Postal Manual Vol. VIII - India Post

235. Order book.- (1) When the inspection or, in postal divisions, the verification of the
balances of an office is completed, the Superintendent should record in the office order book (MS.-
8) his remarks on the results of the inspection, or verification, noting the dates of commencement
and completion thereof. These remarks should be clear and complete and should include all
irregularities noticed and instructions given whether on the points referred to in the standard
questions or on any other points which may have come to the Superintendent’s notice in the course
of the inspection or verification. The remarks in the order book should be signed and dated by the
Superintendent and a copy should be forwarded to the Head of the Circle.
(2) The Superintendent should, at each inspection or verification, examine the office order
book to see whether it is in good order and whether the pages are complete, and should also satisfy
himself that any action required on the part of the office by the orders or remarks recorded at the
last inspection or verification was promptly taken.
236. Touring season.- (1) The inspection of the post offices within the limits of his
division is one of the chief duties of a Superintendent and, in order to perform his duty efficiently,
it is necessary that he should move freely about his division and should spend not less than 100
days in a year and as much more as possible, in actual inspection.
(2) In many parts of the country, there is some season of the year during which travelling is
most impossible, and a Superintendent may, therefore be excused during that period from
systematically inspecting offices situated in the interior. But during the touring of fair-weather
season, he must arrange to visit as many post offices as possible, and in case of emergency, he
must be prepared to go to any office at any time. When a Superintendent is exempted from
systematic inspection work during any period of the year, the period of exemption will be fixed by
the Head of Circle.
NOTE.- The Superintendent need not travel or inspect on Sundays and post Office holidays: but
this refers to only ordinary routine business and does not warrant the postponement of anything urgent, such
as an inquiry into a complaint or criminal charge. The restriction is, however, permissive and not
mandatory.
237. Arrangement of tours.- Before the touring season begins, the Superintendent should
carefully plan his tours. The route and the general arrangement of a tour will ordinarily depend on
the objects which the Superintendent may have in view, other than the inspection of offices, such
as the opening or revision of post offices or main lines, the alteration of mail arrangements, and the
institutions of inquiries into complaints.
238. Inspection of post offices.- (1) In addition to the inspection of the various
departments of the 1 st Class Head Office and the administrative branch of the head office by the
postmaster as laid down in rule 38 (4) of P&T Manual Volume VI Part (I), every First Class head
office (except Presidency Offices) must be inspected once in every 12 months by the Senior
Superintendents of Post Offices in whose jurisdiction the head office is situated. The inspection
should be carried out in a thorough manner according to the questionnaire in the Inspection Report
Form. The Senior Superintendent of Post Office will also carry out the detailed inspection of the
administrative branch of the office once a year. As regards a 1 st Class Head Office which is not
situated in the jurisdiction of a Senior Superintendent of Post Offices, the inspection of the 1 st
class Head Office as prescribed above should be done by the D.P.S. controlling the head office. In
the case of minor circles the inspection by the Director may be delegated to the Deputy Director.
(2) The Superintendent must inspect twice every twelve months, every second class head
office within the limits of his division and such of the sub-offices as may be assigned to him by the