POSTAL MANUAL VOLUME V

POST OFFICE AND RAILWAY MAIL SERVICE

GENERAL REGULATIONS
Definitions

• Postmaster- General – The expressions ‘Postmaster-

General’ means a Principal Chief Postmaster General,
Chief Postmaster General, Regional Postmaster General,
or a Director of Postal Services and includes any other
officer exercising the power of Pr CPMG, CPMG, PMG.

RULE 1
Railway Mail Service- RMS means the service responsible for
the carriage of mails by rail, road,river and air and for the
collection and distribution of mails received from Post offices
by mail offices and sections.

Rule-2

Superintendent- Supdt of Post offices is the Chief Officer

incharges of Postal Division and Supdt of RMS is the officer
holding a similar position of a RMS Division.

Rule-3
• Head Office- A Head office is the main office of group
of Post offices consisting of itself and number of
smaller offices called sub and branch offices which have
been placed under its Accounts jurisdiction. The office
in charge of a Head office is designated a Head
Postmaster.

Rule 5
• General Post office – The first class Head offices situated
at he Headquarters of the Head of a Circle or where
there are more than on such Head office, the one
attached to the Headquarters, is termed General Post
office. First class HO under the control and supervision
of Senior Time scale officer. He is called Chief
Postmaster. Second class HO under the control and
supervision of a Group B officer. He is called Senior
Postmaster and He reports to Sr Supdt of Pos.

•
Rule 6
• Sub Office – A Sub office is Post office subordinate to and
account with HO and its monetary transactions are
incorporated in the accounts of the later office. The in charge
of a Sub office is designated a Sub Postmaster.

• A sub office situated in a town or its suburbs where there is

also a Head office is termed a Town Sub office.
Rule 7
• Sub Office – A Branch office is Post office of lower status
than a Sub office. It is in direct account with a Head or
Sub office which is termed its accounts office and its
monetary transactions are incorporated in the accounts
of the later office. The in charge of a Branch office is
designated a Branch Postmaster.
• A Branch office situated in a town or its suburbs where
there is also a Head office is termed a Town Branch
office.
Rule 8
• Transit office – Any Post office which is situated on a
line of through mail communication, and receives and
sorts bags intended for offices in advance, without
opening them, is a transit office.
• The bags which are thus forwarded onwards unopened
are termed forward bags.
• The transit bags addressed to a transit office are opened
their and the forward the bags contained in them are
sent outwards, either loose or enclosed in other transit
bags.
• The use of a transit office is to reduce the number of
loose bags.
Rule 9 A
• Transit Mail office – A branch of RMS where closed
bags are received and despatched, sorting of letters is
no done in this unit.
• Mail Agent or Mail Guard is in charge of this unit. This
can function in number of sets depending upon
requirements.
• E.g. Bangalore City TMO Set No. 1 – 06.00 to 14.00
Bangalore City TMO Set No. 2 – 14.00 to 21.40

Rule 9 B
• Computerized Transit Mail Office – In certain cities,
Computers have been provided to handle the work of
the TMO. These are called Computerized TMOs.
Rule
9C
 Sorting Office – An office charges with duty of opening and
sorting of mail bags received by it and disposing of their
contents it termed as Sorting Office.
• A sorting office may receive articles of all kinds in sorting. The
use of a Sorting office is
(a) To simplify the work of sorting in other offices,
(b) To reduce the number of bags exchanged between Post offices
and
(c) To reduce the weight of the mails carried on mail lines.

