GDS to Postman: Postal Manual Volume VI Part III Short Notes

Sl No	Chapter Name	Clause No
1	Head Postmen	106
2	Knowledge Of Postal Business	107
3	Supply of forms to be carried Out	108
4	Sale of Money Order Forms and Stamps	109
5	Postman’s Book	110
6	Addresses to be noted on Postal articles	111
7	Damaged articles to be noticed	112
8	Receipts for articles issued for delivery	113
9	Book of receipts for intimations and notices delivered	114
10	Instructions for delivery	115
11	Realization of postage before delivery	116
12	Receipts of addressees for registered articles" delivered	117
13	Delivery to illiterate addressees	118
14	Delivery to a Pardanshin woman	119
15	Delivery of insured articles addressed to minors	120
16	Payments of e- money orders	121-122
17	Money orders addressed to minors	123
18	Payment of money orders and delivery of registered letters to lunatics	125
19	Duties of village postmen	133

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106. Head Postmen :- (1) in the larger offices, there are usually one or more postman designated Head Postmen who are entrusted with duty of paying and conveying money to and from the treasury, sub treasury or a bank for Town S.Os. Head Postman may also required to take out for delivery article that have been returned by other postman as unclaimed or refused and to take up the work of any postman who make temporarily absent.

(2) For the sake of Greater security, a Head postman may be ordered by Postmaster to accompany a postman to whom several insured article or money order of considerable aggregate value have been made over for delivery of payment.

(3) Head Postman may be employed to make enquiries into minor complaints verify payment of money orders and test the work of postman and later box attendants when they can be spared for a purpose.

107. Knowledge Of Postal Business:- (1) Postmen are expected to know thoroughly the rtes of inland postage and commission of M.Os the charges or insurance and the fee for registration . They should be fully competent to fill up the forms with which the public have ordinarily to deal , especially M.Os. and forms relating to the V.P. system and be able to describe the principal features and advantages of the S.B. post office certificate , M.O. registration and other postal system.

(2) Every postman will be supplied for his personal use with a copy of P.O. pocket guide and a Copy of this chapter printer in

the regional language . He must be careful not to lose these and when giving over charge, must make them over to the official by whom he relieved

108. Supply of forms to be carried.—when a postman proceeds on his beat, he should carry with him in the postman bag a small stock of forms relating to the value payable system and supply them to the public when required.

109. Sale of Money Order Forms and Stamps.--Each postman who is required to sell M.O. form and stamps, will be supplied by the treasurer with a small stock of M.O. forms and postage stamps

of the lower denominations (including post cards, letter cards and embossed envelopes) for sale to the public and he should give the treasurer a receipt for the M.O. forms and stamps in the memo. Of Stamp advances, against the entry of his name. The money relished by the sale of M.O. forms and postage stamps should be made over by the postman, on his returns to the office , to the treasurer, who will give the postman fresh supply of M.O. forms and equals in value to the amount so received from him . The postmaster will fix the amount in M.O. forms and stamps to be issued to each postman.

110.Postman Book:- (1) Every postman must keep a book in Forms Ms 27, in which , before the proceeding on his beat, he should enter the following particulars of the money orders and other articles entructed to him for payment or delivery :-

a) M.O. registered (including insured and V.P.) articles of the letter and parcel mails.

A Description of each article i.e. name of payee and amount office and date of issue of money order , and also the name of addressee of registered article (including insured and V.P. and its No. and if an acknowledgment is due the letter "A" below its number

b. Advices of payment for delivery to the remitters of foreign money orders

A Description of each document and the No. of the money order to which it relates

For entry (a) , a special column is provided n the forms of postman’s book. No special columns are provided in the forms for entry

(b) Which should be written across the form. If any article made over to a postman appears to be damaged. a remark to that effect should be written in his book. The total number of Telegrams made over to a postman for delivery should be entered below the entries relating to other articles. The Assistants of the departments concerned are required to see that all these entries are properly made.

(2) On his return to the office, a postman should obtain the initials of the Assistants concerned or the treasurer in the appropriate columns of his book, an acknowledgement of all receipts, acknowledgments, cash relating to delivered articles, paid M.Os undelivered articles, unpaid M.Os and cash which he has made over to the Assistants or to the treasurer, as the case may be.

