Calculator For Revised Foreign Postage Rates W.E.F 01.12.2015

Calculator For Revised Foreign Postage Rates Of Letter Post Items W.E.F. 01.12.2015

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Thanks to Shri. Dhamotharan, dhamotharan@outlook.com

Speed post faster, more reliable than private couriers: CAG

Should we depend on private courier services? A Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) study has found private couriers deliver only 90% of letters compared to 99% by speed post.

In major cities, the performance of speed post is faster and more reliable. The postal service delivers 99% of letters through speed post within 1-9 days as compared to 92% by private courier services that take up to 10 days.

At the local level, the delivery by speed post is 98% compared to 93% by courier services. While the time taken by speed post is 1-11 days at local level, it is 1-12 days in case of private couriers.

In a report on department of posts, tabled in Parliament recently, the official auditor has said the performance of speed post has been better not only at local level and in major cities, but it is the only reliable service at the tehsil and village level.

To compare the performance and quality of speed post with private courier agencies for delivery of mails, a test check was conducted by CAG in eight postal circles -- Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Checks were conducted by posting hundreds of letters.

At the tehsil level only speed post could reach 100% addressees that too within 1-7 days while private couriers could deliver only 83% letters and time ranged from 1-23 days.

"Based on the results, it could be concluded that the speed post service of the department of posts (DoP) was better than the services provided by the private couriers," the auditor said.

Speed post was introduced in 1986 to provide a faster and time-bound mail delivery service in major cities. However, due to late delivery of mails people had stopped relying on the department. But the auditor says the perception is wrong and speed post still remains most reliable and account for more than 10% of the total revenue of the DoP.

In the test check, the auditor had posted 284 letters by speed post and 287 by different private couriers. The performance was judged based on the number of letters sent, letters actually delivered, and time taken for delivery of test letters.

Source : http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Speed-post-faster-more-reliable-than-private-couriers-CAG/articleshow/47349880.cms

Discontinuation of Surface Mail to Oman Post

This is regarding discontinuation of Surface Mail to Oman. Oman Post has conveyed that due to closure of Sultan Qabobs Port, they would not be accepting Surface Mail from 01st January,2015 onward. In this regard, it is requested to kindly direct all post offices concerned to not book any Surface Mail for Oman from 1st January, 2015.

Click Here to view Directorate's Order.

A post office in Kerala which 'delivers' mails to God

Sabarimala (Kerala): It is a unique post office, and one of its main tasks is to deliver letters to God. Located near the famed Hindu temple at the Sabarimala hills, the post office may perhaps be the only one in the country which does not work round the year. It comes alive when the peak pilgrimage season of the Ayyappa shrine begins on the first day of the Malayalam month in November, and the period ends towards the middle of January.

The post office is also open for 10 days during the Vishu season. Functioning six days a week from 8 in the morning to 8 at night, the six employees, led by 23-year-old Sai G Prakash, have a lot to do. Prakash is happy to be here, and says he was a devotee of Lord Ayyappa.

"Our post office mostly gets invitation cards for weddings and shop openings addressed to Lord Ayyappa, obviously to seek divine blessings," Prakash said.

The post office is also open for 10 days during the Vishu season. Functioning six days a week from 8 in the morning to 8 at night, the six employees, led by 23-year-old Sai G Prakash, have a lot to do.
Most such mails come from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, he said. But the three letter boxes kept in the temple complex get more than post cards and envelopes. Every morning, the staff find scores of identity cards and wallets too in them.

"We make it a point to mail these cards to the individuals concerned," Prakash said. The employees often spend their own money to do this. "Since this season began, I have posted close to 20 PAN cards to the income tax office."

Police say all this is the work of pickpockets who operate in the temple town -- crowded during the pilgrimage season. The criminals pocket the money from the wallets and dump the cards -- and wallets -- in the post boxes.

Situated in the mountain ranges of the Western Ghats at 914 metres above sea level, the Sabarimala temple is four kilometres uphill from Pamba in Pathanamthitta district, around 100 km from Thiruvananthapuram.

The temple is accessible only on foot from Pamba. During the last pilgrimage season, more than 4.5 million devotees visited the shrine. This season the authorities expect a 10 percent increase.

