The INDIAN POST OFFICE ACT, 1898

PRELIMINARY

Section 1 — Short title, extent, application and commencement.

(1) This Act may be called the Indian Post Office Act, 1898. (2) It extends to the whole of India [Omitted and it applies also to all citizens of India outside India.]

(3) It shall come into force on the first day of July, 1898.

Browse all 85 sections
  1. 1.Short title, extent, application and commencement.
  2. 2.Definitions.
  3. 3.Meanings of “in course of transmission by post” and “delivery”.
  4. 4.Exclusive privilege of conveying letters reserved to the Government.
  5. 5.Certain persons expressly forbidden to convey letters.
  6. 6.Exemption from liability for loss, misdelivery, delay or damage.
  7. 7.Power to fix rates of inland postage.
  8. 8.Power to make rules as to payment of postage and fees in certain cases.
  9. 9.Power to make rules as to registered newspapers.
  10. 10.Power to declare rates of foreign postage.
  11. 11.Liability for payment of postage.
  12. 12.Recovery of postage and other sums due in respect of postal articles.
  13. 13.Customs duty paid by the post office to be recoverable as postage.
  14. 14.Post Office marks prima facie evidence of certain facts denoted.
  15. 15.Official mark to be evidence of amount of postage.
  16. 16.Provision of postage stamps and power to make rules as to them.
  17. 17.Postage stamps to be deemed to be stamps for the purpose of revenue.
  18. 18.Redelivery to sender of postal article in course of transmission by post.
  19. 19.Transmission by post of anything injurious prohibited.
  20. 19A.Transmission by post of tickets, proposals, etc., relating to unauthorised lotteries prohibited.
  21. 20.Transmission by post of anything indecent, etc., prohibited.
  22. 21.Power to make rules as to transmission by post of postal articles.
  23. 22.Power to postpone dispatch or delivery of certain postal articles.
  24. 23.Power to deal with postal articles posted in contravention of Act.
  25. 24.Power to deal with postal articles containing goods contraband or liable to duty.
  26. 24A.Power to deliver such articles to Customs authority.
  27. 25.Power to intercept notified goods during transmission by post.
  28. 26.Power to intercept postal articles for public good.
  29. 27.Power to deal with postal articles from abroad bearing fictitious or previously used stamps.
  30. 27A.Prohibition of transmission by post of certain newspapers.
  31. 27B.Power to detain newspapers and other articles being transmitted by post.
  32. 27C.Procedure for disposal by High Court of applications for release of newspapers and articles so detained.
  33. 27D.Jurisdiction barred.
  34. 28.Registration of postal articles.
  35. 29.Power to make rules as to registration.
  36. 30.Insurance of postal articles.
  37. 31.Power to require insurance of postal articles.
  38. 32.Power to make rules as to insurance.
  39. 33.Liability in respect of postal articles insured.
  40. 34.Transmission by post of value-payable postal articles.
  41. 35.Power to make rules as to value-payable postal articles.
  42. 36.Power to give effect to arrangements with other countries.
  43. 37.Power to make rules as to disposal of undelivered postal articles.
  44. 38.Disposal of undelivered postal articles at office of Post Master General.
  45. 39.Final disposal of undelivered postal articles.
  46. 40.Duty of master of ship, departing from any port in India and not being a mail ship, to convey mail bags.
  47. 41.Duty of master of ship arriving at any port in India in respect of postal articles and mail bags on board.
  48. 42.Allowance of gratuities for conveyance of postal articles by ships other than mail ships.
  49. 43.Power to maintain money order system and to make rules as to remittances thereby.
  50. 44.Power for remitter to recall money order or alter name of payee.
  51. 45.Power to provide for the issue of postal orders.
  52. 46.Power to give effect to arrangements with other countries.
  53. 47.Recovery of money order paid to the wrong person.
  54. 48.Exemption from liability in respect of money orders.
  55. 49.Penalty for misconduct of person employed to carry or deliver mail bags or postal articles.
  56. 50.Penalty for voluntary withdrawal from duty, without permission or notice, of person employed to carry or deliver mail bags or postal articles.
  57. 51.Penalty for making false entry in register kept by person employed to carry or deliver any postal articles.
  58. 52.Penalty for theft, dishonest misappropriation, secretion, destruction, or throwing away of postal articles.
  59. 53.Penalty for opening, detaining or delaying postal articles.
  60. 54.Penalty for fraud in connection with official marks and for receipt of excess postage.
  61. 55.Penalty for fraudulently preparing, altering secreting or destroying Post Office documents.
  62. 56.Penalty for fraudulently sending unpaid postal articles.
  63. 57.[Repealed.].
  64. 58.Penalty for contravention of section 4.
  65. 59.Penalty for contravention of section 5.
  66. 60.Penalty for breach of rules under section 16.
  67. 61.Penalty for contravention of section 19, 19A or 20.
  68. 62.Penalty for defiling or injuring post office letter-boxes.
  69. 63.Penalty for affixing without authority thing to, or painting, tarring or disfiguring, post office or post office letter-box.
  70. 64.Penalty for making false declaration.
  71. 65.Penalty for master of ship failing to comply with the provisions of section 40 or 41.
  72. 66.Penalty for detention of letters on board vessel arriving in port.
  73. 67.Penalty for detaining mails or opening mail bag.
  74. 68.Penalty for retaining postal articles wrongly delivered or mail bags.
  75. 69.Penalty for unlawfully diverting letters.
  76. 70.Penalty for abetting or attempting to commit, offences under Act.
  77. 71.Property in cases of offences to be laid in the Post Office.
  78. 72.Authority for prosecutions under certain sections of Act.
  79. 73.Zamindari and other district posts.
  80. 74.General power to make rules and provisions as to rules under Act.
  81. 75.Delegation of powers, other than rule-making powers to Director General.
  82. 76.[Repealed.].
  83. 77.[Repealed.].
  84. SCH-THE FIRST SCHEDULE.THE FIRST SCHEDULE
  85. SCH-[THE SECOND SCHEDULE.] Omitted..[THE SECOND SCHEDULE.] Omitted.