POSTAL RULES

1.6.1
Important Rule Books
• Indian Post Office Act 1898
• Post Office Rules , 1933
• Postal Manual Volumes 1 to 8
• Savings Bank Manual 1 to 3
• Financial Hand Book 1 and 2
• FRSR

1.6.2
Introduction
• Postal manuals consist of information about
the Rules and procedures to be followed for
the transactions done in PO
• Every official of the organisation has to
meticulously follow them
• Rules and procedures in the manuals contain
the tasks to be performed and exceptions
• In case of doubt officials may refer manual for
clarification
1.6.3
Postal Manuals

4
Postal Manuals
• Postal manuals are for the guidance of staff in Post Office.
• They lay down the operational procedures.
• Postal Manual Volume 1 – This is a compilation of
legislative enactments related to Post office. It contains the
following acts and rules
– The Indian Post office Act 1898
– The Indian Post office Rules, 1933
– The Government Savings Banks Act 1873
– The Post office Cash Certificates Act 1917
– The Post office Savings Banks (Nomination) Rules, 1960
– The Government Savings Certificates Act, 1959
– The Government Savings Certificates Rules, 1960

1.6.5
Postal Manuals
Postal Manual Volume II – Contains general guidelines, rules relating to
organisation matters, appeals, petitions, stock, budget and buildings
Postal Manual Volume III – Rules relating to discipline
Postal Manual Volume IV – Rules relating to appointments, promotions,
leave and establishment
Postal Manual Volume V – Rules relating to mails and investigation
Postal Manual Volume VI – This is in three parts and contains rules relating to
Postal operations except Savings bank and certificates
Part I – Rules relating to collection and delivery of ordinary and accountable
mail
Part II – Rules relating to booking, transmission, payment and accounting of
Money orders
Part III – Rules relating to functioning of sub accounts branch, accounting in
POs, Duties of postmen and letter box attendants

1.6.6
Postal Manuals
Postal Manual Volume VII – Rules relating to operations
in Railway mail service
Postal Manual Volume VIII – Rules relating to functioning
of various administrative units like Circle office,
Divisional office, stock depot., etc.,
Branch office rules – Rules relating to the working of
branch offices
Post office Savings Bank Manual Volume I – Contains
rules relating to various types of savings accounts
Post office Savings Bank Manual Volume II – Contains
rules relating to transactions in various types of Savings
Certificates

1.6.7
Postal Manuals

19.Foreign Post Manual

20.Post Office Savings Bank Manual Volume – I –
Procedural rules for all types of accounts
21.Post Office Savings Bank Manual Volume – II
- Procedural rules for Savings Certificates
22.Post Office Life Insurance Fund
23.Postal Manual of SB Control Pairing & Internal
Check Organisation
24.All India PIN Code Directory

1.6.8
Practice
• Exercise 1.6.1

1.6.9
Post Office Guide
Post office Guides are for the guidance of customers
• Post office Guide – Part I
– Contains guidelines to customers transacting in various Postal
products in inland mail and other financial services and details
the conditions
Post office Guide – Part II
– This guide deals with conditions for posting of international mail
• Post office Guide – Part III
– Contains the list of Post offices
• Post office Guide – Part IV
– This guide relates to Post office Savings bank and certificates

1.6.10
FHB Volume 1
• General principles and rules about accounting
• Relation with audit
• Supply of funds and other remittance
transactions
• Revenue and miscellaneous receipts
• General Rules on pay and allowances
• Contingent charges
• Loans and advances to government servants

1.6.11
FHB Volume 2
• Supply of stamps from stamp depot
• Supply of stamps to Post offices
• Revenue receipts under postage revenue, postage
collection, prepayment of postage in cash,unpaid
postage
• Commission on Mos,IPOs sold fees from Post box and
postbags
• Receipt from other departments
• PO accounts-Consolidation of accounts,HO
Summary,SO/BO summary,Supplementary accounts for
March ,HO Cash Book ,Postmaster’s balance sheet
• Submission of Cash account and Cash balance report to
PAO
1.6.12
FRSR
• Fundamental and supplementary rules
• Leave rules
• TA rules
• Pension rules