Rule 10
• Automatic Mail Processing Centres- (AMPC) In important
cities where mail traffic is high, sorting machine have
been provided which have high speed of sorting, At
present, these machines are functioning in Mumbai and
Chennai.
Rule
10 A
• Computerized Registration Centres – The registration
branch of the Mail Office, where the process of
Registration work is done on computers, is called CRC. A
CRC can be situated in the Mail office itself or in a
separate location

Rule 10 B
• Sorting Sub Office - A sorting sub office is a sub office
which is selected from its position at or near the junction
of several mail lines, to serve as a Sorting Office for
articles addressed to, or received from, offices to which
the route lies through the sorting sub office. It is
authorized to receive articles of all kinds in sorting.
Rule
11
• Nodal Post Office – In important cites and towns, some Post
offices are authorized to receive letters from neighbouring
Post offices and sort the mail as per the sorting diagram
given by the RMS Supdts.
• This is to reduce the peak hour pressure in the local sorting
offices. Such office are identified as Nodal Post offices.
Rule 11 A
• Central Bagging Unit / Kendriya Bagging Unit-
• This unit is a branch of RMS office. Here the bundles
prepared by the Post offices/Mail offices grouped and
enclosed in a direct bag. This is for only L & R bags.

Rule 11 B
• Returned Letter Office –
A Returned Letter Office is established at the HQs of a
Postal Circle and deals with unclaimed and refused
articles and articles without addresses or with
undecipherable or incomplete addresses.
Rule
12
• Transcription Centre – A transcription centre is a cell
established in a Sorting Office, situated normally at the HQs of
the Circle or at any other convenient Sorting Office in the circle.
Transcription centre transcribes into English the addressed
written in regional languages on postal articles posted in Post
or Mail offices.

Rule 12 A
Office of Exchange –
• A post office or sorting office or section which exchanges mails
with offices in foreign countries is known as Office of Exchange.
Rule 13 A

Office of Exchange of transit –

• An office of exchange on the border which only receives and
despatches closed bags addressed to or received from other office
of exchange in India is known as Office of Exchange of Transit.
• Such an office will not close bags for foreign countries or open
inward foreign bags.
• Its function is only exchange of mails with the carrier or with the
officials of foreign administration.
Rule 13 B
Foreign Post office – is an office of exchange in which the work of
assessment of customs duty on foreign mails is also carried out. Although
mails may be intercepted ( and articles not suspected to contain anything
dutiable released) in many exchange offices. The work of actual
assessment of duty is done only in the Foreign Post offices.

Rule 13 C
Sub Foreign Post office – is an which is not an exchange office
but in which the work of customs examination, assessment
and accounting of customs duty is carried out.
Rule 13 D

Transit sections – Transit sections are travelling offices of the

RMS working on Railway or River steamer lines. The office in
charges of a set of a transit is called Mail Guard or Mail
Agent.
Rule 14
• Mail office – Mail offices are stationary offices of the
RMS and are two kinds, viz
• 1. Sorting Mail Offices 2. Transit Mail Offices.
• SMO deals with the contents of a mail bags addressed
to them as well as with closed forward bags.
• TMO deals only with closed bags.
• The officer in charge of the set of a Sorting Mail office is
designated as Head Sorting Assistant (HAS) and in
charge of the set of Transit Mail office, a Mail Agent
irrespective of the status of the incumbent.