A feature of the post office is the special pictorial cancellation stamp of the 18 steps that led to the Lord Ayyappa shrine. "Some devotees come and buy covers or cards and write their own address and post them here," said Prakash. "This is their souvenir."

The post office helps pilgrims to post 'appom' and 'aravana' (the temple prasad). It also sells mobile recharge coupons.

Of the six employees, three walk down the hill daily carrying the outgoing mail on their heads. When they walk up, they carry bags of mail -- mostly addressed to Lord Ayyappa. "Overall we enjoy what we do here," said Prakash. "We are very happy we got this posting.

Source : http://ibnlive.in.com/

REVISED DELIVERY NORMS FOR VARIOUS CATEGORIES OF MAIL

REVISED DELIVERY NORMS FOR VARIOUS CATEGORIES OF MAIL (OTHER THAN SPEED POST).

D.G. Post O.M. No. 13-45/2008-D dated 26.11.2014

            Reference is invited to the Directorate O.M.  of even no.  dated 10.12.2013 (and Addendum dated 21.01.2014 and 03.06.2014) , vide which revised delivery norms for Speed Post were communicated . Since then, the revised norms have also been hosted on India Post website in a PDF as well as in the shape of an interactive “MS Excel” tool.

2.         The matter relating to revision of delivery norms for various categories of mail (other than Speed Post) was under consideration at this Directorate, Accordingly, the delivery norms for mail and parcels have been revised as under:

(a)        For Registered (First Class) Mail:

            (i)         Local (within Municipal City Limits): 2 days.

            (ii)        Between Metro cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata and  

                        Hyderabad) : 2 to 3 days.

            (iii)       Same state: 3 to 4 days.

            (iv)       Neighbouring state: 3 to 4 days.

            (v)        Rest of the country (for cities not covered in the category of: same state” and

                       “neighbouring state”) : 5 to 6 days.

(b)       For First Class (Unregistered) Mail:

            i)          Local (within Municipal City Limits): 2 days.

            (ii)        Between Metro cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata and  

                        Hyderabad): 2 to 3 days.

            (iii)       Same state: 3 to 4 days.

            (iv)       Neighbouring state: 3 to 4 days.

            (v)        Rest of the country (for cities not covered in the category of: same state” and

                       “neighbouring state”) : 5 to 6 days.

 (c)       For Express Parcel:

            (i)         For 84 cities: Specific norms on city –to-city basis (being communicated

                       by e-mail)

            (ii)        Local (for cities other than the 84 cities covered under revised norms for city-to-

                       city norms and covering only Municipal limits): 2 days.

            (iii)       Same state (for cities other than the 84 cities and local mail covered under

                        revised norms): 3 to 4 days

            (iv)       Neighbouring state: (for cities other than the 84 cities covered under

                        revised norms): 3 to 4 days

(v)        Rest of the country (for cities other than the 84 cities covered under revised norms and not covered I “same state” and “neighbouring state”): 5 to 6 days.

(d)       For Business Parcel:

            (i)         Local (within Municipal City Limits): 2 to 3 days.

            (ii)        Between Metro cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata and  

                        Hyderabad): 3 to 4 days.

            (iii)       Same state:  4 days.

            (iv)       Neighbouring state: 4 days.

            (v)        Rest of the country (for cities not covered in the category of: same state” and

                       “neighbouring state”) : 5 to 7 days.

(e)        For Second Class Mail:

            (i)         Local (within Municipal City Limits): 3 days.

            (ii)        Between Metro cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata and  

                        Hyderabad): 4 days.

            (iii)       Same state: 4 days.

            (iv)       Neighbouring state: 4 days.

            (v)        Rest of the country (for cities not covered in the category of: same state” and

                       “neighbouring state”) : 5 to 7 days.

3.         The new delivery norms for Express Parcels on a city-to-city basis for 84 cities, which are being communicated by e-mail, are also limited to the local municipal limit of the cities concerned. Further, the new delivery norms for various categories of mail referred to above would be subject to the conditions that:

(i)         They do not apply to the articles booked after the cut off time on a day (normally taken as 3 or 4 pm for booking counters at post offices  or as decided by the Circle concerned) and an extra  day may be added in such cases,

(ii)        The delivery norms do not include Sundays and Holidays.

