| TELEGRAPH ACT, 1885 |
| TELEGRAPH ACT, 1885 13 of 1885 22nd July, 1885 An Act to amend the law relating to Telegraphs in India WHEREAS it is expedient to amend th law relating to telegraphs in India; It is hereby enacted as follows :- SECTION 01: SHORT TITLE, LOCAL EXTENT AND COMMENCEMENT (1) This Act may be called the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885. 1[(2) It extends to the whole of India2[* * *].] (3) It shall come into force on the first day of October, 1885. SECTION 02: REPEAL AND SAVINGS [Rep. by the Repeating Act, 1938 (1 of 1938). Sec. 2 and Sch.] SECTION 03: DEFINITIONS -In this Act, unless there is something repugnant in the subject or context,- 3[(1) "telegraph" means any appliance, instrument, material or apparatus used or capable of use for transmission or reception of signs, signals, writing, images, and sounds or intelligence of any nature by wire, visual or other electro-magnetic emissions. Radio waves or Hertzian waves, galvanic, electric or magnetic means; Explanation.- "Radio waves" or Hertzian waves" means electromagnetic waves of frequencies lower than 3,000 giga-cycles per sound propagated in space without artificial guide.] (2) "telegraph officer" means any person employed either permanently or temporarily in connection with a telegraph established, maintained or worded by4[the Central Government] or by a person licensed under this Act; (3) "message" means any communication sent by telegraph, or given to a telegraph officer to be sent by telegraph or to be delivered; (4) "telegraph line" means a wire or wires used for the purpose of a telegraph, with any casing, coating, tube or pipe enclosing the same, and any appliances and apparatus connected therewith for the purpose of fixing or insulating the same; (5) "post" means a post, pole, standard, stay, strut or other above- ground contrivance for carrying, suspecting or supporting a telegraph line; (6) "telegraph authority" means the Director-General of5[Post and Telegraphs], and includes any officer empowered by him to perform all or any of the functions of the telegraph authority under this Act; (7) "local authority" means any municipal committee, district board, body of port commissioners or authority legally entitled to, or entrusted by6[the Central or any State Government] with, the control or management of any municipal or local fund.3[* * *] SECTION 04: EXCLUSIVE PRIVILEGE IN RESPECT OF TELEGRAPHS, AND POWER TO GRANT LICENCES 8[(1)] Within 9[India], the Central Government shall have the exclusive privilege of establishment, maintaining and working telegraphs: Provided that the Central Government may grant a licence, on such conditions and in consideration of such payments as it thinks fit, to any person to establish, maintain or work a telegraph within any part of9[India]:10[Provided further that the Central Government may, by rules made under this Act and published in the Official Gazette, permit, subject to such restrictions and conditions as it thinks fit, the establishment, maintenance and working-- (a) of wireless telegraph on ships within Indian territorial waters11[and on aircraft within or above 9[India], or Indian territorial waters], and (b) of telegraphs other than wireless telegraphs within any part of 9[India]. 12[(2) The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, delegate to the telegraph authority all or any of its powers under the first proviso to sub-section (1). The exercise by the telegraph authority of any power so delegated shall be subject to such restrictions and conditions as the Central Government may, by the notification, think fit to impose.] COMMENTARY Telecasting-Telegraph Act, 1885--Licence.-- Neither CAB nor BCCI even applied for a licence under the first proviso of subsection (1) of Section 4 of the Telegraph Act-. The permission obtained from other departments viz., Ministry of Human Resources, VSNL, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Finance or the Central Board of Excise and Customs cannot take the place of licence under Section 4 (1)-.13Television and Radio media vis -a-vis Telegraph Act.-A look at the scheme and provisions of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 would disclose that it was meant for a different purpose altogether. When it was enacted, there was neither radio nor of course television, though it may be that radio or television fall within the definition of 'telegraph' in Section 3 (1)-. Except Section 4-, and the definition of the expression 'telegraph' no other provision of the Act appears to be relevant to broadcasting media. Telegraph Act of 1885, which is wholly inadequate and unsuited to an important medium like radio and television, i.e., broadcasting media, in the interest of freedom of speech and expression guaranteed by Article 19 (1) (a) and with a view to avoid confusion, uncertainty and consequent litigation that Parliament steps in soon to fill the void by enacting a law or laws, as the case may be, governing broadcasting media, i.e., both radio and television media.14 SECTION 05: POWER FOR GOVERNMENT TO TAKE POSSESSION OF LICENSED TELEGRAPHS AND TO ORDER INTERCEPTION OF MESSAGES (1) On the occurrence of any public emergency, or in the interest of the public safety, the Central Government or a State Government or any officer specially authorised in this behalf by the Central Government or a State Government, may, if satisfied that it is necessary or expedient so to do, take temporary possession (for so long as the public emergency exists or the interest of the public safety requires the taking of such action) of any telegraph established, maintained or worked by any person licensed under this Act. (2) On the occurrence of any public emergency, or in the interest of the public safety, the Central Government or a State Government or any officer specially authorised in this behalf by the Central Government or a State Government may, if satisfied that it is necessary or expedient so to do in the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign states or public order or for preventing incitement to the commission of an offence, for reasons to be recorded in writing, by order, direct that any message or class of messages to or from any person or class of persons, or relating to any particular subject, brought for transmission by or transmitted or received by any telegraph, shall not be transmitted, or shall be intercepted or detained, or shall be disclosed to the Government making the order or an officer thereof mentioned in the order : Provided that the press messages intended to be published in India or correspondents accredited to the Central Government or a State Government shall not be intercepted or detained, unless their transmission has been prohibited under this sub-section.] SECTION 06: POWER TO ESTABLISH TELEGRAPH ON LAND OF RAILWAY COMPANY -Any Railway Company, on being required so to do by the Central Government, shall permit the Government to establish and maintain a telegraph upon any part of the land of the Company, and shall give every reasonable facility for working the same. SECTION 06A: POWER TO NOTIFY RATES FOR TRANSMISSION OF MESSAGES TO COUNTRIES OUTSIDE INDIA 16[(1) The Central Government may, from time to time, by order, notify the rates at which, and the other conditions and restrictions subject to which messages shall be transmitted to any country outside India. (2) In notifying the rates under sub-section (1), the Central Government shall have due regard to all or any of the following factors, namely :- (a) the rates for the time being in force, for transmission of messages, in countries out side India; (b) the foreign exchange rates for the time being in force; (c) the rates for the time being in force for transmission of messages within India; (d) such other relevant factors as the Central Government may think fit in the circumstances of the case.] SECTION 07: POWER TO MAKE RULES FOR THE CONDUCT OF TELEGRAPHS (1) The Central Government may, from time to time, by notification in the Official Gazette, make rules consistent with this Act for the conduct of all or any telegraphs, established, maintained or worded by the Government or by persons licensed under this Act. (2) Rules under this section may provide for all or any of the following among other matters, that is to say :- (a) the rates at which, and the other conditions and restrictions