Postal Manual Vol. VIII - India Post

prescribed and that they do not employ the agency of any unauthorised person to deliver articles
entrusted to them for delivery. All irregularities noticed should be entered in the diary (Genl.3).
(3) The paid delivery is the most important delivery. It is of great important that paid
articles should be placed is the hands of addressees as soon as possible and every means of
expediting this delivery should be adopted. The Town Inspector should follow the postmen to see
that they distribute letters without delay. He should also post test-letters to the address of person
residing near the end of a post-man’s beat in order to ascertain that the postman complete his work
within a reasonable time.
(4) He should also verify the payment of a certain percentage as fixed by the Head of the
Circle of money orders paid by the postmen attached to the offices in his jurisdiction but the
number should not be less that 50 in a month. Particulars of the money orders verified and the
result of the verification should be recorded in Part G of the Town Inspector’s Diary (Genl.3) as
also in the monthly list of money orders verified (Forms Genl.6) submitted with the diary of the
last working day of the month.
313. Examination of postmen’s bags – (1) The Town Inspector must frequently examine
the bags of postmen while they are out on their beat with the object of ascertaining whether any
article has been detained or passed from one postman to another without the intervention of the
delivery clerk and whether the bags are in good order. He should also see that –
(a) each postman – if required to do so – carries a supply of postage stamps, embossed
envelopes and postcards, and such postal forms as are used by the public :
(b) the postmen’s books are correctly filled up before the men leave the office:
(c) proper receipts are obtained in the postmen’s books for signed receipt and registered
articles returned undelivered:
(d) every unpaid letter bears an impression of the postmaster’s unpaid stamp:
(e) the amount of advance for stamps exists either in cash or stamps:
(f) the special pads for taking thumb-impressions are kept clean; and that they are properly
inked;
(g) each postman has in his bag a correct copy of his beat list signed by the head delivery
clerk and countersigned by the postmaster.
(2) If any irregularity is detected, a note should be recorded in the diary (genl.3) and in the
postman’s book (M.S.-27). The postman’s book should be initiated each time his bag is examined.
314. Undelivered articles – Articles incorrectly treated as refused or unclaimed, or those
on which the remarks as to cause of non-delivery are not clear will be transferred by the postmaster
to the Town Inspector, under receipt, for further enquiry. The Inspector must do his utmost to
deliver the articles or at least to obtain some clue regarding the addressees. If any such article is
delivered by the Town Inspector he should call upon the postman in fault to explain his neglect and
should submit the explanation with his own remarks to the postmaster. The result of his
endeavours to effect delivery should be noted in the diary, and the covers of all articles delivered
should, if possible, be attached to the diary. Any postage recovered on unpaid articles delivered by
the Town Inspector should be made over under receipt to the treasurer, and all articles returned as
undeliverable should be made over to the deposit clerk under receipt.