(iii)       Delay occurring due to curfew, bandh or strike in a particular city may adversely affect delivery norms.

(iv)       Delay occurring due to cancellation of flight/trains/buses/other  means of transport for carriage of mails or off-loading /non-carriage of mail by the carriers due to any reason is beyond the control of the Department, and therefore, he same may adversely affect delivery norms.

4.         Circles may give wide publicity to the new norms among the public and display the norms in the shape of a matrix of prominent/frequently-used destinations at the post office as display of entire matrix perhaps may not be possible.

5.         The new delivery norms would also be hosted on India Pos website in a user-friendly format so that a user could easily find delivery/transit norms. In the interim, a PDF version of the document will be uploaded by CEPT on the Department’s website.

6.         This O.M. supersedes all previous instructions on delivery norms for mail and Parcels (other than Speed Post) issued by this Directorate/Business Development and Marketing Directorate.

Track Consignments ( Registered Mail, Speed Post, Electronic Money Order, etc )

Track All Mail Items 

India Post Online Tracking facility

India Post’s online tracking allows you to access tracking information and confirm the delivery of your item by using the tracking number assigned to you at the time of Booking. You can find the tracking number on the Postal receipt handed over to you at the Post office Counter at the time of booking.

What can be Tracked

• Speed post (Domestic EMS)
• International EMS
• Electronic Money Order (eMO)
• Registered Mail
• Express Parcel
• Electronic Value Payable Parcel (eVPP)

How it works

The tracking system is updated periodically to provide you with the most current information available about the location and status of your item. You'll be able to find out the following:

• When your item was booked
• When your item was dispatched and received at various locations during its Journey
• When your item was delivered, or:
• When a Delivery Intimation Notice was issued to notify the recipient that the item is available for delivery

How Can I Track?

1. Enter the Postal Article Number In the Tracking Number(s) box,
2. Select the Go button to view your results.

Tracking Number Formats

Category	Format	No. of digits
Speed Post (EMS) Domestic	EE123456789IN	13
International EMS Artilces to be delivered in India	EE123456789XX	13
Electronic Money Order (eMO)	000000000000000000	18
Registered Mail	RX123456789IN	13
Express Parcel Post	XX000000000XX	13

Common Concerns

What if my tracking information is unavailable?
If you receive a message telling you that your tracking information is unavailable, it doesn't mean that your item hasn't been mailed.

• There may be a delay between scanning events and the availability of tracking information related to those scanning events.
• Depending on how recently your item was mailed, tracking information may not be immediately available (this is most likely to occur in rural locations, or when information is provided by foreign postal administrations).

SMS status reporting for Speed Post & eMO

We are happy to launch SMS tracking facility as an initiative to provide better service to our customers. Initially, the service is available for Speed Post and eMO (electronic money order).
The steps involved:
1) You need to send SMS to 055352 in the following format:
	For Speed Post:
		SP<space>Speed Post number                                                        OR EMS<space>Speed Post number
	For eMO:
		MO<space>eMO PNR No                                      OR EMO<space>eMO PNR No
2) 'IN' at the end of Speed Post number need not be given. Eg. if the Speed Post number is EE123456789in; you need to send the message as: SP EE123456789  The service is not case sensitive - you may use capitals or lower case or a mix of both.
3) The data will be retained upto 3 months from the date of booking for the purpose of SMS tracking.
4) The service is available across all service providers in the country. Rates charged by the service provider are applicable. Source : http://www.indiapost.gov.in/tracking.aspx

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Ready Reckoner on Standardisation of Mails

CLICK HERE to view.

I’ve Got Mail

BG Verghese (left) and Karan Singh at the book launch. 

     Sher Singh’s job is to carry mails between Raksham and Chitkul, villages situated at 11,150 ft in the mountains of Himachal Pradesh, where nobody asks, “Do we still have Dak-Runners?” Across India, on landscapes where no wheel will turn, Dak-Runners such as Singh strap mailbags to their shoulders and stride towards remote settlements. Chitkul, for instance, is the last village on the Himachal Pradesh-China border. Singh, 49, was in Delhi — his first time in the Capital — for the launch of journalist BG Verghese’s book, Post Haste, which is dedicated to “the Dak-Runners of India, who still connect us contemporaneously and with our past”.