Rule 15
• Corporate mail Office or Bulk Mail Centre –
• These are opened in big cities. Each bulk mailer i.e Firm
which capable of posting of 5000 unregistered articles
/250 Registered articles at a time is identified as Bulk
Mailer. Bulk mailers are supplied with customized sorting
list. Bundles are prepared by the Bulk mailers as per the
customized sorting list.
The details of bundles prepared are entered in one
invoice which is prepared in duplicate and brought to
BMC.
Rule 15 A
• Mass Mailing Centre – (MMC) In order to help the
customers who are regularly posting maximum number
of letters, DOP started assistance centres which are
called Mass Mailing Centres in bigger cites.
• For various pre mailing activities, MMC may engage
the college students, house-wives, pensioners, etc. on
payment of some amount on hourly basis.
• To meet the expenditure, the customers will have to pay
extra in addition to the postage as decided by the Dept
from time to time.
Rule
15 B
• Press sorting office – This sorting office is situated on the
premises of the Newspaper.
• The entire expenditure towards wages for the
establishment is borne by the Newspaper Publisher apart
from providing stationary for working the sorting office.
• This office works to suit the dispatch timing of the
newspaper and closes direct letter bags to the Post
offices/Sorting offices concerned which are despatched
through local regular sorting offices.
• E.g. Delhi RMS Hindustan Times PSO.
Rule 15 C
• Record office – A record office is a stationary office of the
Railway Mail Service where the work-papers of the
sections attached to it are prepared, checked and place
on record, and by which all forms, bags and stationary
required for the use of sections are supplied.
• In charge of the office is Record Officer.
Rule 16
• Head Record office – It is a stationary office situated at
the HQs of RMS Division which, in addition to the
ordinary duties of a Record office is entrusted, with the
preparation of salary and contingent bills for the entire
Division and the accounts connected therewith is
termed a Head Record Office.
• In charge of the office is Head Record Officer.
Rule
17
• Sub Record Office – is a stationary office of the RMS,
situated at the same station as a Mail Office, where the
work-papers of the Mail office as well as the sections, if
any, attached to the Sub Record Office are prepared,
checked and placed on record and by which all forms,
bags and stationary required for the use of the Mail
office and the sections are supplied.
• In charge of the office is Sub Record Officer (SRO).
Rule 18
• Bag office – For avoiding unnecessary movement of bags,
the new system of bag accounting has been introduced
classifying PO/RMS office into Bag office.
• Unit Bag Office (UBO) every post office other than BO and
EDSOs is identified as UBO.
• This office is given min/max bag balances once in a year by
the Supdt of Pos concerned preferably on 1st July. Each
office will maintain a day bag book and submit daily report
to its DBO.

Rule 18 A
• District Bag Office (DBO) Every SRO/HRO in RMS is
identified as DBO.
• This office will maintain bag account for all types of
bags category wise not only in respect of bags received
and despatched by the Sorting Offices and TMOs
attached to them but also in respect of UBO attached to
them.
• In exceptional cases, HPO can also function as DBO.
• Circle Bag Office (CBO) The Postal Stores Depot situated
a the HQs of Postal Circle is identified as CBO. This office
is responsible for inspection of DBOs and UBOs and
verification of balances.
• This office is also responsible for procurement of bags,
distribution of bags, repair and action of bags.
• Central Bag Office (CBO)- D section of Postal Directorate
works as Central Bag Office.
• This does not deal with any bags but only
correspondence relating to procurement and
distribution of bags.
Rule 18 A
• Sorting Assistant – The term SA is used to designate all
officials in the RMS other than Supervising Officers, Mail
Guards and class IV servants

Rule 19

• Subsidiary Sorting Assistant – A SA who works with a

sorting office over only a portion of its working hours to
assist the set where the work is heavy is called SSA.

Rule 20
• Set of Section – The establishment of RMS SA which
works together throughout the beat of the same section
in both directions is termed as set of that particular
section.
• Sets are numbered serially and are designated by their
serial numbers preceded by the name of section.
• Each set of the section has the same working hours,
same number of officials and the same mail exchange
arrangement.
• The number of set of a sections are determined on the
basis of weekly working hours.

Rule 21 A
• Set of a Mail Office – The establishment of RMS SA who
is on duty at the same time in Mail office is termed a set.
The sets of mail offices are numbered in consecutive
series, immediately after zero hours.
• Unlike the sets of a section, each set of a Mail office has
different working hours, different mail and sorting
pattern.
• The strength may also vary depending upon the volume
of work.

Rule 21 B
• Trip– A journey performed by a set of a section travelling
on duty from one end of its beat to the other is called trip.
The trip from HQs of the set towards its out-station called
the Out-Trip, while that towards its HQs is called the In-
Trip.
Rule 22

• Station articles – Station articles are the articles intended

for delivery from the Post office to which they are sent but
unpaid and insufficiently paid articles of the letter mail
intended for delivery from SOs and BOs are, when sent to
the HO or SO treated as station articles for HO or SO, as
the case may be.