subject to such messages shall be transmitted17[within India]; (b) the precautions to be taken for preventing the improper interception or disclosure of messages; (c) the period for which, and the conditions subject to which, telegrams and other documents belonging to, or being in the custody of, telegraph officers shall be preserved; (d) the fees to be charged for searching for telegrams or other documents in the custody of any telegraph officer; 18[(e) the conditions and restrictions subject to which any telegraph line, appliance or apparatus for telegraphic communication shall be established, maintained, worked, repaired, transferred, shifted, withdrawn or disconnected;] 19[(ee) the charges in respect of any application for providing any telegraph line, appliance or apparatus;] (f) the charges in respect of -- (i) the establishment, maintenance, working, repair, transfer or shifting of any telegraph line, appliance or apparatus; (ii) the services of operators operating such line, appliances or apparatus; (g) the matters in connection with the transition from a system whereunder rights and obligations relating to the establishment, maintenance, working, repair, transfer or shifting of any telegraph line, appliance or apparatus for telegraphic communication attach by virtue of any agreement to a system whereunder such rights and obligations attach by virtue of rules made under this section; (h) the time which, the manner in which, the conditions under which and the persons by whom the rates, charges and fees mentioned in this subjection shall be paid and the furnishing of security for the payment of such rates, charges and fees; (i) the payment of compensation to the Central Government for any loss incurred in connection with the provision of any telegraph line, appliance or apparatus for the benefit of any person -- (a) where the line, appliance or apparatus is, after it has been connected for use, given up by that person before the expiration of the period fixed by these rules, or (b) where the work done for the purpose of providing the line, appliance, or apparatus is, before it is connected for use, rendered abortive by some act or omission on the part of that person; (j) the principles according to which and the authority by whom the compensation referred to in clause (i) shall be assessed; 20[(jj) the qualification to be possessed and the examinations, if any, to be passed by the persons employed for the establishment, maintenance or working of any telegraph and the fees to be charged for admission to such examinations;] and (k) any other matter for which provision is necessary for the proper and efficient conduct of all or any telegraphs under this Act.] (3) When making rules for the conduct of any telegraph established, maintained or worded by any person licensed under this Act, the Central Government may by the rules prescribe fines for any breach of the same: Provided that the fines so prescribed shall not exceed the following limits, namely :- (i) when the person licensed under this Act is punishable for the breach, one thousand rupees, and in the case of a continuing breach a further fine of two hundred rupees for every day after the first during the whole or any part of which the breach continues; (ii) when a servant of the person so licensed, or any other person, is punishable for the breach, one-fourth of the amounts specified in clause (i). 21[(4) Nothing in this section or in any rules made hereunder shall be construed as - (a) precluding the Central Government from entering into an agreement with a person for the establishment, maintenance and working by that Government on terms and conditions specified in the agreement, of any telegraph line, appliance or apparatus for the purpose of affording means of telegraphic communication, where having regard to the number of the lines, appliance or apparatus required by that person for telegraphic communication, it is necessary or expedient to enter into such agreement with him, or (b) subjecting the Central Government to any obligation to provide any telegraph line, appliance or apparatus for the purpose of affording means of telegraphic communication. 22[(5) Every rule made under this section 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 days23[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 both Houses agree that the rule should not be made, the rule 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]]. SECTION 07A: SAVING OF EXISTING AGREEMENTS Nothing in Section 7-shall authorise the making of any rules determining any agreement entered into by the Central Government with any person before the commencement of the Indian Telegraph (Amendment) Act, 1957, relating to the establishment, maintenance or working of any telegraph line, appliance or apparatus for telegraphic communication; and all rights and obligations thereunder relating to such establishment, maintenance or working shall be determined in accordance with the terms and conditions of such agreement. SECTION 07B: ARBITRATION OF DISPUTES (1) Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Act, if any dispute concerning any telegraph line, appliance or apparatus arises between the telegraph authority and the person for whose benefit the line, appliance or apparatus is, or has been, provided, the dispute shall be determined by arbitration and shall, for the purposes of such determination, be referred to an arbitrator appointed by the Central Government either specially for the determination of that dispute or generally for the determination of disputes under this section. (2) The award of the arbitrator appointed under sub-section (1) shall be conclusive between the parties to the dispute and shall not be questioned in any Court]. SECTION 08: REVOCATION OF LICENCES -The Central Government may, at any time, revoke any license granted under Section 4-, on the breach of any of the conditions therein contained, or in default of payment of any consideration payable thereunder. SECTION 09: GOVERNMENT NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR LOSS OR DAMAGE The25[Government] shall not be responsible for any loss or damage which may occur in consequence of any telegraph officer failing in his duty with respect to the receipt, transmission or delivery of any message; and no such officer shall be responsible for any such loss or damage, unless he causes the same negligently, maliciously or fraudulently. SECTION 10: POWER FOR TELEGRAPH AUTHORITY TO PLACE AND MAINTAIN TELEGRAPH LINES AND POSTS The telegraph authority may, from time to time, place and maintain in a telegraph line under, over, along, or across, and posts in or upon, any immovable property: Provided that- (a) the telegraph authority shall not exercise the powers conferred by this section except for the purposes of a telegraph established or maintained by the26[Central Government], or to be so established or maintained; (b) the26[Central Government] shall not acquire any right other than that of user only in the property under, over, along, across, in or upon which the telegraph authority places any telegraph line or post; and (c) except as hereinafter provided, the telegraph authority shall not exercise those powers in respect of any property vested in or under the control or management of any local authority, without the permission of that authority; and (d) in the exercise of the powers conferred by this section, the telegraph authority shall do as little damage as possible, and, when it has exercised those powers in respect of any property other than that referred to in clause (c), shall pay full compensation to all persons interested for any damage sustained by them by reason of the exercise of those powers. SECTION 11: POWER TO ENTER ON PROPERTY IN ORDER TO REPAIR OR REMOVE TELEGRAPH LINES OR POSTS The telegraph authority may, at any time, for the purpose of examining, repairing, altering or removing any telegraph line or post, enter on the property under, over, along, across, in or upon which the line or post has been placed: Provisions applicable to property vested in or under the control or management of local authorities SECTION 12: POWER FOR LOCAL AUTHORITY TO GIVE PERMISSION UNDER SECTION 10, CLAUSE (C), SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS Any permission given by a local authority under Section 10-, clause (c) may be given subject to such reasonable