Post box | Post bag - Short notes

 Post box | Post bag - Short notes

POST BOX: Post Boxes are available on rent at certain Post offices as may be determined in this behalf by the Head of Circle under the following conditions: -

(1) (a) Only fully prepaid unregistered articles of the letter mail, namely letters, inland letter cards, postcards, aerogrammes, registered newspapers, books, of the post bearing the Post Box No. are delivered through post box. Articles addressed to other person or firms c/o Post Box Nos. are not delivered through the post box except in the following cases: -

(i) articles addressed to legitimate personnel of a firm renting a post box;
(ii) articles addressed to family members and guests of the renter;
(iii) articles addressed towards, trainees or inmates of an institution controlled by a
recognized and known authority ;
(iv) articles addressed to casual visitors and commercial representatives staying with the
renter.

(b) The renter if he so desires, can get delivery of the postal articles addressed to other allied concerns of which he happens to be the proprietor or agent through the same post box on payment of a separate fee in respect of each such concern and subject otherwise to the same terms and conditions, as are applicable to delivery of the postal articles addressed to the renter with the Post Box No.

(c) Registered, insured, V.P. articles as also money orders addressed payable to the particular person or firm in whose name the post box stands registered will be delivered/paid through the postman, so long the person/firm rents the Post Box. If it is found that there is no Post Box in the name of the addressee/payee, or the addressee, has ceased to be a renter of the Post Box, the article will be returned to the sender/remitter. (2) Any person (including a firm or other body) who desires to avail himself of the facility of having his mail delivered through a post box (hereinafter referred to as ‘the renter’) should submit an application in writing in the form prescribed for the purpose to the Postmaster concerned.

(3) The applicant should specifically state in the application the exact nature of the business which should be duly certified by two respectable gentlemen not connected with him in any way and furnish full particulars of his business address. This will not be insisted upon in case of Government and semi-Government institutions and such private parties as are either known to the Postmaster or have otherwise established their identity to the satisfaction of the Postmaster. The Post Office reserves the right to withdraw the post box without notice or without any reason being assigned, if any information furnished by the applicant is found to be incorrect, or if it is found that the Post Box is being misused by the renter.

(4) In the event of renter of a post box changing his business address or shifting his office to another place, he should invariably inform the Postmaster of the change within seven days of such change. In the event of his failure to do so or of his furnishing wrong information in this regard the post box is liable to be withdrawn without notice or without any reason being assigned.


(5) No renter is entitled to demand that a post box of any particular number or a post box in any particular row or position should be allotted to him.


(6) (i) The prescribed rent is to be paid in advance along with the application for renting a post box or for renewal thereof.

(ii) No renter is entitled to claim a refund of the whole or any part of the rent paid by him in respect of the allotment of a post box. If any claim in writing for such refund reaches the Postmaster before he makes such allotment, he may admit such claim in whole or in part.

(iii) where rent is paid in respect of any post box, it cannot be adjusted in whole or in part against the rent or deposit due in respect of any other post box.

(7) (i) The prescribed deposit is to be paid on the allotment of a post box and before the key of the box is made over to the renter and except in the cases referred to in items
(iii), (iv) and (v) of this condition is payable only at the time a post box is rented for the first time.

(ii) A deposit in respect of a post box cannot be adjusted in whole or in part against the
deposit or the rent due in respect of any other post box.

(iii) If at any time during the period of rental, the key of the lock or lock is lost by the renter, or the key or the lock or both are not in working condition, it will be obligatory on the part of the renter to bring the matter immediately to the notice of the postmaster and to credit the cost of both the lock and key in case both the lock and key or only the lock is lost or damaged or the cost of the key only in case the key is lost or damaged, failing which the deposit made by him shall be forfeited. On the crediting of the cost
by the renter, he shall be supplied with a new lock and key or key as the case may be, by the Postmaster. In addition to the cost of the key or both the lock and key, as the case may be, the renter will have to pay postage charges, if any, and the money order commission charges for remittance to the amount representing the cost of the key or both the lock and key, as the case may be, the renter will have to pay postage charges, if any, and the money order commission charges for remittance to the amount representing the cost of the key or both the lock and key to the suppliers, if the supplying firm or a branch thereof is not at the same station.

NOTE 1 : Failure to intimate the loss or damage will entail cancellation of the allotment of the post box.
NOTE 2 : In case of loss of or damage to the key, the renter, as a security measure, may, if he so desires, deposit the cost of both the lock and key, in which case a new lock and key will be supplied to him.
(iv) If the lock and key are not surrendered by the renter to the Postmaster within 15 days of the expiry of the period of rent or the renting of the box is not renewed within the aforesaid period, the deposit will be forfeited.

(v) If the renter does not notify to the Postmaster his intention not to renew the rental of the Post Box, before the expiry of the rental period but surrenders to him the lock and thekey within fifteen days of such expiry he may e granted a refund of the portion of the deposit representing the cost of the lock and key.

