer grievances.
  We will make posting facilities easily accessible as far as possible.

Counter Services

In the post office, we offer various services to our customers. These services can be broadly classified as postal and non-postal services. A large number of post offices are computerised today. We aim to extend this computerisation further covering more and more offices. In these computerised post offices various services are provided at the single window.

The postal services offered include registration of letters and parcels, booking of value payable letters and parcels, booking of money orders, certificate of posting, sale of stamps and postal stationary etc.

Various premium services are also available at selected post offices.

Post offices besides offering postal services, also offer banking services, speed post, money transfer services, life insurance schemes, pension payment, payment of telephone bills, electricity bills etc. as an agency function.

In addition to the post offices, designated RMS offices also offer some counter services.

Some post offices also work for extended hours to enable customers book their articles even beyond normal working hours.

We in the department of posts are committed to providing prompt and efficient counter services, expecting you to fulfill your customer’s obligations.

CUSTOMER’S OBLIGATION

At The Counter

Please make sure you are standing in a queue at the counter. Prior to coming to the counter, please complete all requisite forms related to the service in legible handwriting or in a clear print. Please make sure you tender exact change at the counter or affix correct amount of postage.

Delivery Services

We deliver unregistered, registered mails, parcels, money orders and various premium products to the addressee at his doorstep and through post boxes or bags or deposit boxes in multistoreyed buildings, chawls etc.

The Department is committed to provide these services on all working days through delivery post offices.

During festive seasons special arrangements are made for handling greetings mail at designated post offices, where you are actually involved in sorting out your greeting cards destination-wise. Thus with your co-operation, you will be ensuring expeditious disposal of greetings to your near & dear ones.

Our Delivery Norms

Our broad delivery norms are;

MAIL DESTINATION	DATE OF DELIVERY
Within city/town/district	Within 2 days after day of posting
Inter-metro	Within 2-3 days after day of posting
Within state	Within 3 days after day of posting
Inter-State Capital	Within 3 days after day of posting
Inter – State	Within 3-5 days after day of posting

These norms apply to normal areas. Mail relating to hilly and remote areas will take longer, as per specific local conditions. One day more will be required for parcels and registered articles. Money orders may take 1-2 days more depending on the distance and points of handling.

We aim to deliver 90% of the mails within the norms (time frame) subject to your fulfillment of the obligations such as correctly addressing/pin coding your mail and to the running of air/rail/road transport schedules.

CUSTOMER’S OBLIGATION

    Pack And Wrap Your Mail Properly

Due to improper packing or wrapping, articles sometimes do get damaged. Please pack your article in the prescribed manner before coming to the counter. All the required information about the way of packing and thereby protecting your article can be obtained at the Inquiry Counter or Customer Care Centres at the post offices.

    Please do ensure that you are not sending contraband or prohibited goods. If your article is weighing more than 200 gms, it should be packed in such a way that it can be opened for security check and yet be reclosed effectively.

    Correctly Address Your Mail

You must write the complete address i.e. house no., name of the street, locality, city, district, pin-code etc. of both the addressee and the sender legibly on articles posted. The size of the article should strictly conform to the standards laid down in terms of shape and size. Your article is sorted on the basis of the pin-code that you write on it. In order to prevent missending or misrouting and loss or delay in the delivery of your article, please write correct pin-code at the appropriate place on the article, which would help us to quickly deliver your mail.

    If you are not sure of pin-code, please look up the pin-code directory or get it from the inquiry counter at the post office or at Customer Care Centre.

    Please provide telephone numbers of addressee if you are using our Premium Services.

    Correctly Post to Facilitate Fast Delivery

    Please ensure you post your letter early in the day so that it catches the out going carries. You should hand over greeting cards during the peak seasons at the counter in the post offices for quick processing.

Presort Your Mail and use Post Boxes/Bags

If you are to send mail in bulk, you should pre-sort the mails according to the delivery post office, town or district and prepare separate bundles to ensure speedier transmission.

If you are receiving mail in large numbers ask for Post Box or Post Bag at your delivery post office. That will ensure greater care and security for your mails and you can pick them up at your convenience.

If you are residing in a tall multi storeyed building, kindly appreciate the problem faced at your postman. You should have your own mail-box on the ground floor only.

Inform About Change In Address

You might be changing your residence or your office, but have you informed your post office? Please notify change of your address to the delivery post office as soon as possible, also to those who frequently send you mail, to avoid non delivery of your articles.