conditions as that authority thinks fit to impose, as to the payment of any expenses to which the authority will necessarily be put in consequence of the exercise of the powers conferred by that section, or as to the time or mode of execution of any work, or as to any other thing connected with or relative to any work undertaken by the telegraph authority under those powers. SECTION 13: POWER FOR LOCAL AUTHORITY TO REQUIRE REMOVAL OR ALTERATION OF TELEGRAPH LINE OR POST When, under the foregoing provisions of this Act, a telegraph line or post has been placed by the telegraph authority under, over, along, across, in or upon any property vested in or under the control or management of a local authority, and the local authority, having regard to circumstances which have arisen since the telegraph line or post was so placed, considers it expedient that it should be removed or that its position should be altered, the local authority may require the telegraph authority to remove it or alter its position, as the case may be. SECTION 14: POWER TO ALTER POSITION OF GAS OR WATER PIPES OR DRAINS -The telegraph authority may, for the purpose of exercising the powers conferred upon it by this in respect of any property vested in or under the control or management of a local authority, alter the position thereunder of any pipe (not being main) for the supply of gas or water, or of any drain (not being a main drain) : Provided that- (a) When the telegraph authority desires to alter the position of any such pipe or drain, it shall give reasonable notice of its intention to do so, specifying the time at which it will begin to do so, to the local authority, and, when the pipe or drain is not under the control of the local authority, to the person under whose control the pipe or drain is; (b) a local authority or person receiving notice under clause (a) may send a person to superintend the work, and the telegraph authority shall execute the work to the reasonable satisfaction of the person so sent. SECTION 15: DISPUTES BETWEEN TELEGRAPH AUTHORITY AND LOCAL AUTHORITY (1) If any dispute arises between the telegraph authority and a local authority in consequence of the local authority refusing the permission referred to in Section 10-, clause (c), or prescribing any condition under Section 12-, or in consequence of the telegraph authority omitting to comply with a requisition made under Section 13-, or otherwise in respect of the exercise of the powers conferred by this Act, it shall be determined by such officer as the27[Central Government] may appoint either generally or specially in this behalf. (2) An appeal from the determination of the officer so appointed shall lie to the27[Central Government]; and the order of the27 [Central Government shall be final. Provisions applicable to other property SECTION 16: EXERCISE OF POWERS CONFERRED BY SECTION 10, AND DISPUTES AS TO COMPENSATION, IN CASE OF PROPERTY OTHER THAN THAT OF A LOCAL AUTHORITY (1) If the exercise of the powers mentioned in Section 10-in respect of property referred to in clause (d) of that section is resisted or obstructed, the District Magistrate may, in his discretion, order that the telegraph authority shall be permitted to exercise them. (2) If, after the making of an order under subjection (1), any person resists the exercise of those powers, or, having control over the property, does not give all facilities for their being exercised, he shall be deemed to have committed an offence under Section 188 of the Indian Penal code, 1860-(45 of 1860). (3) If any dispute arises concerning the sufficiency of the compensation to be paid under Section 10-, clause (d), it shall, on application for that purpose by either of the disputing parties to the District Judge within whose jurisdiction the property is situate, be determined by him. (4) If any dispute arises as to the person entitled to receive compensation, or as to the proportions in which the persons interested are entitled to share in it, the telegraph authority may pay into the court of the District Judge such amount as he deems sufficient or, where all he disputing parties have in writing admitted the amount tendered to be sufficient or the amount has been determined under sub-section (3), the amount; and the District Judge, after giving notice to the parties and hearing such of them as desire to be heard, shall determine the persons entitled to receive the compensation or, as the case may be, the proportions in which the persons interested are entitled to share in it. (5) Every determination of a dispute by a District Judge under sub-section (3), or subjection (4) shall be final: Provided that nothing in this subjection shall affect the right of any person to recover by suit the whole or any part of any compensation paid by the telegraph authority, from the person who has received the same. SECTION 17: REMOVAL OR ALTERATION OF TELEGRAPH LINE OR POST, ON PROPERTY OTHER THAN THAT OF A LOCAL AUTHORITY (1) When, under the foregoing provisions of this Act, a telegraph line or post has been placed by the telegraph authority under, over, along, across, in or upon any property, not being property vested in or under the control or management of a local authority, and any person entitled to do so desires to deal with that property in such a manner as to render it necessary or convenient that the telegraph line or post should be removed to another part thereof or to a higher or lower level or altered in from, he may require the telegraph authority to remove or alter the line of post accordingly : Provided that, if compensation has been paid under Section 10-, clause (d), he shall, when making the requisition, tender to the telegraph authority the amount requisite to defray the expense of the removal or alteration, or half of the amount paid as compensation, whichever may be the smaller sum. (2) If the telegraph authority omits to comply with the requisition, the person making it may apply to the District Magistrate within whose jurisdiction the property is situate to order the removal or alteration. (3) A District Magistrate receiving an application under sub-section (2) may, in his discretion, reject the same or make an order, absolutely or subject to conditions, for the removal of the telegraph line or post to any other part of the property or to a higher or lower level or for the alteration of its form; and the order so made shall be final. Provisions applicable to all property SECTION 18: REMOVAL OF TREES INTERRUPTING TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (1) If any tree standing or lying near a telegraph line interrupts, or is likely to interrupt, telegraphic communication, a Magistrate of the first or second class may, on the application of the telegraph authority, cause the tree to be removed or dealt with in such other way as he deems fit. (2) When disposing of an application under sub-section (1), the Magistrate shall, in the case of any tree in existence before the telegraph line was placed, award to the persons interested in the tree such compensation as he thinks reasonable, and the award shall be final. SECTION 19: TELEGRAPH LINES AND POSTS PLACED BEFORE THE PASSING OF THIS ACT Every telegraph line or post placed before the passing of this Act under, over, along, across, in or .upon any property, for the purposes of a telegraph established or maintained by the28[Central Government], shall be deemed to have been placed in exercise of the powers conferred by, and after observance of all the requirements of, this Act. SECTION 19A: PERSON EXERCISING LEGAL RIGHT LIKELY TO DAMAGE TELEGRAPH OR INTERFERE WITH TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION TO GIVE NOTICE (1) Any person desiring to deal in the legal exercise of a right with any property in such a manner as is likely to cause damage to a telegraph line or post which has been duly placed in accordance with the provisions of this Act, or to interrupt or interfere with telegraphic communications, shall give not less than one month's notice in writing of the intended exercise of such right to the telegraphic authority, or to any telegraph officer whom the telegraph authority may empower in this behalf. (2) If any such person without having complied with the provisions of sub- section (1) deals with any property in such a manner as is likely to cause damage to any telegraph line or post, or to interrupt