Postal Manual Vol. VIII - India Post

in contravention of rule, or for any other reason, it will communicate its reasons to the Head of the
Circle before ordering the account to be closed. If the Head of the Circle concurs with the Audit
Office, he should inform that office accordingly if the Postmaster-General differs from the Audit
Office, and the latter does not withdraw its objection, the case should be referred to the Director-
General for orders.
62. Withdrawals in excess of prescribed limit from public accounts and regimental
and other conjoint accounts. – (1) Clause (m) of rule 42 of the Rules for Depositors limiting to
Rs. 1,000, the amount of withdrawals, without notice within a calendar month from the deposits in
a public account, is the general rule. The Head of a Circle may however, at his discretion, sanction
the withdrawal from a public account of a sum in excess of Rs. 1,000 in any calendar month,
without a month’s notice as laid down in the Note below the rule referred to above.
(2) In the case of regimental and other conjoint accounts, the Head of a Circle is
empowered by clause (i) of rule 44 of the Rules for Depositors to specially exempt Commanding
Officers and other holders of such accounts from giving the month’s notice required for
withdrawals from the deposits in excess of the limit of Rs. 1,000 laid down in that rule.
63. Payment of deposit of deceased depositor or depositor incapable of managing his
affairs. – (1) Applications for repayment of savings bank deposits at credit of deceased depositors,
or depositors who are incapacitated for business will be submitted by postmasters for the order of
the Head of the circle with a report [in form S.B.-15(a)] accompanied by any documents produced
by the applicant in support of his claim, except in the cases referred to in the Exception below rule
503(6) of the Posts and Telegraphs Manual, Volume VI, in which the head postmaster himself is
competent to pass orders on the claims.
(2) In the case of deceased depositor’s accounts if the cash balance at credit of the account
on the date of depositor’s death (inclusive of interest up to that date) did not exceed Rs. 5,000 or if
the aggregate face value of the Government securities held by the Accountant-General, Posts and
Telegraphs, on behalf of the depositor was not in excess of Rs. 5,000, the Head of the Circle will
decide as to the claim of the applicant in accordance with rule 37 of the Rules for Depositors.
(3) (a) If the cash balance exceeded Rs. 5,000 and the application is not supported by
probate of will, letters of administration, or a certificate granted under the Indian Succession Act
(Act XXXIX of 1925), the applicant should be required to produce one or other of these
documents. If the applicant seeks exemption from the production of such evidence, the Head of
the Circle should be guided in disposing of the application by the following principles :-
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
(v)
Ordinarily the applicant should be told that payment can only be made on the
production of the legal proof of heirship or representation which the rules require.
Ordinarily the applicant should be told that payment General recommending the
exercise of his dispensatory power, unless a clear case of hardship is established
and unless it is also clear that no appreciable risk will be involved by granting the
exemption.
In the case of claims by persons other than the widow or children of the depositor,
the obligation to produce legal proof of heirship or representation can rarely, if ever,
be considered a hardship.
In the case of claims by the widow or children of the depositor, the obligation to
produce legal proof of heirship or representation involves no hardship unless the
cost of obtaining such proof is great in proportion to the amount involved, and the
heirs have very little property except the savings bank deposit.
When an application is submitted to the Director-General to exercise his
discretionary power, it must be clearly shown in the report in what way and to what