Services Associated With Traditional Postal Communication

1. Certificate of Posting: A certificate of posting is given as an assurance that letters and other articles entrusted to servants or messengers for posting have actually been posted. India Post charges a nominal fee of Rs 3 for three articles or less, for this service.
   
   2. Recall of Articles: During the course of transmission a sender could request the recall of postal article or ask to deliver it to another addressee, provided the following conditions are met. (a) It has not been delivered to the addressee. (b) It has not been confiscated or destroyed by the competent authorities of the country in which the article may be for the time being. (c) It has not been seized by virtue of any law of the country of destination.
   
   3. Poste Restante: It is intended to cater to postal communication needs of travellers. All articles superscribed C/O POSTMASTER or in any other similar way are called poste restante articles. A poste restante article has to be collected by the addressee from the Post Office.
   
   4. Post Box: Customers may get their mail at the post office through Post Boxes which are rented out by the post office. Only fully prepaid articles except parcels are delivered through post boxes. The customer has to pay prescribed rent and a deposit. The customer will be supplied with a Delivery Ticket which should be produced by the customer/his agent when demanded.
   5. Post Bag: This system is available in all delivery post offices. In this system a bag with a lock and keys in duplicate are to be supplied by the customer. All fully prepaid unregistered articles addressed to the customer will be placed inside the bag and handed over to the customer during the business hours prescribed for window delivery.
   
   6. Identification Cards: Post office issues Identity cards for the benefit of travellers, tourists and other customers. The card contains photograph of the holder, his signature and full description. The validity period is three years. 7. Business Reply Service: A person who wishes to get reply from his client can use this facility on payment of prescribed fees. Such cards, envelopes can be posted by the client without any postage.
   
   8. Articles Prohibited from Transmission by Post
   A) Anything injurious.
   1. explosive, dangerous, filthy, noxious or deleterious substance.
   2. any sharp instrument not protected.
   3. any living creature which is either noxious or likely to injure postal articles or postal officer in course of transmission by post.
   B) Tickets, proposals etc relating to unauthorized lotteries (does not include lottery organized or authorized by government.)
   C) Anything indecent.
   
   9. Articles which can be registered:
   1. Letters.
   2. Letter Cards.
   3. Book and Pattern Packets.
   4. Blind Literature Packets.
   
   5. Parcels / newspapers prepaid with postage at newspaper rates of postage.
   
   10. Articles for which Registration is compulsory
   1. Are not delivered through post box or post bag.
   2. Any insured article.
   3. Any article containing valuables such as cheque, bills of exchange etc.
   4. Any article bearing the word “registered”.
   5. Any Value Payable article.
   
   11. Infringement of Conditions
   1. General Unpaid/ Insufficiently Paid Articles
   A) Are not delivered through post box or post bag.
   B) Are not included for dispatch during late fee hours.
   C) Can be delivered at window of the post office if the addressee calls at the post office for taking delivery.
   D) If there is any postage due on registered articles they are not entered in the special delivery list.
   E) If addressee refuses to take delivery of the article, it is returned to the sender and the sender has to pay the taxed amount.
   F) In respect of all unpaid/ insufficiently paid articles, double the postage/ double the deficiency of postage subject to minimum of Re1/- will be collected.
   
   2. Post Cards A. Post card will be treated as letter and the difference will be collected in the following cases: 1) Any private communication appears on the address portion of the postcard. 2) If the post card is cut/altered/folded.
   3) Nothing may be attached to post card except: a) Stamps in payment of postage or other postal fees or stamp duty. b) A label pasted to the card, bearing the name and address of the sender. c) Engravings, illustrations, drawings and photographs on very thin paper and completely adherent to the card. B) Double the deficiency of postage will be collected in the following cases. 1. Any stamps other than postage stamps are affixed. 2. A post card once delivered, is reposted for redirection in a letter box at a different post town.
   
   3. Inland Letter Card Inland Letter Card will be treated as a letter and double the deficiency will be collected in the following cases:
   1. If a private inland letter card weighs more than five grams.
   2. If there are any enclosures.
   3. The words “Inland Letter Card” is not printed on the outside at the top left hand corner on the address side of every folded letter of private manufacture.
   
   4. Book Packet A. If the book packet is more than the size and weight prescribed it shall be returned to sender after cancelling the postage stamps if any. B. If any private communication is enclosed or the envelope is closed, the book packet will be treated as letter or parcel whichever is less and single deficiency will be collected.
   
   5. Book Packet Containing Printed Books and Periodicals
   A. If the book packet is more than the size and weight prescribed, it shall be returned to sender after cancelling the postage stamps if any. B. If the book packet contains any private communication or envelope it will be treated as letter or parcel whichever is less and single deficiency will be collected.
   
   6. Pattern and Sample Packets 1. If the article is more than the size and weight prescribed, it shall be returned to sender after cancelling the postage stamps if any. 2. If found to contain anything not permitted in rules, it will be charged on delivery; with letter or parcel postage whichever may be less.
   
   7. Registered Newspapers The article will be treated as a Book Packet or Book Packet containing periodicals.
   
   8. Blind Literature Packets The article will be treated as a letter or parcel, whichever is less, and it will be charged.
   
   9. Parcels a. Prepayment of postage is compulsory. b. If more than one communication is enclosed in a parcel, each of those communications will be treated as unpaid letter and double the amount of postage will be collected c. Unregistered parcels posted in letter boxes will be compulsorily registered. If the parcel is refused by the addressee, the article will be delivered to the sender and registration charge will be collected

Courtesy : http://akulapraveen.blogspot.com/