or interfere with telegraphic communication, a Magistrate of the first or second class may, on the application of the telegraph authority, order such person to abstain from dealing with such property in such manner for a period not exceeding one month from the date of his order and forthwith to take such action with regard to such property as may be in the opinion of the Magistrate necessary to remedy or prevent such damage, interruption or interference during such period. (3) A person dealing with any property in the manner referred to in sub- section (1) with the bona fide intention, of averting imminent danger of personal injury to himself or any other human being shall be deemed to have complied with the provisions of the said sub-section if he gives such notice of the intended exercise of the right as is in the circumstances possible, or where no such previous notice can be given without incurring the imminent danger referred to above, if he forthwith gives notice of the actual exercise of such right to the authority or officer specified in the said sub-section. SECTION 19B: POWER TO CONFER UPON LICENSEE POWERS OF TELEGRAPH AUTHORITY UNDER THIS PART The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, confer upon any licensee under Section 4-, in respect of the extent of his licensee and subject to any conditions and restrictions with the Central Government may think fit to impose and to the provisions of this Part, all or any of the powers which the telegraph authority possesses under this Part with regard to a telegraph established or maintained by the Government or to be so established or maintained: Provided that the notice prescribed in Section. 19-A-shall always be given to the telegraph authority or officer empowered to receive notice under Section 19-A-(1).] SECTION 20: ESTABLISHING, MAINTAINING OR WORKING UNAUTHORISED TELEGRAPH (1) If any person establishes, maintains or works a telegraph within31[India] in contravention of the provisions of Section 4-or otherwise than as permitted by rules made under that section, he shall be punished, if the telegraph is a wireless telegraph, with imprisonment which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both, and, in any other case, with a fine which may extend to one thousand rupees. (2) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Code of Criminal Procedure,1898 (2 of 1974),-offences under this section in respect of a wireless telegraph shall, for the purposes of the said Code, be bailable and non-cognizable. (3) When any person is convicted of an offence punishable under this section, the court before which he is convicted may direct that the telegraph in respect of which the offence has been committed, or any part of such telegraph, he forfeited to Government.] SECTION 20A: BREACH OF CONDITION OF LICENSE If the holder of a license granted under Section 4-contravenes any condition contained in his license, he shall be punished with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees, and with a further fine which may extend to five hundred rupees for every week during which the breach of the condition continues.] SECTION 21: USING UNAUTHORISED TELEGRAPHS If any person, knowing or having reason to believe that a telegraph has been established or is maintained or worked in contravention of this Act, transmits or receives any message by such telegraph, or performs any service incidental thereto, or delivers any message for transmission by such telegraph or accepts delivery of any message sent thereby, he shall be punished with fine which may extend to fifty rupees. SECTION 22: OPPOSING ESTABLISHMENT OF TELEGRAPH ON RAILWAY LAND If a Railway Company, or an Officer of a Railway Company, neglects or refuses to comply with the provisions of Section 6-, it or he shall be punished with fine which may extend to one thousand rupees for every day during which the neglects or refusal continues. SECTION 23: INTRUSION INTO SIGNAL ROOM, TRESPASS IN TELEGRAPH OFFICE OR OBSTRUCTION If any person-- (a) without permission of competent authority, enters the signal-room of a telegraph office of the Government, or of a person licensed under this Act, or (b) enters a fenced enclosure round such a telegraph office in contravention of any rule or notice not to do so, or (c) refuses to quit such room or enclosure on being requested to do so by any officer or servant employed therein, or (d) wilfully obstruct or impedes any such officer or servant in the performance of his duty, he shall be punished with fine which may extend to five hundred rupees. SECTION 24: UNLAWFULLY ATTEMPTING TO LEARN CONTENTS OF MESSAGES --If any person does any of the acts mentioned in Section 23-with the intention of unlawfully learning the contents of any message, or of committing any offence punishable under this Act, he may (in addition to the fine with which he is punishable under Section 23-) be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to one year. SECTION 25: INTENTIONALLY DAMAGING OR TAMPERING WITH TELEGRAPHS If any person, intending- (a) to prevent or obstruct the transmission or delivery of any message, or (b) to intercept or to acquaint himself with the contents of any message, or (c) to commit mischief, damages, remove, tampers with or touches any battery, machinery, telegraph lines, post or other things whatever, being part of or used in or about any telegraph or in the working thereof, he shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both. SECTION 25A: INJURY TO OR INTERFERENCE WITH A TELEGRAPH LINE OR POST -If, in any case not provided for by Section 25-, any person deals with any property and thereby wilfully or negligently damages any telegraph line or post duly placed on such property in accordance with the provisions of this Act, he shall be liable to pay the telegraph authority such expenses (if any) as may be incurred in making good such damage, and shall also, if the telegraphic communication is by reason of the damage so caused interrupted, be punishable with a fine which may extend to one thousand rupees : Provided that the provisions of this section shall not apply where such damage or interruption is caused by a person dealing with any property in the legal exercising of a right if he has complied with the provisions of Section 19-A-(1).] SECTION 26: TELEGRAPH OFFICER OR OTHER OFFICIAL MAKING AWAY WITH OR ALTERING, OR UNLAWFULLY INTERCEPTING OR DISCLOSING, MESSAGES, OR DIVULGING PURPORT OF SIGNALS If any telegraph officer, or any person, not being a telegraph officer but having official duties connected with any office which is used as a telegraph office,-- (a) wilfully secrets, makes away with or alters any message which he has received for transmission or deliver, or (b) wilfully, and otherwise than in obedience to an order of the Central Government or of a State Government, or of an officer specially authorised34[by the Central or a State Government] to make the order, omits to transmit or intercepts or detains, any message or any part thereof, or otherwise than in pursuance of his official duty or in obedience to the direction of a competent court, discloses the contents or any part of the contents of any message, to any person not entitled to receive the same, or (c) divulges the purport of any telegraphic signal to any person not entitled to become acquainted with the same, he shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years or with fine, or with both. SECTION 27: TELEGRAPH OFFICER FRAUDULENTLY SENDING MESSAGES WITHOUT PAYMENT If any telegraph officer transmits by telegraph any message on which the charge prescribed by the35[Central Government], or by a person licensed under this Act, as the case may be, has not been paid, intending thereby to defraud the35[Central Government] or that person, he shall, be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years, or with fine, or with both. SECTION 28: MISCONDUCT If any telegraph officer, or any person not being a telegraph officer but having official duties connected with any office which is used as a telegraph office, is guilty of any act of drunkenness, carelessness or other misconduct whereby the correct transmission or the delivery of any message is impeded or delayed, or if any telegraph officer loiters or delays in the transmission or delivery of any message, he shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three months, or