Financial Services

As we have an extensive network, post offices serve the nation by providing various agency services like banking services. The banking services offered at post office counter are:

1.	Savings Bank Account
2.	Recurring Deposit Account
3.	Time Deposit
4.	Public Provident Fund Account
5.	Monthly Income Scheme
6.	National Savings Scheme Account,1992
7.	National Savings Certificates VIIIth issue
8.	Kisan Vikas Patras
9.	Senior Citizens’ Savings Scheme

Saving Scheme Transactions Norms

All transactions related to various schemes offered by us are government by norms fixed by us. The norms are as follows.

Type	Savings Activity	Post office	Time Frame
Saving Account	Opening of account  Subsequent deposits Withdrawals	Head post office	Same day
		Sub Post office	Same day
	Transfer of account	Application given at P.O where account Stands	Within 10 working days
		Application given at transferee P.O.	Within 20 working days
	Closure/premature closure of account	RD Head Post Office        Sub Post Office         Branch Office/ED	Same Day Within 2 days One week   Within 6 working days
		MIS HO	Same day
		MIS SO	Same day
	Settlement of deceased claim case	With nomination	Within 10 working days
		Without nomination but with proof of succession	Within 30 working days
	Issue of duplicate passbook	HO & SO	Within a week
	Return of passbook (received for interest  posting)		Within 10 working days
Certificates	Issue of certificate	Head post office	Same day
		Sub Post Office	Same day
		Extra Departmental Post Office	Same day
	Transfer of KVP/NSC	Application at Post Office of registration	Within 10 working days
		Application at other Post Office	Within 20 days
	Encashment of IVP/KVP/NSC	Office of issue	Same day
		Other Office	Within 30 working days

We aim to provide various savings services within the time frame subject to fulfillment of your obligations and the other necessary formalities.

CUSTOMER’S OBLIGATION

Don’t Leave Counter Without A Receipt

Always insist on having a receipt, whether it is at the time of opening a new account in the Branch Post Office, or handing over your passbook for interest posting. Please remember a receipt is a proper receipt. Don’t accept receipts on blank piece of paper even if it is date stamped by post office. Please avoid keeping signed withdrawal forms in the passbook, somebody might just walk away with your money. Always insist on signed counterfoil of the pay-in-slip duly stamped and signed by postmaster for deposit in your account either through cash or cheque. Please give receipt of amount of withdrawal on the back of the withdrawal form. You might be wanting to transact through NSS agents/PRF agents/Mahila Pradhan Kshetriya Bachhat Yojna appointed by the state Govt. and National Savings Organisation, please get the authenticity of their agency and receipt verified from the office of transaction and concerned Superintendents of Post Offices/Postmasters.

Pay Attention To Your Passbook

After having done a transaction, do a thorough scrutiny of your balance. After completion of financial year i.e. on 31^st March every year, please present your passbook for interest posting and verification of balance. Have you kept your savings certificates i.e. KVP/NSC in safe custody? If not please do. As a measure of abundant precaution, note down their number, office of purchase, date of purchase etc. at a place where you can easily find them incase you have lost the certificate and want to inform the authorities.

Do Nominations Properly

Do not neglect or delay nominations in case of accounts or certificates. If you want to change nominations, please do it as the earliest, correctly according to the rules.

Premium Services

In response to the specific needs of our customers we are offering various efficient, time-bound and reliable value added services meeting the needs of specific customer segments.

Premium services offered include Speed Post  (including Speed Post Money Order), Express Post, Sattelite Mail and other premium services (at some centers) like Business Post (mass mailing), Gift delivery, corporate Money order etc.

There are a number of  National Speed Post centres with Express Parcel Service facility.

Each speed post centre, in charge of a Manager, is in turn, controlled by the Business Development centre in office of Postmaster Genera/office of Chief Postmaster General. In case of your query is not fully answered at the Customer Care Centre or at the Facilitation Counter you should approach the above-mentioned controlling authorities.

Delivery Norms For Premium Products

We give special attention to our premium services. So if you want to avail of guaranteed time bound services, please make use of our premium services.