Rule 23
• Sorting articles – Sorting articles are articles that are to be sorted by
the Post office or Mail office to which they are sent, and forward thence
to offices of final destination or to other sorting offices.
• Labelled bundle - A labelled bundled is a collection of faced
unregistered articles of the letter mail securely tied with a check-slip at
the top. It is treated in sorting as a single article, and is opened by the
office or section to which it is addressed. Labelled bundles are of two
classes, station bundles and sorting bundles.
• A sorting bundle contains both paid and unpaid unregistered articles,
and my be either a paid article bundle, consisting of only paid articles,
or an unpaid articles bundle consisting of only unpaid articles.
• Station bundles are prepared, ordinarily, when number of articles either
paid or unpaid for any office exceeds fourteen( 15 and more).

Rule 24
• A sorting bundle contains both paid and unpaid
unregistered articles which are not included in station
bundles. Sorting bundles may be of two kinds,
1. Express bundles – Sorted immediately.
2. Deferred bundles- Disposed of later.

• Territorial bundles( for state, country or a foreign

country) are prepared when number of articles is 25 and
more.

• Labelled bundles are not due.

Rule 24
Pre sorted bundles – These are received from the customers as well as from Post offices. These
should not be opened if they are station bundles and can be opened and sorted, only if they are
sorting bundles.
Rule 24
• Check-slip – A check slip is a label tied to the top of the labelled bundle:
the form is printed on paper of different colures.
1. Pink for ordinary paid & unpaid bundles.
2. White for ordinary sorting bundles.
3. Blue with words “ AIR MAIL” for foreign air mail bundles.
4. White check slip used for both Express and Deffered bundles, the slip being
marked on the face with 2 diagonal lines in blue pencil, for express bundle.
5. The slip being marked on the face with 2 diagonal lines in Green colour for local
articles.
6. Yellow strip in corner for Rajdhani and Blue strip in corner for Metro bundles.

• Every check slips bears the name and date stamps of the office
which prepares bundle, the name of the office to which it is addressed
and signature in full of the officer by whom it is made up.
• Check slips are designated to fix responsibility for the mis-
sending of any article wrongly included in a labelled bundle.

Rule 25
• Money order check slip –
A check slip ( MO 70) printed in red ink or white
Badami paper is prescribed for use in preparing money
orders bundles for despatch to destination.
RULE-
25A
• Mail bags – A mail bag is a bag containing unregd and regd articles
of the letter mail, letters, postcards, and book and pattern packets,
and also, unregd parcles, the regd articles being enclosed in a regd
bag: but when a regd packet bag is prescribed, heavy regd packets,
are dispatched inside the regd pkt bag and not inside the mail bag.
• When parcel bags are not prescribed, mail bags may also contain
articles of the parcel mail.
• There are three kinds of mail bags, station mail bags, sorting mail
bags and combined mail bags. Mail bags are due bags.

Rule 26
• Mail bags exchanged between a cash office and the sub office
which it finances will also contain inside the Regd bag, a cash
bag.
• These mail bags are denoted in the due mail lists of the cash
office, of the sub office and of the offices through which they
transit by a distinguishing symbol “F”.
• In any case in which the HOC or HOCs concerned consider it
advantages that the Regd bag should no be sent inside the
mail bag, the Regd bag may be forwarded out side.
• All bags including those in the nature of ‘L’ bags should
invariably be sealed.

Rule
-26
• Air Mail bags – A mail bag containing unregd and regd articles to be carried
by any air service under All Up Scheme is called and Air Mail Bag. The bag
should not contain articles not intended to be carried by air. A blue dosuti bag
should ordinarily be used for closing an air mail bag.
• If on any occasion there is no article for despatch in a particular air mail bag, a
bag with ‘NIL” contents need not be closed, but suitable entry should be made
in the delivery bill.
• If the number of articles to be despatched is less than 50 and there is also no
insured article or air parcel for dispatch in an airmail bag, and air mail cover of
suitable size should be used instead of bag.
• When an air parcel is sent inside and airmail bag, the label of the bag should
bear the superscription “C.A.P” to indicate that it contains air parcel.
• Regd articles should not be enclosed in a bag unless their number exceeds 25
or they are bulky or there are insured articles for dispatch.
• The weight of an Air Mail Bag or Air TB should not exceed 30 Kg.