with fine which may extend to one hundred rupees, or with both.36[* * *] SECTION 29A: PENALTY If any person, without due authority,- (a) make or issues any document of a nature reasonably calculated to cause it to be believed that the document has been issued by , or under the authority of, the Director-General of38[Posts and Telegraphs], or (b) makes on any document any mark in intimation of, or similar to, or purporting to be, any stamp or mark of any telegraph office under the Director-General of38[Posts and Telegraphs], or a mark of a nature reasonably calculated to cause it to be believed that the document so marked has been issued, by or under the authority of, the Director-General of38[Posts and Telegraphs], he shall be punished with fine which may extend to fifty rupees.] SECTION 30: RETAINING A MESSAGE DELIVERED BY MISTAKE If any person fraudulently retains, or wilfully secrets, makes away with or detains a message which ought to have been delivered to some other person, or, being required by a telegraph officer to deliver up any such message, neglects or refuses to do so, he shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both. SECTION 31: BRIBERY A telegraph officer shall be deemed a public servant within the meaning of Sections 161-,162-,163-,164-and165 of the Indian Penal Code, 1860 (45 of 1860)-; and in definition of "legal remuneration" contained in the said Section 161, the word "Government" shall, for the purposes of this Act, be deemed to indude a person licensed under this Act. SECTION 32: ATTEMPTS TO COMMIT OFFENCES Whoever attempts to commit any offence punishable under this Act shall be punished with the punishment herein provided for the offence. SECTION 33: POWER TO EMPLOY ADDITIONAL POLICE IN PLACES WHERE MISCHIEF TO TELEGRAPHS IS REPEATEDLY COMMITTED (1) Whenever it appears to the State Government that any act causing or likely to cause wrongful damage to any telegraph is repeatedly and maliciously committed in any place, and that the employment of an additional police-force in that place is thereby rendered necessary, the State Government may send such additional police-force as it thinks fit to the place, and employ, the same therein so long as, in the opinion of that Government, the necessity of doing so continues. (2) The inhabitants of the place shall be charged with the cost of the additional police-force, and the District Magistrate shall, subject to the orders of the State Government, assess the proportion in which the cost shall be paid by the inhabitants according to his judgment of their respective means. (3) All moneys payable under sub-section (2) shall be recoverable either under the warrant of a Magistrate by distress and sale of the movable property of the defaulter within the local limits of his jurisdiction, by suit in any competent court. (4) The State Government may, by order in writing, define the limits of any place for the purposes of this section. SECTION 34: APPLICATION OF ACT TO PRESIDENCY TOWNS (1) This Act, in its application to the Presidency-towns, shall be read as if for the words "District Magistrate" in Section 16-, subsection (1), and Section 17-, sub-section (2) and (3),for the words "Magistrate of the first or second class" in Section 18-, sub-section (1),40[and Section 19A-, sub-section (2)] and for the words "Magistrate" in section 18-, sub-section (2), there had been enacted the word "Commissioner of Police" and for the words "District Judge" in section 16-, subsections (3), (4) and (5), the words "Chief Judge of the Court of Small Causes".41[* * *] (3) The fee in respect of an application to the Chief Judge of a Presidency Court of Small Causes under subjection (3) of Section 16-shall be the same as would be payable under the Court-fees Act, 1870 (7 of 1870), in respect of such an application to a District Judge beyond the limits of a Presidency-town, and fees for summonses and other processes in proceedings before the Chief Judge under sub-section (3) or sub-section (4) of that section shall be payable according to the scale set forth in the Fourth Schedule to the Presidency Small Cause Court Act, 1882 (15 of 1882)-.] SECTION 35: REFERENCE TO CERTAIN LAWS OF PART B STATES [Rep. by Part B States (Laws) Act, 1951 (3 of 1951), Sec. 3 and Sch.] INDIAN TELEGRAPH RULES, 1951 S.R.O. 1546.-In exercise of the powers conferred by section 7 of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 (XIII of 1885), and in super-session of the Indian Telegraph Rules, 1932, the Central Government hereby makes the following rules: AS AMENDED BY AMENDED RULES, 1986 RULE 1 Short Title and Extent (1) These rules may be called the Indian Telegraph Rules, 1951. (2) They extend to the whole of India. RULE 2 Definitions -In these rules, unless the context otherwise requires :- (a) Answer-back code means a combination of characters used to provide a short code to identify the subscriber : (i) Auto -transmitter means an apparatus used for transmission of perforated tapes. (ii) Call means a conversation between two or more subscribers connected to the same exchange and includes a conversation with such other service connected with the telephone system as may be specified by the Telegraph Authority ; (b) Called person means a subscriber with whom a caller wishes to speak; (c) Caller means a subscriber who registers his demand for a trunk call; (i) 'Collect call' means a call for which the person booking the trunk call specifies, while booking it, that he wishes the call to be paid for by the called party ; (d) Combined office means a post office which is in telegraphic communication with a Government telegraph office, or at which telegrams may be handed in for despatch by messenger to the nearest telegraph office for on ward transmission ; (i) "Commutator board" means an equipment for terminating telegraph circuits so as to facilitate interconnection between any two desired circuits; (ii) 'Credit Card facility' means a facility whereunder a subscriber or his representative who has applied for and been issued under such terms and conditions as may be prescribed by the telegraph authority with a Credit Card may make trunk calls from any telephone, public or private, to any other telephone and have the charges debited against the telephone subscriber specified in the credit card ; (e) Departmental exchange means a telephone exchange which is installed, maintained and controlled by the telegraph Authority ; (f) Departmental telegraph office means a telegraph office dealing only with telegrams and maintained and worked under the direction and control of the Director-General ; (f) (i) "Dialling unit" means an equipment associated with the subscriber's teleprinter machine to enable calls being set up automatically : (g) Direct exchange line is a telephone connection directly working on a departmental exchange; (h) Director-General means the Director-General of Posts and Telegraphs ; (i) Divisional Engineer means a Divisional Engineer, Telegraph or Telephones and includes all Heads of Telephone District and any other officer who may be empowered to discharge the functions of the Divisional Engineer under these rules ; (j) Double period or unit means a period in excess of three minutes but not in excess of six minutes ; (k) Exchange system means any Departmental Telephone Exchange or Exchanges and any lines connected therewith declared by the Telegraph Authority to be an exchange system ; (l) Extension means a subsidiary telephone connection having access to the exchange line with or without the intervention of the main station; (m) External extension means an extension other than an internal extension; (n) Fixed time call means a trunk call between two numbers which is to be put through at or about a specified time ; (o) Flat rate system means a system of charging on telephones under which a subscriber is required to pay a fixed annual rental for the line connecting his telephone to any exchange within the exchange system, but not any call fees for local calls from his telephones ; (p) Government telegraph office includes departmental telegraph offices and combined offices ; (q) Internal extension means an extension located in the same building in which the main connection is working ; (r) International telephone service means a trunk call service between India and any other country except Ceylon, Nepal and Pakistan ; (s) Interpolated Public