(3) A head postman should also enter in his book particulars of drawings from, and payments into, the treasury, sub-treasury or Bank and obtain the treasurer's acknowledgement in his book for money drawn from the treasury, sub-treasury or Bank and paid to him. He must sign the treasurer's cash book (Form A.C.G. 2) for money made over to him for payment into the treasury, sub-treasury or Bank and on the reverse of the lower copy of the treasury voucher which constitutes the office record for vouchers made over to him. for drawings from the treasury, sub-treasury. When cash is entrusted to a head postman for the purchase of stamps from the treasury or sub-treasury, he should give a receipt

for the amount in the treasurer's cash book and obtain a receipt in his book from the treasurer for the stamps made over to the latter. As no special columns are provided in the postman's book for entries of these transactions, the particulars should be written across the form.

(4) If a cash remittance is entrusted to a postman, he should enter in his book the name of the office for which it is, intended, and the amount of the remittance if it is sent loose or, if enclosed in a cash bag. Against the entry, he should obtain the acknowledgement of the treasurer or sub pr branch postmaster to whom the remittance is made over

(5) If a postman's beat extends beyond a single town or village, he must, in addition to the postman's book keep a village postman's visit book (Form Ms. 86) and perform all the duties of a village postman in connection therewith, and when the Superintendent so directs he will be supplied with a book of receipts, to enable him to accept. and grant receipts for registered articles of the letter mail.

NOTE 1.— Used-up postman's books should be kept on record in the delivery department.

NOTE 2.--The particulars of the articles given for delivery under the "Delivery slip" system are not to be entered in the Post-man's book. The delivery slip serves the purpose of this book and it should be filed in the delivery department at the close of the day.

A.—In S.Os a postman must acknowledge receipt of the money or vouchers made over to him for payment into, or drawings from, the treasury, sub-treasury, or Bank on the reverse of the counterfoils of the treasury receipts or vouchers. In the case of cash entrusted to him for the purchase of stamps. he must give a receipt in the S.P.Ms receipt book.

111. Addresses to be noted on articles.—The postman should note the name of the addressee on articles made over to him for delivery, in every case, in which he cannot himself read the language in which the address is written. A postman should be careful not to receive articles addressed to persons residing in another postman's beat except in the case of an article given to him from deposit for the purpose of enquiry, and in this case it should be separately noted in this book. The transfer of articles, especially or articles brought back undelivered, from one postman to another, without the permission of the delivery assistant is strictly prohibited

112. Damaged articles to be noticed.—It is a postman's duty to carefully examine every article made over to him for delivery, and to bring at once to the notice of the postmaster any article that is open or damaged, or that bears the appearance of having been tampered with. Special care must be taken to observe the condition of insured articles.

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113. Receipts for articles issued for delivery.—(l) Postman must sign the registered and parcel abstracts (Forms R.P. 33 and R.P. 8), the registers of V.P. articles received or the delivery slips, where they may be in use, for the registered letter mail and parcel mail articles made over to them for delivery. When signing for the articles, the postmen are required themselves to write, in words, the number of articles given to them, the total amount to be collected on account of any parcel postage or customs duty that may be due, and the total amount to be recovered, from the addressees of V.P. articles. In the case of delivery slips, these entries should be made by the postman below the last entry in the slip. If an alteration in the particulars of an article made over to a postman for delivery is made in the delivery slip by the Assistant, it must be attested by the postman also.

(2) The postmen are also required to sign the postage account in acknowledgement of the postage due on unpaid articles of the letter mail made over to them, and when doing this to write, in words and figures, the total amount of the postage for which they are responsible.

(3) No postman is permitted to receive for delivery an insured article of greater value than Rs. 500/-, The aggregate value of insured articles of all kinds that may be made over at one time to a single postman for delivery should not ordinarily exceed Rs. 1000/-.

Nom. —A single insured article up to Rs. 100/-, and the aggregate value of the insured articles sent out for delivery through a single E.D.D.A. should not exceed Rs. 500/-.