Rule 26 A
• Registered bundle.- (1) A registered bundle is a collection of
faced, uninsured registered articles of the letter mail placed,
together with a registered list, in a prescribed form of
envelope, carefully gummed and sealed, or if necessary, in a
dosuti bag, tied and sealed in the ordinary way, with the
label showing distinctly that it is a “registered bundle” and
not a ‘registered bag’.
• Registered bundles are not due, but are made up, ordinary,
when the number of registered articles to be enclosed
exceeds two; they are treated in sorting as single registered
articles.
Rule
27
• Registered bundles from customers.- The customers booking their
articles in bulk prepare station and TB bundles in the same manner
as discussed above and present them at the sorting office.

Rule 27 A
• Registered bag.- (1) A registered bag contains cash bag, ordinary and V.P.
registered letters and packets, insured envelopes, registered bundles, insured
bundles, ordinary and V.P. money order bundles tied with a check-slip, and a
registered list.
• NOTE – The registered bag inside a mail bag indicated by symbol ‘P’ in the
D.M. list will also contain a cash bag.
• (2) A registered bag is a due bag and must be prepared, together with a
registered list, whether there is a cash bag or registered articles for dispatch
or not.
• (3) The registered list sent in registered bags which are prescribed to contain
a cash bag must invariably bear, in addition to the Registration Date-Stamp
impression, the impression of the treasury date-stamp of the office closing
the bag, or in offices where there is no treasury date-stamp, the round money
order stamp of the Sub Postmaster.

Rule28
• Speed Post Bag.- This bag contains Speed Post articles, Speed Post
Money orders and a Speed Post list. In the Speed Post list, the number of
articles and the office of booking in invariably written and totals are
struck at the bottom.
Rule28A
• Insured bundle.- (1) An insured bundle is a collection of insured letters
enclosed, together with a registered list, in an insured envelope, or if
necessary, in a dosuti bag, properly closed and sealed, showing distinctly
on the envelope or the label of the bag that it is an “Insured Bundle”.
• Insured bundles are not due, but are made up ordinarily, when the
number of insured letters for dispatch to a Post Office is more than one;
they are treated in sorting as single insured envelopes.
• When the number of insured letters and I.Bs to be disposed of through a
Mail Office is usually more than ten, a separate insured letter bag
addressed to that mail office may be prescribed to be closed as a
separate due bag.
• The insured letter bag should be dispatched inside the registered bag
with suitable remarks in the registered list.
Rule 29
• Parcel bag.- A parcel bag contains ordinary registered
parcels, V.P. parcels and insured bags. It also contains a parcel
list in which all the registered articles of the parcel mail are
entered in detail. Parcel bags are not due bags, and when
dispatched they are treated as unusual mails.
Rule 30
• Insured bag.- An insured bag is intended to give cover to insured parcels
(including insured V.P. parcels) so as to afford them greater security.
• Insured bags do not come under the category either of due or unusual
bags nor do they contain any list of their contents, these being detailed
in the ordinary parcel list.
• An insured bag is never dispatched loose, but is always enclosed in a
parcel bag or mail bag.
• It is placed inside the parcel bag when a parcel bag is made up for the
office or section to which it is addressed; when a parcel bag is not made
up, it is placed inside the mail bag.
• However, in large parcel sorting offices, when insured parcel bags are
closed separately, double canvas bags should be used for the purpose of
ensuring security.
Rule 31
• Registered packet bag. – (1) A registered packet bag contains heavy registered
packets and a registered list. Registered packet bags are prescribed when justified.
• They are treated as due mails and entered under the column for entries of mail bags in
the mail list with the remarks ‘RP’ against the entry.
• When prescribed, they must be closed irrespective of the fact whether there are any
registered packets or not.
• Such registered packet bags may also be closed, though not due, when the Registered
packets intended for any office or section cannot, due to their bulky size, be included
in the registered bag.
• In such cases, a remark ‘RP bag closed’ is to be given in the registered list of the due
registered bag.
• (2) Packet bag.- Bags returned empty to UBO/DBO/CBO/PO or sacks containing such
bags are treated as packet bags. Packet bags are not due bags and when dispatched
they are treated as unusual mail.

