PO Guide I

Lesson 1 - Organisation

Control – The Postal Department is under the administrative control of the
Director General of Posts, New Delhi. The DG also functions as the Chairman of the
Postal Board and Secretary of the Deptt. of Posts. For purposes of administration, the
entire country has been divided into sixteen Postal Circles under a postmaster general as
shown below :
Circle Jurisdiction Head Quarters
1. Andhra Pradesh Andhra Pradesh and Yanam Hyderabad-500001
2. North Eastern Assam, Manipur, NEFA,
Tripura & Nagaland, Arunachal
Pradesh & Mizoram. Shillong-793001
3. Bihar Bihar State Patna-800001
4. Delhi Delhi U.T. New Delhi-110001
5. Gujarat Gujarat State, Daman & Diu Ahmedabad-380020
6. J & K Jammu & Kashmir State Srinagar-190001
7. Kerala Kerala State and Laccadive
Islands.
Trivandrum-695001
8. Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh State Bhopal-460012
9. Maharashtra Maharashtra State & Goa Union
Territory Bombay-400001
10. Karnataka Karnataka State Bangalore-560001
11. Orissa Orissa State Bhubaneshwar-751001
12 North Western Punjab, Himachal Pradesh,
Haryana & Chandigarh Union
Territory. Ambala Cantt-133001
13. Rajasthan Rajasthan State Jaipur-302007
14. Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu State and
Pondicherry U.T. (except
Yanam) Madras-600002
15. Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh State Lucknow-226001
16. West Bengal West Bengal, Andaman and
Nicobar Islands and Sikkim Calcutta-700001.
(ii) In each Circle there are a number of Postal Divisions under the charge of
Senior Superintendents or Superintendents of Post Offices who directly control the
working of all the Post Offices under their jurisdiction. The R.M.S.(Railway Mail
Service) Offices and Sections are similarly controlled by the Senior Superintendents or
Superintendents RMS in each Circle. The address of the local Senior
Superintendent/Superintendent of the Post Offices or RMS can be ascertained from the
Post Office or R.M.S. Office.
Note :- The Head of the Army Postal Services is the Director, Army Postal
Services, Army Headquarters, Q.M.G.’s Branch, New Delhi-11.
2. Types of Offices – Post Offices are divided into three classes.
(a) Head Post Offices.
(b) Sub-Post Offices including E.D. Sub-Offices, and
(c) E.D. Branch Post Offices.
The first two classes of offices normally transact all types of postal business.
Facilities are generally provided at Branch Post Offices for the main items of postal work
like delivery and dispatch of mails, booking of registered articles and parcels accepting
SB deposits and effecting SB withdrawals, and issue and payment of money orders,
though in a restricted manner.
So for as the public is concerned, there is generally no difference in the character
of the service rendered by Sub-Post Offices and Head Post Offices except in regard to a
few P.O. Savings Bank transactions.
Certain Post Offices do not undertake all types of postal business. The
restrictions imposed will be found in the list of Post Offices published as Part III of this
Guide.
Note:- The Head Offices in the more important cities are in the charge of
gazetted officers and such Head Offices are referred to as First class
Head Ofice, First Class Head Postmaster, exercise all the powers of a
Superintendent of Post Offices in regard to their own offices.
Note:- Value-payable articles and money orders will not be booked to the
address of Army Post Offices.
3.Night Post Offices- (i) The working hours of the post offices are generally
fixed by the Head of the Circle according to the timings given in clause 5 of the Post
Office Guide. However the Director-General may extend the working hours of any post
office up to 8:30 P.M. and keep them open on Sundays also. These post offices will be
termed ‘night post offices’ and will transact those transactions which have been
authorized by the Director-General in this behalf.
(ii) During the extended hours, these post offices will generally book registered
articles including V.P. articles, issue T.M.Os, and sell I.P.Os. and postage stamps.
Deposits into Savings Bank Account and sale of cash certificates will be available upto
7.00 p.m. on week days only. Payment of T.M.Os will also be effected upto 6 p.m.
(iii) On Sundays and National Holidays as well as other P.O. holidays the night
Post Offices function and observe restricted working hours. These offices work for one
shift only from 10:00 to 17.00 hours. The delivery functions of the offices are entirely
suspended as well as the payment of Money Orders and Saving Banks and post office
Certificates are also suspended on these days.
(iv) Night Post Offices are indicated in the list of Post Offices in Part III of this
Guide.
4. Mobile Post offices – Mobile Post Offices are functioning at Bombay,
Calcutta, Delhi, Madras, Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Kanpur, Poona,
Jaipur and Bhilai Industrial Township. These Mobile Post Offices are intended to
provide the facility of late posting in the different areas of the cities at different timings
according to a fixed schedule (excluding insured and V.P.). “These offices remain closed
on Sundays and Postal Holidays.” The Mobile Post Offices sell stamps and Postal
stationery, grant certificate of posting, book surface and air mail registered articles of the
letter mail (excluding insured and V.P.) and air parcels besides accepting unregistered
articles of the letter mail for dispatch. The mobile Post Offices at Madras and Nagpur are
also permitted to book money orders.