114. Book of receipts for intimations and notices delivered—(1) Every postman must keep, in Form R.P. 53, a book of receipts for intimations and notices delivered in which, before proceeding on his beat, particulars and the following intimations and notices entrusted to him for delivery will be entered by the postmaster, registration, parcel or money order Assistant as the case may be :—

intimations relating to insured articles ;

intimations relating to V.P. articles exceeding Rs. 100/-- in value; notices relating to money orders payable to planters ;

notices relating to articles the contents of which have been damaged or appear to be contraband ; and intimations relating to registered articles and money orders for residents at hotels, clubs, etc. intimations relating to parcels weighing above 10 Kgs.

(2) The postman must himself write the name and address of the addressee or payee in the appropriate column, and should deliver the intimations and notices, with the receipts and acknowledgments in the case of insured articles and the acknowledgments and coupons in the case of M.Os to the addressees or payees, whose signatures should he taken in the book against the entries concerned.

(3) In the case of insured articles the value of which exceeds Rs 500/- and which has to be delivered at the window of the post office , when the postman delivers the addressee receipts, the acknowledgement and the intimation to the addressee , he should as the addressee to sign the addressees receipt in the forms RP 31 or RP 1, as the case may be in his presence who will endorse on the back to the effect that the addressee has signed the receipt in his presence.

115. Instructions for delivery.—(1) each postman's beat is fixed by the postmaster, and he must on no account deviate from the beat prescribed. is required to deliver, if possible, before he returns to the post office, all the articles entrusted to him for delivery to persons residing within the limits of his beat.

NOTE.—Postmen, while on duty, are prohibited from distributing advertisements, handbills, trade circulars or notices of any description on behalf of the members of the public.

(2) If the addressee of an article cannot be found at the given address, enquiry regarding his changed address should be made from the neighbours If trustworthy information can be obtained, the postman should deliver the article at the new address, if it is in his beat, or make a note of new address on the article, so that it may be made over to another postman at the next delivery, or re-directed to another post-town, as the case may be. If sufficient information regarding the addressee cannot be obtained, the article should be returned to the postmaster as unclaimed.

Note.-For redirection of parcels See rule 189, of Part I.

(3) If the addressee of a V.P. article taken out by the postman for delivery is at home when the postman calls and does not at once take delivery of it, the postman should require the addressee to sign the receipt attached to the intimation to the addressee. The intimation should then be detached from its receipt and delivered to the addressee, the receipt being pasted into the postman's book of receipts for intimations and notices delivered, against an entry of the No. of the article to which it relates which he should make in the book at the time.

(4) If the addressee of a V.P. article taken out by the postman for delivery is known to be residing at the address marked on the article but is not at home when the postman calls, the postman should write a remark to that effect on the article. if the addressee is not at home or delivery of the article cannot be effected when the article is given out for delivery for the second time, the postman should deliver the intimation to an adult member of the addressee's household or any other person who may be considered to be authorized to receive ordinary correspondence for the addressee, under receipt to be obtained in the postman's book of receipts for intimations and notices delivered, against an entry of the No. of the article to which it relates, which he should make in the book at the time. If the person to whom the intimation is to be delivered is illiterate, the postman should' write the name of that person in his book of receipts for intimations and notices delivered and deliver the intimation in the presence of a witness whose signature should be obtained in the book.

116. Reallisation of postage before delivery:- A postman is forbidden to deliver any article on which any potage or customs duty is due , or any sum is to be recovered(as in the case of a V.P. article until the full amount to be recovered has been paid. He is not obliged the give change. If any unnecessary delay occurs in the payment by the addressee of the charges recoverable on an article , the postman is authorized to take the article back to the post office

117. Receipts of addressees for registered articles" delivered.—(I) Postman will be held responsible that receipts and acknowledgments for registered and insured articles of the letter and parcel mails delivered are in every case signed by the addressee or some person authorized to receive such articles on his behalf. They should require the addressees or their agents to sign the receipts and acknowledgements (if any) and return the signed documents to them before delivery. An article should not be left with the addressee or his agent until the receipt has been duly signed and returned. No receipts are taken from the addressees of unregistered parcels.