(8) No application for the renewal of the rental of a post box is entertained unless it reaches the Postmaster concerned before the expiry of the period for which rent has already been paid in advance; provided that an application received within 15 days after the expiry of the period accompanied the amount representing the rental for a further period may be entertained if the applicant satisfies the Postmaster that he had sufficient cause of not making the application before the expiry of the said period or that the application reached the Postmaster late on account of circumstances beyond his control; provided the particular Post Box is still available to be allotted to him. If not available, his application will be considered as a fresh one for allotment of any Post Box that may be available at the time.

(9) The period of rental of a post box commences from the first day of month in which the post box is allotted and the period of renewal of rental commences from the first day of the month immediately succeeding the period of previous rental. 

(10) When the Postmaster allots a post box to a renter, the latter is supplied with a delivery ticket which will be produced by him or his messenger on demand. The ticket bears the same number as that allotted to the post box and is not transferable.

(11) It is open to the renter to clear his post box at any time during the business hours of
the post office provided that the Postmaster may prohibit the clearance of the post box
for any period not exceeding half an hour before each delivery for the purpose of
facilitating the sorting of mails.
(12) For ensuring correct delivery the renter should arrange –
(a) that all letters for delivery through, the post box are addressed to him in the following
manner, the full postal address also appearing as far as possible :-
A. B. C. Renter
Post Box No………………….
Post office of Delivery…………………..
Postal Index Number (PIN) ……………………
(b) that he has a postal address in the delivery zone of the particular post office where he
has rented a post box.
NOTE :- In towns where there is more than one delivery office and the Post Box facilities are not available
in all delivery office Post Box may be rented in any post office where such facilities may be
available irrespective of the consideration of the delivery jurisdiction. If and when Post Box
facilities are provided subsequently at other offices the holders of Post Box facilities will have
the option to shift the Post Box facilities provided in their own delivery jurisdiction.
(13) The renter will not have any right to get delivery through the post box of any article
addressed to him without the Post Box No.
(14) (i) Where any postal article addressed to a post box number cannot, in view of its size
or for want of space in the box, be placed therein, the Postmaster will arrange an
intimation slip to this effect to be placed in the post box and the article will be kept in
the delivery department.
(ii) On the renter or his messenger presenting the intimation slip together with the delivery
ticket, the article may be handed over to him.
(15) When a renter is unable to clear his post box on account of the loss of the key or
otherwise, postal articles addressed to the post box will be delivered to him or his
messenger at the counter only during the hours prescribed for window delivery on the
presentation of the delivery ticket, provided the allotment of the post box has not been
cancelled under Note 1 of condition (7).
(16) If the renter of a post box does not clear it for a week, a notice requiring him to clear
it for a week, a notice requiring him to clear it, will be sent by the Postmaster by
registered post; and when the articles are not cleared even after this notice, they will be
delivered through the postman if the postal articles bear the address of the renter or he
has given instructions to this effect. If for any reasons the articles cannot be delivered
through the postman in the normal manner, they will be treated as undeliverable and
disposed of in the manner prescribed for such articles.
NOTE : Failure to clear the Post Box, necessitating the issue of registered notices too often or requiring
the Post Office too often to redirect the articles addressed to the Post Box, will amount to misuse
of the Post Box within the meaning of sub-clause (4).
(17) When a post box is no longer required by a renter, he is required to surrender the lock
and key to the Postmaster and the latter thereafter will arrange to refund to him the
deposit or such portion of it as may be admissible under item (iv) or (v) of condition
(7). No refund will be granted if the lock and key at the time of surrender are not in
working conditions.
(18) The post box holders who receive a large quantity of mail which cannot be
conveniently put into the post box may rent an additional post box on the same terms
and conditions but with the same post box number so that the entire mail may be placed
inside post box instead of keeping a portion of the mail under or above or away from
the Post Box cabinet.

POST BAG

(1) The system of delivery of Postal articles in a bag, which along with a
lock and duplicate key is to be supplied by the renter, is available at all delivery post offices,
whether post box system is available there or not.
(2) The foregoing provisions relating to the renting of post boxes apply mutates mutandis to
the renting of post bags also except in the following respects :-
(a) locked post bags with the postal articles placed inside the bag is handed over to the
renter or his messenger over the counter on the production of the delivery ticket
during the hours prescribed for making window delivery ;
(b) these bags with the exception of those rental in combination with post box same
number may be used by the renter for dispatching to the post office fully prepaid
unregistered letters, postcards, inland letter cards, newspapers and packets for
posting.

RENT
Post bag & post box if taken separately


One financial year Rs.150/-
Three calendar months or part thereof Rs.50/-
Post box and Post bag combined together Rs.250/-
with the same number or different No.
Three calendar months or part thereof Rs.80/-


Source: PO Guide PT-1