THE POST OFFICE ACT, 2023

NO. 43 OF 2023

[24th December, 2023.]

An Act to consolidate and amend the law relating to Post Office in India and

to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

BE it enacted by Parliament in the Seventy-fourth Year of the Republic of India as

follows:––

1. (1) This Act may be called the Post Office Act, 2023.

(2) It shall come into force on such date as the Central Government may, by notification

in the Official Gazette, appoint.

2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,—

(a) "Director General" means the Director General of Postal Services appointed

by the Central Government and includes any officer authorised by the Central

Government to perform the duties of the Director General;

Short title and

commencement.

Definitions.

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EXTRAORDINARY

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PART II — Section 1

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PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY

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NEW DELHI, SUNDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2023/PAUSHA 3, 1945 (SAKA)

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Separate paging is given to this Part in order that it may be filed as a separate compilation.

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REGISTERED NO. DL—(N)04/0007/2003—23

MINISTRY OF LAW AND JUSTICE

(Legislative Department)

New Delhi, the 24th December, 2023/Pausha 3, 1945 (Saka)

The following Act of Parliament received the assent of the President on the

24th December, 2023 and is hereby published for general information:—

सी.जी.-डी.एल.-अ.-24122023-250875

CG-DL-E-24122023-250875

सी.जी.-डी.एल.-अ.-24122023-250875

CG-DL-E-24122023-250875

THE GAZETTE OF INDIA EXTRAORDINARY

[PART II—

(b) "item" means an indivisible article which the Post Office accepts for providing

a service;

(d) "Post Office" means the Department of Posts and includes every house,

building, room, place or any other asset used by the Post Office for providing any

service;

(e) "prescribe" means prescribe by rules made under this Act and the expression

"prescribed" shall be construed accordingly;

(f) "regulations" means the regulations made under this Act.

3. (1) The Post Office shall provide such services as the Central Government may

prescribe.

(2) The Director General may make regulations—

(a) in respect of activities necessary to provide services referred to in

sub-section (1); and

(b) to fix charges for, and the terms and conditions in respect of, services

referred to in sub-section (1).

(3) Any service provided by the Post Office shall be subject to any other law for the

time being in force.

4. (1) The Post Office shall have the exclusive privilege of issuing postage stamps.

(2) The Director General may make regulations relating to the supply and sale of

postage stamps and postal stationery.

(3) In this section, the expressions—

(a) "postage stamp" means any stamp provided by the Central Government, in

any form, physical or digital, for denoting sums payable in respect of such service

provided by the Post Office, as may be prescribed and includes stamps affixed, printed,

embossed, embedded, impressed, or otherwise indicated on an item;

(b) "postal stationery" means stationery, issued by the Post Office such as

envelopes, letter cards, postcards, bearing imprinted stamps or inscriptions indicating

that sum payable in respect of a service provided by the Post Office has been prepaid.

5. (1) The Central Government may prescribe standards for addressing on the items,

address identifiers and usage of postcodes.

(2) In this section, "postcode" means a series of digits, letters or digital code or a

combination of digits, letters or digital code used to identify a geographic area or location,

and ease the process of sorting and delivery of items and for other purposes.

6. The Central Government may make rules to give effect to arrangements made with

any foreign country or territory for services provided by the Post Office between India and

the said foreign country or territory.

7. (1) Every person who avails a service provided by the Post Office shall be liable to

pay the charges in respect of such service.

(2) If any person refuses or neglects to pay the charges referred to in sub-section (1),

such amount shall be recoverable as if it were an arrear of land revenue due from him.

Services to be

provided by

Post Office.

Exclusive

privilege in

respect of

postage

stamps.

Addresses and

postcodes.

Power to give

effect to

arrangements

with other

countries.

Recovery of

sums due in

respect of

services

provided by

Post Office.

SEC. 1]

THE GAZETTE OF INDIA EXTRAORDINARY

8. The Central Government may prescribe the conditions for denoting the official

marks on items to be used as prima facie evidence of the facts so denoted.

9. (1) The Central Government may, by notification, empower any officer to cause any

item in course of transmission by the Post Office to be intercepted, opened or detained in

the interest of the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign states, public order,

emergency, or public safety or upon the occurrence of any contravention of any of the

provisions of this Act or any other law for the time being in force.