NOTE.—Articles addressed to A.B., care of C.D. should when-ever possible be delivered to A.B. and should only be delivered to C.D. in A.B's absence and provided that C.D., is authorized to receive such articles on A.B's behalf. When an article is addressed' to A.B. care of a general shipping agent or care of a Scheduled Bank or its Branches in India, the article may by delivered to the care party if it is not known at the post office that the article can be at once delivered to the addressee himself.

(2) When a "Mobilization or Receiver cover is delivered, the signature or mark of the addressee on the receipt should be attested by the signature of the village headman , village accountant , school master , or any respectable witness known to the postman

(3) If the addressee refuses to sign an acknowledgement, but merely signs the receipt, the article should be delivered and a remark regarding the refusal should be written on the acknowledgment

(4)The postman should see that the receipts and acknowledgments of insured articles delivered are signed in ink or with ball pen

(5) when delivery of ordinary registered articles is to be made by special procedure of list (form R.P. 57) the postman should sign in the registered or parcel abstract, as the case may be , against an entry of the addressees name and the total number of articles A single receipt for the articles should be obtained from the addressee on the upper copy of the list. Acknowledgment, if any, and receipt in respect of articles on which charges are due should also be got signed . The lower copy of the list, along with the articles, should then be delivered to the addressee, after recovering from him the amounts due. Before making over the receipted copy of the list to the registration of parcel Assistant as the case may be , the postman should himself sign it in token that the articles entered therein have been duly delivered by him. In the rare event of his returning one of the articles as undeliverable or to be redirected, the postman should note the fact in the Remark column of the list against the entry of the article.

(6)All receipt and acknowledgments must be made over to the responsible assistant concerned on the returns of the postmen to the post office"- But in the case of receipt for parcel and other article on which potage or customs duty , with the relative postal fee or redirections fee has been realized , the postmen should first take them to the treasurer and make over to him the money realized on these accounts . The treasurers will acknowledge receipt of the amounts in the postmen’s book and return

the receipt to the postman, who will then handover the receipts without delay to the parcel Assistant . If the duties of the treasurer are performed by the parcel assistant the postage and other charges

realized on parcels delivered should be paid to the assistant to receive such collections

Note:- In offices where delivery slips are used , the treasurer (or other official)will acknowledge receipt of the amount in the delivery slip instead of in the postman’s book

118. Delivery to illiterate addressees.—(1) If a registered article of the letter or parcel mail is delivered to an illiterate address-see, his seal or other mark should be taken on the receipt and acknowledgment (if any) and attested by the postman.

(2) If the addressee of an insured article is illiterate, his thumb-impression, seal, or other mark should be obtained on the receipt and acknowledgment, in the presence of a resident witness who should be required to attest it with his signature.

119.Delivery to a Pardanshin woman:- A registered or insured article addressed to pardanshin woman should be delivered under the conditions laid down in rule no 121(5)

120. Delivery of insured articles addressed to minors.--An insured article addressed to a minor should always be delivered to him in the presence of the person in whose care he may be living at the time and after his signature or thumb-impression on the receipt and acknowledgment has been attested by that person.

121. Payments of e- money orders.—(1) The register of M.Os received must be signed by the postmen in acknowledgment of the M.Os and cash made over to them for payment, the total amount of cash given to each postman to pay money orders being written by him in words and figures over his signature. When a postman or some other official selected by the Postmaster is ordered to accompany another postman who is carrying M.Os articles on which customs duty is due and V.P. articles of, value more than the prescribed maximum he should affix his signature below the postmaster's orders in the register of M.Os received, in token of having seen them, and it will be his duty to accompany the postman in his beat up to a point when the cash is reduced to the limit prescribed for a single postman. The official should again affix his signature in the register of M.Os received in the presence of the treasurer below the acquaintance by the postman for the money received by the postman for payment of M.Os. The escorting official should sip in the postman’s book, in the column 'remarks' against each M.O. which was paid in his presence during his travel, with the postman, and note also the time and place at which he left the postman against the entry of the last M.O. paid in his presence, which had the effect of reducing' the amount of unpaid money orders plus the aggregate value of V.P. articles and articles on which customs duty is due realisable from addressee to a point within the limit prescribed for a single postman.