1.6.13
Acts relating to Post office

Introduction

1.6.14
Indian Post Office Act, 1898
• Act of 1866 amended and came into force from
1.7.1898
• Lays down the privileges in carrying mail,
prohibitions and protections
• Specifies the requirement for prepayment of
postage and the right to recover the same
• Lists the conditions for transmission of Postal
articles and reserves power to intercept articles
and treatment of undeliverable articles
1.6.15
Indian Post Office Act cont’d
• Discusses the rules relating to money orders
• Specifies the exemption from liability for
articles and money orders
• Lists out the penalties and procedure for
penalty

1.6.16
Exemption from liabilities
• Exemption is provided for acts done in good
faith; Following are the relevant sections of
the act
– Section 6 (loss, misdelivery, delay or damage)
– Section 48 (money orders)

1.6.17
Offences and penalties
• Chapter X of the Act specifies the offences and
penalties; They are
– Penalty for misconduct of person carrying or
delivery mail bags or Postal articles (punishable
with fine)
– Penalty for voluntary withdrawal from duty
without permission or notice of personal carrying
or delivering mail bags or articles (imprisonment
upto one month or with fine or both)

1.6.18
Offences and penalties cont’d
• False entry in register kept by person carrying or
delivering postal articles (imprisonment upto six
months or with fine or both)
• theft, dishonest misappropriation, secretion,
destruction or throwing away of postal articles
(imprisonment upto seven years and with fine)
• Opening, detaining or delaying postal articles
(imprisonment upto two years or with fine or
both)
1.6.19
Offences and penalties cont’d
• Fraud in connection with official marks and for
receipt of excess postage (imprisonment upto
two years and with fine)
• Fraudulently preparing, altering, secreting or
destroying post office documents
(imprisonment upto two years and with fine)
• Fraudulently sending unpaid postal articles
(imprisonment upto two years and fine)

1.6.20
Offences and penalties cont’d
• Contravention of section 4 & 5 (exclusive
privilege) – punishable with fine
• Contravention of Section 19 & 20 (sending
prohibited or indecent material by post) –
imprisonment upto one year or with fine or
both
• Defiling or injuring post office letter boxes –
Imprisonment upto one year or with fine or
both

1.6.21
Offences and penalties cont’d
• False declarations in respect of postal articles
– punishable with fine
• Detaining mails or opening mail bag –
Punishable with fine; If committed by an
official of post office, becomes cognizable
offence under CRPC
• Unlawful diverting of letters – Imprisonment
upto six months or with fine or both

1.6.22
Offences and penalties cont’d

• Penalty for defiling or injuring post office letter boxes

is punishable with imprisonment for a term up-to
one year or with fine or with both
• Penalty for affixing without authority thing to, or
painting, tarring or disfiguring post office or post
office letter-boxes.- fine upto Rs.50

1.6.23
First Schedule of PO Rules
• Power to fix rates of inland postage
– GOI may, by Gazette Notification, fix the rates of
Postage and other sums to be charged in respect
of Postal articles, and make rules as to the scale of
weights, terms and conditions
– Provided that the highest rate of postage, when
prepaid shall not exceed the rate set forth for each
class of postal article in the First Schedule i.e., for
Letters, Letter-cards, Postcards, Book, Pattern and
Sample Packets, Registered Newspapers, Parcels

2.1.24
Government Savings Bank Act, 1873

• Introduced on 28th January 1873

• Codifies the laws relating to Government Savings
bank
• Specifies how payment can be made in special
circumstances (deceased claims, minors, lunatics)
• Provides protection against prosecution to the
officials for acts done in good faith

1.6.25
Government Savings Certificates Act, 1959

• Introduced on 18th September 1959

• Lays down the general provisions relating to holdings by
minors and transfers relating to certificates
• Provides protection for acts done in good faith
• Reserves the right to make rules as to various
transactions in certificates

1.6.26