“I never see what is in the mail but I expect there are several job letters and exam roll numbers. I know there are people waiting for these and this keeps me going,” says Singh, a day after the launch, at the offices of Tranquebar-Westland, publishers of Post Haste.

Even in Delhi, Singh wears his uniform of khakhi shirt and trousers, paired with thick leather shoes and pink woollen socks. Outdoor, the sun is blazing but the Dak-Runner isn’t breaking into a sweat. “These shoes and socks never become hot in summer or cold in the snow. I can wear them in Delhi, Mumbai, in the hills, anywhere,” he says. Singh had the shoes and socks made for the job, while the uniform is a postal department issue.

There are no roads on his beat, informs Singh, only paths made by animals and a few humans. “It is 12 km from Raksham to Chitkul and takes three hours to cover. I hand over the mailbag at the post office in Chitkul and carry a fresh bag back to Raksham,” he says. At Raksham, he exchanges mailbags with a Dak-Runner on the Sangla-Raksham stretch. Singh has mastered the Dak-Runner’s walk. “One doesn’t speed up or slow down, we maintain the same pace all through,” he says.

The Himalayan ranges beyond Kinnaur district, is home to thick forests in which landslides are as frequent as sheep, yaks, goats and leopards. “I came across a cheetah twice. If I had run, the animal would have chased me, so I stood still. I could hear my heart hammering. I was sure I would be killed,” he says. At other times, he has come across bears and had leopards leaping across his path on their way to the khuds below or the forests above. “During winter, when the snow is up to my thighs, I watch out for footprints before deciding my course,” he says, adding, “I have a staff but I am all alone so have to be alert.”

Singh has an erect posture and an unsmiling, focused look. The only time his voice charges up is when he recalls the story of the legendary Dak-Runners of India. A primary school pass-out, Singh has never read the history of Dak-Runners, but the buzurg (elderly people) at home would talk about men who would “walk in such a way that everybody stepped aside.” “These were the dakiya, now called Dak-Runners, and they walked night and day. There were ghungroos tied to their feet and on the staff in their hands so that everybody knew 10-15 km ahead that a dakiya was on his way. Even snakes moved out of their path,” he says.

According to Post Haste, such messengers were called harkaras and the Mughal empire had a network of 4,000. Verghese says nobody knows how many Dak-Runners still exist in India, though the postal department apparently puts the number at 150-200. They operate in mountain regions of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and the Northeast.

Singh, son of a farmer, still practises farming in a five bigha land in his ancestral village of Bhabhanagar, where his family, which includes his six children, live. “It is 120 km from where I work, so I visit on Sundays,” he says. No, he doesn’t walk the way, he takes a bus.

Source : http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/ive-got-mail/99/

Gazette notification on 'Standardization of Mails'

Click here to view the Gazette Notification dated 23rd September, 2013 and Directorate's letter No.20-12/ 2012-D, dated 04.03.2014

Revised Delivery Norms for Speed Post

D.G. Posts No. 13-45/2008-D dated 10/11/.12.2013

The norms for delivery of Speed Post articles have in the past been revised from time to time and are also contained in the Citizen’s Charter of the Department. The existing delivery norms for Speed Post are follows:

(a) Local (within municipal limits) : 2 days

(b) Between one to another metro city (included the six metro cities i.e. Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore and Hyderabad) and limited to Municipal limits of these cities: 2 days

(c) Rest of the country: 4 to 6 days.

2. The norms mentioned above are further qualified by stating that they exclude the day of posting, Sundays and Holidays that they denote maximum time and apply only to the articles booked before the cut-off time.

3. The matter relating to revision of the existing norms for delivery of Speed Post articles was under consideration of this Directorate, and the following has been decided in this regard:

(a) New delivery (transit) norms have been worked out on a city-to-city basis for 87 cities where Speed Post Sorting Hubs are located (excluding 1 CBPO & 2 CBPO). The new delivery norms are being circulated to all concerned by e-mail along with this O.M. The same may be downloaded.

