Post office order book

CHAPTER III

SORTING

59. Clearance of letter-boxes. – (1) The branch postmaster should clear the office letter-box at the hours fixed by the AsPos/SDI. The articles taken from the office letter-box as well as those collected by the postmen, village postmen and runners, should be stamped with the date stamp, (a) in the case of unpaid articles, on the back of each article and (b) in the case of other articles, over the postage stamps affixed to or embossed on them, care being taken to deface each stamp separately by means of a clear and distinct impression. Reply postcards should not be stamped on the reply portion when the two halves are posted together. The postage due on the unpaid or insufficiently paid articles should be marked on the face with the postage-due stamp. Packets taken from the letter-box or collected by the postmen, village postmen or runners, should be examined in order to ascertain whether any of them contains a letter or the communication of the nature of a letter or having the character of a personal communication. If so, the packet should be charged with postage at letter or parcel rates, whichever may be less, and then disposed of in the same manner as other packets.

(2) If there are any paid articles intended for delivery from the branch office, they should be delivered to the addressees. All other articles should be sorted in accordance with the sorting list for the offices to which they are to be sent, or put aside for despatch to the account office.

Note 1. – Unregistered articles received by a branch office in sorting should be sorted for despatch in accordance with the sorting list. Such articles should not be stamped by the branch office.

Note 2. – Branch postmasters who are not supplied with printed labels for mail bags must make the necessary entries on the labels in English, if they are acquainted with English.

Note 3. – Stamps which are not Indian postage stamps when affixed to postal articles, cannot be accepted in payment of postage and should not be defaced. (see also rule 29).

Note 4. – See rule 62.

Note 5. – The branch postmaster should examine the signature of the persons franking ‘O.I.G.S.’ covers posted in the office and satisfy himself that they are genuine. If the signature is not found to be genuine or there is any discrepancy in the frank, the article should be treated as unpaid, and the service stamps should not be defaced but a remarks drawing attention to the fact that they are not supported by the prescribed superscription and frank should be written on the face of the article.