Rule 32
• Transit bag.- A transit bag is used to enclose several bags sent to the same
office or section thereby affording protection to them, and securing the
disposal in transit of only one bag in place of several. A transit bag must
contain a mail list. Transit bags are due bags.

Rule 33
• Account bag. - An account bag is used between a sub-office
and its Head Office to enclose cash bags and articles,
documents, etc., connected with accounts as well as
correspondence unconnected with accounts, from the Head
Office to one of its sub-offices and vice versa.
• When sent by the Head Office to the sub-office, it contains
the S.O. slip and when sent by the sub-office to the Head
Office, it contains the S.O. daily account.
• Account bags may be loose or enclosed in mail bags made
up by Post Offices and Mail Offices.
• Account bags are due bags. They should contain all types of
postal articles posted in SOs deliverable at HO and vice
versa.
Rule
34
Branch office bag. - A branch office bag is used between a
branch office and its account office to enclose cash bags and
all articles, documents, etc., exchanged with the account
office. Branch office bags may be sent loose or enclosed in
mail bags made up by Post Offices and Ma il Offices. Branch
office bags are due bags.
Rule 35
Cash bag. - A cash bag is used to enclose remittances of
cash between Post Offices.
• Cash bags are not due bags.
• They are ordinarily dispatched enclosed in account bags,
registered bags, or branch office e bags, but may also be
sent loose in the charge of postman, village postman,
overseer, or other subordinate.

Rule36
 Special bag.- A special bag is used to enclose
correspondence of the high officers of Government
mentioned in the Post Office Guide, Part-I, as entitled to the
privilege, and the correspondence of the Director-General of
Posts when on tour.
• A special bag contains unregistered and registered articles of
the letter mail, the latter being tied in a separate bundle with
the registered list in which they are entered placed on top.
• Special bags are not due bags, but when dispatched they are
treated as unusual mails.
Rule 37
• Camp bag. - A camp bag is used to enclose the office
files and other official papers, and is closed by the
Secretariat or Headquarters offices of the high officers
mentioned in Clause 198 of Post Office Guide, Part-I, for
the High Officer-in Camp, and vice versa. Camp bags
are not due bags, but when dispatched, they are
treated as unusual mails.
Rule37A
Changing station - A Railway Station, where the beats of
two transit sections join and where the mails brought by one
of them are handed over to the other, is called a changing
station.
Rule 40
• Connecting section.- A connecting section is an RMS
section working in a train in immediate connection with
another train in which another RMS section works.
• If the interval between the arrival of one section and the
departure of another is sufficient to connect bags being
made up by a mail office at the junction station, the
sections are not termed “connecting sections”.
Rule
41
 Overtime duty. - The expression overtime duty means the
duty performed under the orders of the Superintendent,
Assistant Superintendent, Inspector or Record Officer by a
Sorting Assistant, Mail Guard, Van-Peon, Porter, or other staff
of the RMS after the completion of prescribed term of duty.
Rule
42

Rest house.- Rest-houses are houses or rooms provided at

terminal or changing stations for the accommodation of Mail
Agents, Mail Guards and Van Peons where absolutely
necessary.
Rule 43
Cage TB.- When a lot of bags are available at distant places, Cage TB
facility is utilized.
• For instance, Chennai Central Station TMO has got 350 bags intended
for the delivery at Howrah Station.
• If these bags are given to the Section leaving Chennai Central Section
TMO, viz., TP-16-OUT, all these bags are required to be handled by TP-
16-OUT and other intermediary sections, viz., V-10-IN, V-14- OUT and
N-2-IN.
• If the Cage TB facility is used, the Chennai Central Station TMO can load
all the bags in a partition in the Mail Van of the train (TP-16-OUT) and
lock the partition so that TP-16-OUT and other intervening sections
need not handle these bags.
• This partition which is locked sealed and labeled by Chennai Central
Station TMO can be opened only by the Mail Agent at Howrah Station
TMO after N-2-IN reaches Howrah Station. Cage TB facility avoids
unnecessary handling of bags by intermediate sections.
Rule 44 A
Press packet.- A press packet is a packet containing newspapers
intended for sale by a news-agent recognized as such and marked for
delivery from the Railway Mail Service van at the Railway station to
which it is addressed.
A Orders.- A orders are orders issued by a Superintendent, RMS
prescribing changes in sorting lists.
Rule 46