Call Office means a public call office which is opened on a trunk line between two exchanges ; (t) Junction line means a line connecting any two exchanges in an exchange system or connecting a departmental exchange with a private branch exchange or an exchange of a licensee or a privately owned exchange ; (u) Late fee means a fee payable, in addition to the prescribed call charges for a local or trunk call, made from or to a Public Call Office outside its regular working hours. (v) Licensed telegraph office means a telegraph office maintained and worked for the purpose of receiving and transmitting paid telegrams under a license granted under Section 4 of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 (13 of 1885) ; (w) Local area means the area within 5 Kilometres radial distance from a telephone exchange or where the Telegraph Authority has declared any area served by an exchange system to be a local area for the purpose of telephone connection, such area ; (x) Local call means a call from a subscriber's line to another line on any exchange within the same exchange system ; (y) (i) "Local circuit" means a circuit provided between a telegraph office and the party's premises ; (y) (ii) "Local Leads" means the circuit provided between a Voice Frequency Telegraph Station, carrier station or Trunk exchange on one side and party's premises on the other, ; (z) Measured Rate system means a system of a charging of telephone under which a subscriber pays a fixed annual rental for the line connecting his telephone to any exchange within the exchange system and entitles him to make calls free of charge upto a specified number of call units during a fixed period, each call unit in excess of that number being charged at the prescribed fates. (aa) Message rate system means a system of charging on telephones under which a subscriber, besides paying a fixed annual rental for the line connecting his telephone to any exchange within the exchange system, is also required to pay call fees for each call from his telephone at rates prescribed for such calls ; (bb) Messenger service means a facility at Public Call Offices for a particular called person at a given address being sent for under such conditions and on payment of such charges as the Telegraph Authority may prescribe; (bba) Meter demand service means manual trunk telephone service established between stations where the charging is effected automatically on the calling subscriber's telephone meter not involving preparation of trunk call tickets ; (bb) (i) 'Number-to-Number Call' is a trunk call exchanged between a specified telephone number at one station and another specified telephone number at another station ; (cc) Own your telephone scheme means a scheme under which the subscriber makes an initial lump sum payment towards the rental for the line connecting his telephone to any exchange within the exchange system, and in consideration thereof is allowed a reduction in the annual rental payable by him for a specified period; (dd) Parent exchange to a Public Call Office is the telephone exchange to which it is directly connected ; (ee) Particular person call means a trunk call where the caller wishes to speak to a specified person ; (ff) Party line connection is a telephone connection where 2 or more parties share in a common line to a departmental exchange ; (i) 'Person -to -Person call' is a trunk call arranged from a specified individual at one station to another specified individual at another station whether these persons be subscribers or not ; (gg) Phonogram means a telegraphic message sent to or received from a telegraph office by a subscriber over the telephone ; (hh) Postal receiving office means a post office which is not in telegraphic communication with a Government telegraph office but at which inland telegrams may be handed in for despatch by post, without additional charge, to a telegraph office for onward transmission; (ii) Postmaster-General means a Postmaster-General as defined in Section 2 of the Indian Post Office Act, 1898 (4 of 1898) ; "Printing perforator" means an apparatus used for preparing perforated tapes which can be fed through an auto transmitter ; (jj) Private branch exchange means an exchange provided for any one party and connected to a departmental exchange ; (kk) Private exchange means a telephone exchange provided exclusively for the use of an organisation or an individual and not connected to the public network ; (ll) Private wires are those which connect two subscribers through a departmental exchange system whether a private wire relay set is installed at the exchange or not and are not connected to the local telephone system and to the general trunk net work. (mm) Private wire junction means a line connecting two private exchanges; (nn) Public call office means a telephone office for the use of the general public during specified hours on payment of the prescribed fees; (i) "Local public call office" means a public call office connected to an exchange and situated within the local area of an exchange system; (ii) "Interpolated public call office" means a public call office not connected to an exchange by a separate line of its own but interpolated on a direct trunk line between two exchanges ; (iii) "Long distance public call office" means a public call office which is not a local public call office or an interpolated public call office; (iv) "Reversed charge call" means a trunk call which a person is authorised to make from any public call office to a specified telephone number without pre-payment of the charges for such a call, the charges being recoverable from the called subscriber ; (oo) Single period or unit means a period of three minutes or part thereof; (pp) Subscriber means a person to whom a telephone service has been provided by means of an installation under these rules or under an agreement; (qq) Subscription fixed time call means a fixed time call between two numbers for 5 or more consecutive days excluding Sundays and Telegraph holidays; (rr) Telecommunication means any transmission, emission or reception signs, signals, writing, images, sounds or intelligences of any nature, by wire, radio, visual or other electromagnetic system; (ss) Telegram means written matter intended to be transmitted by telegraphy and includes a "radio-telegram" ; (ss) (i) "Telegraph circuit" means a medium used for dissemination of written matter or messages ; (tt) Telegraph office includes a Government telegraph office and a licensed telegraph office, but does not include a military field telegraph office; (uu) Telegraphy means a system of telecommunication for the transmission of written matter by the use of a signal code ; (vv) Telephony means a system of telecommunications set up for the transmission of speech or other sound ; (i) "Teleprinter machine" means an apparatus used on the terminal of a telegraph circuit for printing messages ; (ii) "Ticker connection" means a circuit provided between the main office of a News Agency and its constituents in the same station; (ww) Trunk call means a call on a trunk line ; (xx) Trunk line means a telephone line connecting an exchange system with another exchange system or a public call office on which a fee is levied for a conversation on the basis of the duration of the conversation ; (yy) Subscriber Trunk Dialling facility (S T.D.) means the facility where by subscribers can obtain trunk calls without the assistance of operators by the use of the dial provided. (zz) Non-exchange lines are those which connect two subscribers without any departmental exchange intervening. "(aaa) FIRE ALARM SERVICE means a service consisting of a switch board at the Fire Brigade Station with lines extending upto Telephone instruments in the Fire Alarm Pillars. (bbb) RIFLE RANGE CONNECTION means a telephone communication between the Markers' hut at a Rifle Range and the different firing points along the Range." RULE 3 . (1) All telegraphs shall be established, maintained and worked in such a manner as not to obstruct or repeatedly interrupt any wireless telegraph service functioning within or without India, or the wireless signalling between any fixed, land or mobile stations of the Armed Force of the Union or the wireless signalling exchanged between any fixed or mobile stations of the Armed Force of the Union and any station abroad. (2) Nothing in sub-rule (1) shall prevent