(b) The new norms for a pair of cities have been prescribed in terms of a range. For example,

the delivery norms between Mumbai and Pune is “1 to 2 days, i.e. D+1 to D+2 where “D” is the day of booking.

(c) The new norms would be restricted to the municipal limits of a city (covering only TD PIN codes) under reference.

4. The new delivery norms for Speed Post would be subject to the conditions that:

* They are limited to 87 cities, and municipal limit within these cities,

* They do not apply to the articles booked after the cut-off time on a day(normally) taken as 3 or 4 pm for booking counters at post offices or as decided by the Circle concerned) and an extra day may be added in such cases,

* The delivery norms do not include Sundays and holidays,

* Delay occurring due to curfew, bandh or strike in a particular city mayadversely affect delivery norms,

* Delay occurring due to cancellation of flights/trains/buses/other means of transport for carriage of mail or off-load / non-carriage of mail by the carriers due to any reason is beyond the control of the Department, and therefore, the same may adversely affect delivery norms.

* Beyond the cities mentioned under the delivery norms document, extra days may be required which would vary from place to place..

5. Circles may give wide publicity to the new norms among the public and display the norms in the shape of a matrix of prominent/frequently-used destinations at the post office as display of entire matrix perhaps may not be possible.

6. The new delivery norms would also be placed on India Post website in a user-friendly format so that a user could easily find delivery/transit norms between a pair of cities. In the interim, a PDF version of the document is being uploaded on the Departmental website.

7. This O.M. supercedes all previous instructions on Speed Post Delivery Norms issued by this Directorate/Business Development Directorate.

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Department of Posts launches ‘Express Parcel’ and ‘Business Parcel’ Services

The Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications & IT, here today launched an ‘Express Parcel’ service. The service was launched by Smt. P. Gopinath, Secretary, Department of Posts, at a function organized at New Delhi G.P.O. 

Speaking on the occasion Smt. Gopinath said that ‘Express Parcel’ is a premium parcel service for retail as well as bulk customers. It offered time bound, safe and secure home delivery of parcels. To have minimal transit time these parcels will be given airlift wherever needed. Bulk customers would also have an economical option of surface transported ‘Business Parcel’. 

These two new parcel services aim to promote the e-commerce market in India by offering reliable and cost efficient delivery solutions. Whereas ‘Express Parcel’ is an air mail service providing guaranteed time bound delivery of parcels, ‘Business Parcel’ will provide fast, secure and cost efficient transmission of parcels through surface. These services will have ‘Cash on Delivery’ facility which has become a pre-requisite today for e-commerce parcels. 

Though ‘Business Parcels’ will have a nationwide coverage, the ‘Express Parcel’ service will initially be available between 20 identified cities: Agra, Banglore,Bhubaneshwar, Chennai, Delhi (NCR), Patna, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Indoor, Jaipur, Jammu, Kolkata, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Mumbai, Pune, Parwanoo, Shillong, Surat and Thiruvanthapuram. This service will be expanded nationwide in phased manner. Bothe these services are being offered at a very attractive tariff, said Smt. Gopinath. 

Source :PIB

Mail Network Optimization Project

Mail Network Optimization Project

The project was initiated as part of an 11th Plan scheme in March 2010 as an effort to restructure and consolidate the erstwhile operational (mail) network of the Department of Posts in order to improve the quality of mail services.

Project Components

•        Optimization and consolidation of mail operation network across the country

•        Process redesign in mail operations for greater efficiency

•        Standardization of processes 

•        Development of an effective online performance monitoring system based on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

Project Coverage

•        Entire country covering Speed Post, Registered mail, unregistered mail (parcel would also be brought to the fold after the product and network revamp)

Features of Monitoring System

•        Performance monitoring of each hub based on 17 different KPIs (Transit time, scan compliance, delivery office performance, use of PIN code, missorts etc.)