Lesson 3 -Night Post Offices

Theory

(i) The working hours of the post offices are generally fixed by the Head of the Circle according to the timings given in clause 5 of the Post Office Guide. However the Director-General may extend the working hours of any post office up to 8:30 P.M. and keep them open on Sundays also. These post offices will betermed ‘night post offices’ and will transact those transactions which have beenauthorized by the Director-General in this behalf.

(ii) During the extended hours, these post offices will generally book registeredarticles including V.P. articles, issue T.M.Os, and sell I.P.Os. and postage stamps. Deposits into Savings Bank Account and sale of cash certificates will be available upto7.00 p.m. on week days only. Payment of T.M.Os will also be effected upto 6 p.m.

(iii) On Sundays and National Holidays as well as other P.O. holidays the night Post Offices function and observe restricted working hours. These offices work for one shift only from 10:00 to 17.00 hours. The delivery functions of the offices are entirely suspended as well as the payment of Money Orders and Saving Banks and post office Certificates are also suspended on these days.

(iv) Night Post Offices are indicated in the list of Post Offices in Part III of this Guide.

Study Notes

NOTES

• Definition & Establishment:
  
  • Normal working hours of Post Offices are fixed by the Head of the Circle (Clause 5).
  • The Director-General (DG) is empowered to extend working hours up to 8:30 PM and keep them open on Sundays.
  • Post Offices with such extended working hours are designated as ‘Night Post Offices’.
  • They transact only those businesses authorized by the Director-General.
  • The complete list of Night Post Offices is published in Part III of the Post Office Guide.
  
  
• Permitted Transactions During Extended Hours (Weekdays):
  
  • General Bookings (Available up to 8:30 PM):
    
    • Booking of Registered articles (including V.P. articles).
    • Issue of Telegraphic Money Orders (T.M.Os).
    • Sale of Indian Postal Orders (I.P.Os) and Postage Stamps.
    
    
  • Savings Bank & Cash Certificates (Available up to 7:00 PM only):
    
    • Deposits into Savings Bank Accounts.
    • Sale of Cash Certificates.
    
    
  • M.O Payment (Available up to 6:00 PM only):
    
    • Payment of Telegraphic Money Orders.
    
    
  • Working on Sundays, National Holidays & PO Holidays:
    
    • Shift Timings: Functions for one shift only from 10:00 to 17:00 hours (10:00 AM to 5:00 PM).
    • Suspended Services:
      
      • All delivery functions are entirely suspended.
      • Payment of Money Orders is suspended.
      • Savings Bank transactions and Post Office Certificate transactions are suspended.
      
      
    
    
  
  

Questions & Answers

Night Post Offices — Questions & Answers (PO Guide Part I)

• Q1: Who fixes the normal working hours of post offices?

• Q2: Who has the authority to extend the working hours of a post office and declare it a Night Post Office?

• Q3: What is the maximum time up to which the working hours of a Night Post Office can be extended?

• Q4: In which part of the Post Office Guide is the list of Night Post Offices indicated?

• Q5: Which postal articles and services are generally booked/issued during extended hours up to 8:30 PM?

Issue of T.M.Os

Sale of I.P.Os and Postage stamps

• Q6: Up to what time are Savings Bank account deposits and sale of cash certificates permitted in Night Post Offices on weekdays?

• Q7: Up to what time can payment of T.M.Os be effected in Night Post Offices?

• Q8: What are the working hours of a Night Post Office on Sundays, National Holidays, and PO Holidays?

• Q9: Which key functions/services are completely suspended in Night Post Offices on Sundays and Holidays?

Payment of Money Orders

Savings Bank (SB) transactions

Post Office Certificates transactions

Multiple Choice Questions

Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)

1. Working hours of a Night Post Office can be extended up to:

(B) 8:00 PM

(C) 8:30 PM

(D) 9:00 PM

Answer: (C) 8:30 PM

• Deposits into Savings Bank accounts in Night Post Offices on weekdays are accepted up to:

(B) 7:00 PM

(C) 8:00 PM

(D) 8:30 PM

Answer: (B) 7:00 PM

• On Sundays and Post Office Holidays, Night Post Offices work for:

(B) 09:00 to 18:00 hours

(C) 10:00 to 17:00 hours (One shift)

(D) Completely closed

Answer: (C) 10:00 to 17:00 hours (One shift)

• Which of the following functions is permitted in Night Post Offices on Sundays?

(B) Payment of Money Orders

(C) Savings Bank deposits

(D) Booking of registered articles

Answer: (D) Booking of registered articles