the use of wireless telegraphs for the purpose of making or answering bona fide distress calls or distress messages, in any manner thought fit. (3) Except as provided in sub rule (2), if any person contravenes the provisions of sub-rule (1) he shall be punishable with fine as provided in sub-section (3) of section 7 of the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885. RULE 4 . Frequency allocations and call signs of the Armed Forces of the Union wireless installations shall be treated as secret information. RULE 5 . The accuracy of telegrams is not guaranteed, and all telegrams shall be deemed to be sent subject to acceptance by the sender of all risks arising from non-delivery, errors or delays. RULE 6 Translation of Telegrams At telegraph offices in places other than the Presidency-towns, every assistance possible shall be afforded to the public in the translation of telegrams into English for despatch and in the translation of telegrams received into the language of the place. No fee for this service shall be claimed or given. RULE 7 Secrecy Save in pursuance of his official duty or in obedience to the direction of a competent authority, a telegraph officer shall no disclose, to any person other than the sender or the addressee or the authorised representative of either, the contents of any telegram, RULE 8 General 'Inland Telegram" means any telegram the disposal of which does not involve transmission to or from any telegraph office beyond the limits of India. RULE 9 Acceptance of Inland Telegrams -Inland telegrams shall be accepted for transmission at all telegraph offices and postal receiving offices, and may, under certain conditions, be accepted by village postmen and at military field telegraph offices. RULE 10 . Inland telegrams handed in at Postal Receiving Offices for forwarding them to the nearest telegraph office by special messenger shall be accepted on payment of porterage charges by the sender. RULE 11 . Deleted. RULE 12 . Inland telegrams other than press telegrams (Rules 131 to 142) may be telephoned by the telephone subscribers for onward transmission, without prepayment to such departmental telegraph offices and combined offices as the Head of the Circle may authorise in this behalf on condition that all charges (Rules 62) due on such telegrams shall be paid for on the deposit account system (Rule 68) or through telephone bills where such a system of payment has been introduced, within the prescribed time limit in each case, or in cash. Inland reply telegram forms shall be accepted in lieu of telegraph charges in cash, subject to the provisions of Rules 95 to 97. RULE 13 . Telegrams may be posted from foreign countries to a telegraph office at an Indian port for onward transmission as inland telegrams without prepayment on condition that the charges due on such telegrams shall be recovered from the addressee in the manner provided by rule 71. RULE 14 . Deleted. RULE 15 . All inland paid telegrams, except telegrams at reduced press rates (Rules 133 and 134), may be transmitted without additional charge between any Government telegraph office and any licensed telegraph office. RULE 16 Acceptance of Telegrams on payment of late fee (1) Inland telegrams (other than telegrams intended for transmission to canal telegraph offices), foreign telegrams including letter telegrams and radio-telegrams shall be accepted at Government Telegraph Offices or at such Railway Telegraph Offices as may from time to time, be specified by the Director-General, for transmission at any time, subject to payment of a late fee, if at the time of presentation of the telegram, the office at which it is handed in, or the office to which it is addressed, or any intermediate office through which it must pass, is closed; Provided that at places where there is more than one telegraph office, one office or in the case of places specified by the Director-General in this behalf more than one office shall be made available for use by the public during closed hours, and no other office in such place shall in such case accept telegrams for despatch on payment of late fees. Such other offices shall exhibit a notice in a place where it can be read from outside, directing intending senders of telegrams to the nearest open telegraph office, or if there is no open telegraph office which is available for the despatch of telegrams on payment of late fees. 2. The late fee payable for a telegram shall be calculated at the rate of "Rupee Two" for each closed office, within Indian limits, which is required to deal with the telegram and shall be paid to the telegraphists in the concerned offices: Provided that , when more than one telegram is presented at the same time by, or on behalf of the same sender, a late fee calculated at the rate of Rupees Two for each batch of 5 telegrams or less in respect of each closed office shall be payable. Provided also that a late fee of Rupees Two for each batch of 5 telegrams or less shall be payable for the telegrams presented at one closed office, whether by one sender or by several senders, on the business of the Mateorological Department within half an hour after the presentation of the first telegram in respect of which the whole of that fee would, save for this proviso, have been payable. (3) If the attention of a closed office cannot be gained, the late fee collected for that office shall be refunded, but no refund shall in any case be made of the late fee for any office which has dealt with a late fee telegram. RULE 17 Objectionable Telegrams -Telegraph offices shall refuse to accept or forward any telegram or any part of a telegram of a plainly objectionable or alarming character. In cases of doubt the matter shall be referred by the officer in charge of the telegraph office to a Secretary to Government or other officer nominated by the State Government from time to time for this purpose, if the office is located at a seat of Government, or to the Chief Civil or Military Officer if the office is located elsewhere. RULE 18 . No letters, characters or devices shall be included in a telegraphic message in Roman or Devanagari script except those shown as admissible under this rule, namely :- (a) Letters/Characters (ii) A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z: (h) Figures. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0. Note.- (i) There are no telegraphic signals for Roman numerals. Note.-(ii) Numerals, if any, to be used in Devanagari telegrams shall be the International form of numerals (Rule 18 A). Note.-(iii) Half consonants (Halant characters) are admissible. (c) Stops and other signs Full stop (.), Comma (.), Colon (:), Note of interrogation (?), Apostraphe ('), Hyphen or dash (-), Brackets or sign of a parenthesis ( ) or Bars of division (/) (d) Service Indications and Canventional signs (See rules 29 to 31.) Abbreviated form Full Meaning RP Reply paid Rupees and paise (Rule 94) PC Telegrams with Telegraphic notification of delivery ordinary (Rule 106) XP Porterage charges paid (Rule 127) POST To be delivered at destination by post (Rules 84. 117, 118, 129 and 130) Open To be delivered open (Rule 87) MTF More to follow [Rule 136 (2)] EOM End of message [Rule 136 (2)] STATE State Telegrams (Rule 148) TF* (*denotes the Telephone number) To be delivered by telephone (Rule 36) TL* (*denotes telex number) To be delivered by Telex (Rule 36 A) but senders may substitute for them an equivalent which can be telegraphed, e.g., for the expressions quoted above, 30 power a (or 30a), firstly, secondly, B in diamond. (f) Notwithstanding anything contained in this rule the expression 30A, 300, etc., 30a, 30b, etc., 30 bis, 30 ter, etc., 30', 30", etc., 30 30, etc., indicating a house number on an address shall be accepted as written, in whatsoever part of a telegram they may appear. In transmission the number will be separated from the letters or figures accompanying it by an oblique bar, which for the purpose of calculating the charge, shall not be counted as a character in the group of figures or figures and letters composing the house number, whether the sender has or has not written the bar on the copy tendered for transmission. RULE 18A Acceptance of telegrams in Indian languages written in Devanagri characters. -Notwithstanding anything contained in Rule 18, any Telegraph office in India, authorised in this behalf by the Director-General. Postmaster