·                     No human intervention in data extraction and no scope for manipulation of system

•        24x7 Online availability of data with user credentials at all levels

•        Enables field units to find out weak elements in the chain and take effective remedial action

•        Performance monitoring through video conference every fortnight chaired by Secretary

Achievements

•        Reduced transit time (time from booking to delivery of an article) and improved delivery performance for Speed Post across the country (more than 60% articles get delivered across the country within two days of booking)

•        Improved visibility for Speed Post articles on the tracking system of India Post website (www.indiapost.gov.in) (end-to-end status of Speed Post articles is available online for about 89% Speed Post articles)

•        Standardized processes at Speed Post operations have led to streamlined operations, better monitoring and enhanced productivity

•        Introduction of new tools and equipment in operations have led to better working conditions for the employees

•        The online KPI tool has provided an effective mechanism for performance measurement for the management at different levels

•        Complaint handling system has become very effective and responsive

Recent Initiatives

•        Introduction of online track and trace facility for Registered mail

Awards

National E-Governance Award 2012-13 under the category "Outstanding performance in citizen-centric service delivery" by Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievance, Government of India.

(PIB Features.)

******

*Inputs from the Department of Posts.

CLEAR REMARK NEEDED ON RETURNED ARTICLE

Revised Establishment Norms for Sorting of Articles at RMS Offices

Duty on Sundays/holidays in delivery offices --- Held in abeyance until further orders.

Government of India

Ministry of Communications & IT

Department of Posts

Mail Business Division

Dak Bhawan, Sansad Marg

New Delhi-110001

No. 34-03/2013-D Dated 11-07-2013

To

All Heads of Circles

Sub:- Need to ensure prompt delivery of mail on the day of receipt at the Post Offices.

 
     This has reference to the Directorate D. O. letter of even no. dated 19-06-2013 on the above subject vide which Circles were asked to bring skeleton staff on Sundays/ holidays on duty so that accountable mails can be processed and kept ready in advance to be included in the first delivery of next working day.
 

2. In this connection, it is intimated that the Directorate is further examining the issue of calling skeleton staff on duty on Sundays/ holidays for processing of mail.

3. Instructions regarding calling of skeleton staff on Sundays/holidays in delivery offices for processing of accountable mail are, therefore, held in abeyance until further orders.

4. However, other instructions contained in Directorate DO letter of even no. dated 19-06-2013 will continue to be operative.

 (M B Gajbhiye)

Assistant Director General (MO

Registered Letters can't be returned without proper reason: Madras High Court

The postman should make it clear as to whether the registered letter was served on the addressee or refused by the addressee or no addressee was found in the given address, the judge said.

CHENNAI: The Madras high court has frowned on mechanical return of registered letters as "unclaimed" by postmen, and said that in case they could not be delivered, proper reasons must be given.

Justice S Tamilvanan, underscoring the importance of a registered post in litigations and other matters, said that when people pay a fee and affix sufficient postal stamp, the postal authorities or postmen must discharge their duties in a responsible manner. The postman should make it clear as to whether the registered letter was served on the addressee or refused by the addressee or no addressee was found in the given address, the judge said.

Passing orders on a matrimonial litigation, wherein a Chennai-based woman wanted her divorce proceedings to be transferred from a Puducherry court to a Chennai court, the judge said the woman's notice sent by registered post had been returned undelivered with a simple endorsement "unclaimed." Slamming the practice, Justice Tamilvanan said the court was of the view that the reason for the non-delivery of the notice had not been properly explained to the person who sent it.

"The endorsement 'not claimed' is required to be made in a responsible manner by the postman or the official of the postal department, so as to convey proper reason and to bring out the fact as to under what circumstances the registered letter could not be served on the addressee by the postman," the judge said.

In case the registered letter is delivered to a person other than the addressee, the postman must obtain clear endorsement and explain the relationship of the signatory who received the letter on behalf of the addressee, Justice Tamilvanan said.

Return of registered letters with a comment "unclaimed" or with some other improper endorsement would cause inconvenience to the general public and the person seeking justice through court of law, the judge said, adding: "Service of notice by registered post plays a vital role in deciding several cases."

He then directed the chief post-master general of Tamil Nadu to give suitable instructions to all postal department officials to follow the guidelines laid down by the court in this case.

Source :The Times of India