Delivery of those products is governed by norms which are dependent on destination and distance. The norms are:

Life Insurance Schemes

The Department apart from offering postal services also provides insurance cover to Government/Semi-Government/Public Undertaking employees through Postal Life Insurance (PLI) schemes. Various PLI schemes that are being offered are whole Life Insurance, Endowment Assurance, Convertible Whole Life Insurance, Anticipated Endowment Assurance for 15 years and 20 years. Yugal Suraksha (Joint Life Insurance) for 5 to 20 years and Rural Insurance

Norms for PLI Activities

Various activities pertaining to Postal Life Insurance are controlled by a time frame laid down by the Department. The norms are as below: 

All the information regarding PLI that you desire can be obtained from the inquiry counter and facilitation counter of post offices and also from Development Officer, PLI located in Regional Postal head quarters or from PLI divisons at the head quarters of the Postal Circle.

How to get information

You might be wanting information on various services offered by the Post Office. This can be obtained at the inquiry counter of the Post Office or at of your city.

You can also approach the Postmaster for your special queries.

In case you are using our premium services you can also approach the Manger Speed Post Center or Officer in charge of Business Development Cell in Regional Office/Circle Office.

Complaint

We do our best to serve you whether it is at the counter or in delivering mail to you.

But you may not be fully satisfied with our services and as a result you might want to bring it to our notice.

To take care of your complaints and suggestions we have a public grievances redress system. You can lodge your complaint in the post office with the post master regarding the quality of service that you have received. Your complaint will be acknowledged. Your complaint will be attended to and disposal norms will be as follows

In case you are still not satisfied you can approach the concerned Superintendent of Post Offices with your complaint. If your complaint is still not satisfied, you can write to Deputy Director General (Public Grievances), Dak Bhavan, Sansad Marg, New Delhi-110001 (Phone No:- 011-3737306).

In course of your dealing with post office if you have any specific comments about the service you have received, please fill up the Comments Card available with the postmaster which will help us to serve your better.

Compensation

We are not liable for any loss or damage to letters carried by the ordinary letter service. But in some cases you are entitled to compensation depending upon the type of service that you have availed. Compensation claims should be submitted to the Postmaster of the office where you booked the article after completing the formalities. However we suggest that you send your valuable mail either by Speed Post or Registered Post.

OUR CITIZEN’S CHARTER

 We will treat you with courtesy and consideration
Our staff will be helpful.
We will attend promptly to your enquiries and complaints
We will provide all the necessary information at the Customer Care Centres & Inquiry Counter
We will speedily redress customer grievances.
We will make posting facilities easily accessible as far as possible

What we offer you:

1.  Our Counter Services

We offer our services at the counter
Some of our offices work for extended hours
We are at the counter will provide you with prompt & efficient services

2. Delivery service:-

We deliver at your address
We also have customized delivery

Through Post Box/Post Bag/Deposit Box

We aim to deliver 90% of mail within norms
Delivery norms are available at the Customer Care Center.

3. Financial Services

We offer savings bank and savings certificates services
We offer sattelite transfer of cash
Our transaction norms are available at customer care center

4. Premium Products

We cater to your specific mailing needs through speed post, Express Post, Satellite Mail, Gift Services etc.

Our delivery norms are available at the Customer Care center

5. Insurance Services

We offer Postal Life Insurance (PLI) & Rural PLI services in various attractive schemes.
Activities norms are available at the Customer Care Centre.

Useful Tips 

NORMS FOR ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS

            With respect to official dealings at the postal headquarters (Directorate), the time limits/norms as prescribed by Ministry of Finance and Planning Commission are adhered to on budget related matters.  Norms as laid down by O&M Unit are followed to deal with the following items:-

As per O&M guidelines, cases are disposed by not more than three levels.  Ordinarily not more than two working days are taken for disposal of a case by the officer of the Division.  List of pending cases are reviewed by Divisional head on monthly basis as prescribed 

Norms evolved (internal) for disposal of various Items of Work in Admn. Section 

S.No	ITEM	Max. number of working days for disposal of application.
1.	Forwarding of applications for higher posts	10
2.	Grant of Leave	15
3.	Grant of Increment	During the 1st week of the month in which increment is due.
4.	Honorarium	15
5.	Furnishing of various types of reports	By the due date
6.	Verification of various types of applications e.g. GPF, LTC advance etc.	05
7.	Pay fixation	10
8.	Issue of NOC	15
9.	Encashment of unutilized earned leave after retirement	07
10.	Acceptance of nominations of DCRG/Family Pension/GPF	10

Norms for disposal of cases in Cash &Accounts/Pay Bill Section

S No	Item of work	Working days required for disposal of case	Remarks
1.	GPF Advance/withdrawal	5
2.	GPF & Retirement Benefits (Except CGEGIS)	-	On the date of retirement provided requisite papers received from DA (P)
3.