(2) Before paying a M.O. the postman should require the payee or the person authorized by the payee in writing to receive money orders on his behalf and to sign the receipt and acknowledgement in ink. If the name of the payee's father is given in the M.O. the payee should be required to sign it thus—"A, son of Z". When a M.O. is paid to a person other than the payee on the written authority of the latter, the person receiving payment of the M.O. should be requested to sign the receipt and acknowledgment of the M.O. in the following manner.

---for--

(Signature of the person (Name of the payee) receiving payment).

Before paying a M.O. the postman should see that the correct amount has been receipted by the payee in the proper spaces provided in the receipt and acknowledgment portions of the M.O. Form mentioning the date in the acknowledgment. The intimation port ion of a V.P. M.O. should be cut off and delivered to the payee at the time of payment.

On the signed receipt and acknowledgment being returned to him, the postman should pay the amount of the order and detach the coupon which should be left with the payee. The postman should then himself sign the M.O. as the official by whom payment was made, and note the date of payments, in the places provided for these purposes.

Note:- In the case of an unclaimed or refused M.O. which is repaid to the remitted his signature should be taken on the receipt and only coupon should be detached and handed over to the remitter

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(3) All M.Os. given out for payment must, as an absolute rule be returned (together) with the acknowledgment) to the M.O. assistant and the money (if any) remaining undisbursed to the treasurer, before the office is closed for the day . the accounts between the postman, the treasurer and the M.O. Assistant must be adjusted before the close of the office.

Exception .—The disposal of acknowledgment relating to money orders issued in favour of officers of Government or District Local or Municipal Boards, is governed in some cases by special rules which provide for the retention of the acknowledgment by the payee. To these acknowledgments, the procedure prescribed in this para-graph does not apply.

• (4) If the payee of a M.O. is illiterate, his thumb-impression, seal or other mark should be obtained on the receipt and acknowledgment in the presence of a resident witness who should be required to attest it with his signature. When the payee's thumb-impression is taken, the following procedure should be followed: All grease and dirt should first be carefully removed from the ball of the left thumb, which should then be wiped dry, laid on the special ink-pad provided for the purpose, and very lightly rolled from left to right until it is sufficiently inked. The thumb should then be placed on the paper and a complete impression obtained by rolling it very lightly once from left to right. If the thumb is rubbed or allowed to slip either on the pad or paper, a good impression cannot be secured. It is always advisable to take one or two experimental impressions on waste paper before finally impressing the thumb on the document.

Before proceeding on his beat, a postman should be careful to see there is sufficient printers ink in the special ink pad supplied to him for taking thumb impression to last during the entire period of his absence from the office. The pad should be replenished with ink from the post office whenever necessary

NOTE I.—When the amount of a M.O. payable to an illiterate villager is less than five rupees, and there is no literate man in the village to witness the payment, the M.O. may be paid in the presence of an illiterate witness, whose thumb impression should be taken on the M.O. including the acknowledgment in attestation of payment. In every such case the name of the witness should be written on the M.O. by the postman by whom it is paid.

Note 2.—When the amount of a M.O. payable to an illiterate villager is five rupees or more, and no literate witness is available in the village, payment should be duly attested by securing the left thumb-impression of the headman of the village on the M.O. and his name should be written it is paid.

NOTE 3.—if the payee of a M.O. be a blind person the procedure to be followed in respect of an illiterate payee should be observed in this case.

(5) When the payee of a M.O. is a `pardanashin' woman who has not an agent appointed in writing to receive M.Os on her behalf, her signature (or mark, if she is illiterate) should be attested by a respectable witness (ordinarily a relative known as such to the postman) and payment should be made to the witness. When the witness is not personally known to the postman, he (or she) must before receiving payment , be identified, and the person who identifies him (or her should be required to sign the M.O. as

witness to the payment

(6) When M.O. are paid by postman who serve village outside post-towns the signature of the headman of the village or of the village accountant or other respectable resident of the place where payment is made, must, in every case, be taken on the money order in attestation of the payment, whether the payee is illiterate or not.