(2) The Central Government may cause any item referred to in sub-section (1) to be

disposed of in such manner as it deems appropriate.

(3) The Central Government may, by notification, empower any officer of the Post

Office to deliver an item, received from within or beyond the limits of India and reckoned to

contain anything liable to duty or which is suspected to contain any prohibited item to such

customs authority or any other authority as may be specified in the said notification, and

such customs authority or any other authority shall deal with such item in accordance with

the provisions of any law for the time being in force.

10. (1) Notwithstanding anything in any other law for the time being in force, the Post

Office shall not incur any liability except such liability as may be prescribed with regard to

a service provided by the Post Office.

(2) No officer of the Post Office shall incur any liability with regard to a service

provided by the Post Office, unless the officer has acted fraudulently or wilfully caused

loss, delay or mis-delivery of service.

11. The Central Government may, by notification, authorise, either absolutely or subject

to conditions, the Director General to exercise any of the powers conferred upon the Central

Government by this Act, other than the power to make rules.

12. The Central Government may, by notification, make rules for carrying out the

purposes of this Act.

13. The Director General may, with the prior approval of the Central Government, by

notification, make regulations for carrying out the provisions of this Act.

14. Every rule or regulation made under this Act shall be laid, as soon as may be after

it is made, before each House of Parliament, while it is in session, for a total period of thirty

days which may be comprised in one session or in two or more successive sessions, and if,

before the expiry of the session immediately following the session or the successive sessions

aforesaid, both Houses agree in making any modification in the rule or regulation or both

Houses agree that the rule or regulation should not be made, the rule or regulation shall

thereafter have effect only in such modified form or be of no effect, as the case may be; so,

however, that any such modification or annulment shall be without prejudice to the validity

of anything previously done under that rule or regulation.

15. (1) If any difficulty arises in giving effect to the provisions of this Act, the Central

Government may, by order in the Official Gazette, make such provisions not inconsistent

with the provisions of this Act as appear to it to be necessary or expedient for removing the

difficulty:

Provided that no order shall be made under this section after the expiry of two years

from the date of commencement of this Act.

(2) Every order made under this section shall be laid, as soon as may be after it is

made, before each House of Parliament.

Power to

make rules.

Power to

make

regulations.

Laying of

rules and

regulations in

Parliament.

Power to

remove

difficulties.

Power to

intercept,

open or detain

any item or

deliver item to

customs

authority.

Exemption

from liability.

Delegation of

power, other

than rulemaking

powers to

Director General.

Official mark

to be evidence

of certain

facts denoted.

Repeal and

savings.

6 of 1898.

16. (1) The Indian Post Office Act, 1898 is hereby repealed.

(2) Notwithstanding the repeal of the Act by sub-section (1), all rules,

notifications and orders, made or purported to have been made under the Indian Post Office

Act, 1898, shall, in so far as they relate to matters for which provision is made in this Act and

are not inconsistent therewith, be deemed to have been made under this Act and shall

continue in force unless and until they are superseded by any rules or notification or order

made under this Act.

—————

S.K.G. RAHATE,

Secretary to the Govt. of India.

MGIPMRND—526GI(S3)—24-12-2023.

UPLOADED BY THE MANAGER, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA PRESS, MINTO ROAD, NEW DELHI–110002

AND PUBLISHED BY THE CONTROLLER OF PUBLICATIONS, DELHI–110054.

THE GAZETTE OF INDIA EXTRAORDINARY

[PART II— SEC. 1]

Kshitiz

Mohan

Digitally signed by Kshitiz Mohan

DN: c=IN, st=Delhi,

2.5.4.20=e8b886a9336825f4d863142c634f2f25e2e76d2f0b5f069af1775

fa98f7ccdab, postalCode=110002, street=Minto Road New Delhi,

pseudonym=5c90ab0ba7a48905de2428b65504151c,

serialNumber=0a5dc5b84f902a7bf2d6ed41c0c26429a0d4d5848dd23e

b18886abaeea31b247, ou=Deputy Manager, o=Government of India

Press, cn=Kshitiz Mohan

Date: 2023.12.24 21:14:19 +05'30'