B Orders.- B orders are orders issued by a Superintendent, RMS for

the guidance of the subordinates in the performance of their duties in
Mail Offices on all subjects except alternations in sorting lists. NOTE –
The letter ‘T’ will be prefixed to the letter ‘B’ in the case of ‘B’ orders
issued in connection with the disposal of camp articles and camp bags
for high officials on tour. Rule 47
Work-papers.- The expression work-papers means the
documents received and dispatched by a set of a Transit
Section or Mail Office as well as abstracts and other
documents prepared by it while at work.
Rule 49
Due Mail and Sorting List.- The due mail list shows the details of
bags to be received and dispatched by a Mail Office/ Transit
Section.
• It will show (a) in what cases mail lists are to be dispatched and
received with loose bags (b) transit bags are to be used (c)
account bags and B.O. bags are to be sent or received in mail
bags, (d) in the case of sub-office, the mail bags containing
cash bags enclosed in registered bags.
• The sorting list will show (a) for what offices, mail bags and
registered bags are to be made up (b) to what offices parcel
mail articles may be sent direct and the manner in which they
must be dispatched.
Rule 52 A
 Due mails and unusual mails.- The term due mail comprises
all the bags, articles and documents which must be
dispatched every day or at regular intervals. The terms
unusual mail comprises parcel bags, packet bas, special bags,
camp bags, telegraph bags and any other bags not included
in the term “due mail”.
Rule 53

Face and facing. - The face of an article is the side on which the
address is written. The terms ‘facing’ means the arrangement
of articles with the address-side upwards and the addresses
turned in the same direction.

Rule 54
 Beat.- The term beat used in relation to a RMS section
means the portion of a Railway or Steamer line over which
the section works.
• When used in relation to postal overseers and delivery
agents, such as, postmen, village postmen, etc., it denotes
the area within which they are required to perform their
respective duties.
• A beat includes Post Office served by the official concerned..
Rule 55
Camp correspondence.- The expression camp
correspondence means letters and other articles of
correspondence addressed “camp” or with any other
prescribed address, without the addition of the name of
any post-town, and intended for high officers on tour.
Rule
56
• Late letters and too late letters.- Late letters are letters
presented at the window of a Post Office or Mail Office or
posted in the letter box of a Mail Office after the prescribed
hour of closing the mail but within the interval allowed for
posting of such letters with the prescribed late fee affixed in
addition to the postage.
• “Too late” letters are those posted within such interval but
without having been fully prepaid with postage and late fee.
These are stamped “Detained late fee not paid” and
detained till the next dispatch.
Rule 56 A
• Mis-sent and mis-directed articles.-

• A mis-sent article is an article which has been erroneously

forwarded by an office to an office other than the office of
destination or by a route other than the prescribed one.
• A mis-directed article is a vernacular article on which the
incorrect destination has been written in English by the office
of posting.
Rule 57
• Trial cards.-
• Trial cards are service Post Cards [M 26 (a)] which are employed for the purpose
of determining the relative advantage of alternative mail routes or the cause of
detention to articles.
• A trial card contains on the back the following printed columns, viz.,
• (1) Source of receipt
• (2) Remarks, misconnection, etc.,
• (3) Manner of disposal,
• (4) Date stamp of the Office or Section,
• (5) Signature of Head Sorting Assistant/Postmaster/Supervisor.

• All these columns should be carefully filled in by the Head Sorting Assistant, the
Postmaster or Supervisor of each office or section handling the card and on
reaching the destination the Postmaster should also note the date and hour of
the mail conveying the card and the date and hour of delivery of the card before
the same is returned in a service cover to the officer by whom it was issued.
• The card should be forwarded by the route if any, marked therein and should
not be included in any station bundle.
Rule 57 A