(7) When a pension money order is paid to a departmental pensioner, the postman should endorse under his dated signature, on the back of the acknowledgment portion of the money order, a certificate in English or the Regional language to the effect that pensioner is alive on the date of payment. The certificate endorsed by the postman or village postman on the back of the acknowledgment portion of pension money orders paid in January, April, July and October should be attested by at least two respectable persons in • the village.

(8) A postman who asks for, or receives, a commission or present on paying a money order is liable to removal. In S.O. the cash on account of money orders remaining unpaid should be made over hr the postman to the money order Assistant.

123. Money orders addressed to minors.—(l) Where the minor is under years of discretion and is living with his parent of lawful guardian, payment should be made to the parent or guardian on his signing the M.O. on behalf of the minor.

(2) Where the minor is under years of discretion and is not living with his parent or guardian, and the parent or guardian cannot be ascertained, payment should be made to the person in whose care and custody the minor for the time being is, subject to such person sting, in addition to the M.O. an agreement of indemnity under-taking to indemnity the Post Office against all adverse claims in respect of the amount of the M.O. so paid. In the event of his refusing to sign such a bond, payment should be withheld and the M.O. should be taken back to the post office. The prescribed form of agreement should be obtained from the postmaster.

(3) Where the minor is old enough to understand the nature of the transaction, payment should be made to the minor himself.

NOTE.-A stamp duty of 50 False will be payable on the agreement of indemnity prescribed in paragraph (2) of this rule, the stamp being provided by the person who executes the agreement. If a different rate of stamp duty in force in any Circle, the Head of Circle will issue necessary instructions. A single agreement of indemnity may be taken in respect of more than one money order paid at one time by a post office to one and the person on behalf a minor.

125. Payment of money orders and delivery of registered letters to lunatics.—Persons of unsound mind may be classified as o utter—

(i) those who are adjudged lunatics in the inquisition proceedings under the Lunacy Act, and for the Administration of whose estates, managers are appointed by the court ;

(ii) those who are so adjudged but for the administration of whose estate, no managers are appointed by the court ;

(iii) those who are committed by proceedings under the Lunacy act, to Lunatic Asylums or Mental Hospitals established or licensed by Government ; and

(iv) those in respect of whom no steps are taken under the Lunacy Act.

As regards persons in clause (i), the post office may deliver the articles or pay the money orders to the Managers. As regards (ii) and (iii). as it is very difficult for the post office to decide as to whom is the proper person to accept the articles or the money and give discharge on behalf of the lunatic, it would be desirable for the post office to return the articles or the money order to the sender or the remitter, as the case may be under proper advice. In respect of (iv) if the officer tendering the articles or the money suspects that the addressee is not of a sound mind so as to appreciate or understand the consequences of his acts, the articles or money orders should be returned to the sender or the remitter, as the case may be, under proper advice.

133. Duties of village postmen.—(1) Village postmen are delivery agents who cannot usually return to the post office in time to have their accounts adjusted on the day on which they proceed on their beats. They are employed to deliver articles the addresses of which live beyond the limits of the postmen's beats, and to collect unregistered and inland registered articles of the letter mail or dispatch. They are supplied with postage stamps and M.O. forms for sale to the public under the rules governing similar supplies to postmen, and may also be authorized by the Superintendent to pay money orders.

(2) Each village postman is supplied with a route list (Form M. 53) showing the names of the villages to be visited by him. In the case of fixed or combined fixed and unfixed beats, the route list will be accompanied by a map of the beat and will also show the

route to be followed by the village postman, the days fixed for his departure from and return to the post-office, the day on which each village should be visited by him and the villages in which he is allowed to halt. All these particulars must be committed to memory by the village postmen. Village postmen are under the immediate control and orders of the postmaster.

(3) Should a village postman ever notice any damage to a telegraph line, the nature and position of the accident should be reported by him, as soon as possible, to the nearest post office.

"NOTE— The term 'Village Postmen' mentioned in this rule includes postmen not serving all the villages in their beats daily and extra-departmental delivery agents serving rural areas."