General, General Manager, Telephones, Controller of Postal Services or Director of Posts & Telegraphs may accept telegrams in Indian languages written in Devanagri characters : the numerals, any if, to be used in such telegram shall be international form of numerals. The service will be available only in respect of specified offices. RULE 18B Application of Indian Telegraph Rules, 1951 to Telegrams in Devanagri Characters -The Indian Telegraph Rules, 1951, shall be applicable to telegrams in Devanagri characters mutatis mutandis unless specified otherwise. RULE 19 Erasures, etc. Every footnote, insertion, erasure, correction in a telegram presented for transmission shall be initialed by the sender or by bisrepresentative in token of approval. RULE 20 Language, etc. -Inland private telegrams may be expressed in plain language or in secret language (e.g., Code or Cipher), but a combination in the same telegram of figures and letters, having a secret meaning, shall not be permitted. RULE 21 . Plain language means in the case of inland telegrams language which offers an intelligible sense in English, in any of the modern languages of India or in any foreign language, and which is expressed in character admissible under rules 18 and 18A, each word and each expression having the meaning normally assigned to it in the language to which it belongs. RULE 22 . "Telegram in plain language" means a telegram of which the text is wholly in plain language provided that a telegram in plain language may contain registered addresses, commercial marks, exchange quotations, letters representing the signals of the International Cods of Signals, abbreviations in current use in ordinary or commercial correspondence, such as rsvp, fob, ofi, svp,c/o, b/l or any similar expression the meaning of which is understood in the office of origin, or in the case of bank or similar telegrams, a check word placed at the beginning of the text and not exceeding 5 letters or 5 figures in length. RULE 23 . Secret language is formed of :- (a) Code words composed exclusively of letters having a secret meaning; (b) Cipher composed of international form of Indian numerals or Devanagri letters having a secret meaning. RULE 24 . Code telegram means a telegram of which the text is composed of- (a) artificial words, or (b) real words not used with the meaning normally assigned to them in the language to which they belong and consequently not forming intelligible phrases in one or more of the languages authorised fur telegraphic correspondence in plain language, or (c) a mixture of real words and artificial words. Artificial words constructed for the purposes of this rule shall not contain the accented letters. RULE 25 . Code words shall not contain more than 5 of the characters admissible under rule 18 and shall contain at least one vowel. The vowels are a, c, i, o, u and y the groups ae, aa, ao, oe, ue, and ch in the code words shall be counted as two letters each. "The name of the Code used for the wording of a secret language telegram shall be furnished by the sender if required by the office of origin or of destination which will not be charged for." "In Devanagari characters also the code words shall not contain more than 5 characters inclusive of at least one of the following matras, namely, which shall be reckoned as one character for this purpose." RULE 26 . Groups which do not fulfill the conditions of rules 24 and 25 above shall be classed as letter cipher (Rule 27) and charged accordingly. Groups formed by combining two or more plain language words contrary to the usage of the language shall not be admitted. (See also rule 57). RULE 27 . (1) "Cipher telegram" means a telegram the text of which is composed of- (a) International form of Indian numerals or groups or series of such numerals with a secret meaning or of letters (excluding the accented letters or groups or series of letters) with a secret meaning, or." (b) words, names, expressions or combination of letters not fulfilling the conditions of plain language (Rule 21) or code (Rule 24). (2) The combination of figures and letters, figures or letters and signs in one group with a secret meaning, shall not be permitted. Letter cipher shall be arranged in groups of five letters. (3) The groups referred to in rule 25 shall not be considered as letter cipher, i.e., as letters having a secret meaning. Note.-The characters, - and Devanagari characters in half or in full with a dot, or dash chalant) under them shall not be admissible for use in Devanagari code or cipher telegrams (Rules 23 to 27). RULE 28 . Telegrams in secret, language shall be charged at the ordinary or urgent rates as the case may be. RULE 29 . "Service indications as specified in Rule 18 (d) may be included in a telegram. Such indication shall be written by the sender in the space, provided for that purpose in the telegram form". RULE 30 . In the case of a multiple telegram, service indication, if any, shall be written by the sender before each address to which they relate ; provided that the service indication for collation in the case of such telegram shall be deemed to be sufficiently indicated if written once only, before the first address. RULE 31 . Service indications may be written in any intelligible form but shall be charged for and transmitted in the abbreviated forms specified in rule 18 (d). If the indication has not been written by the scnder in the correct abbreviated form, the counter clerk shall cross it out and substitute for it the correct abbreviation, which shall be placed between two double dashes (e.g.,= TC=). RULE 32 Arrangement of a Telegram "(2) Subject to the provisions of Rule 43. no inland telegram shall be accepted by a telegraph office unles the contents specified in Sub-rule (1) are given". RULE 33 Address The address of every inland telegram shall contain at least two separate words designating respectively the addressee and the name of the telegraph office of destination provided that in the case of weather telegrams, the address may contain only a single word designating the name of the telegraph office of destination. The name of the office of destination shall, for purposes of charging, be counted as one word, irrespective of the actual lumber of words and letters which it may contain (Rule 48). The designation of the office to which the telegram is to be transmitted shall be written as given in the List of telegraph offices published in the Telegraph Guide, Volume II but the letters and names of districts and provinces which are therein printed in italics after the names of offices, may he omitted. Example.-"Basin Bridge Junction S.R." written as the name of the telegraph office of destination will be counted as one word only. RULE 34 . The address shall contain all particulars necessary to ensure the delivery of the telegram without search of inquiry. RULE 35 . When a telegram is addressed to one person care of another, the address shall contain immediately after the name of the actual addressee the words "care of "c/o" or any other equivalent. RULE 36 . If the sender desires his telegram to be delivered by telephone, in such case, he shall write before the address (name of addressee and the office of destination) the service indication TFx (x being the telephone number of the addressee), e.g., "TF 386338 Telepost New Delhi." RULE 36A . If the sender desires his telegram to be delivered by telex, in such case. he shall write before the address (name of addressee and the office of destination) the service indication TLXx (x being the telex number of the addressee), e.g., "TLX 2723 Telepost New Delhi." RULE 36B . If the sender desires his telegram to he delivered by Post Box address, in such case, he shall write the name of the addressee followed by his Post Box number and the name of the telegraph office of destination, e.g., "Paul Post Box 380 Calcutta", Telegrams so addressed will be delivered through the Post Box. RULE 37 . The address of telegrams addressed ''poste restante" or "telephone restante" shall give the name by which the addressee is ordinarily known and shall not be addressed by means of initials, figures, Christian names only or fictitious names. RULE 38 . Any inland telegram of which the address is not in conformity with rules 33, 34 and 35 may he refused at the office of presentation, and if such telegram is accepted for transmission, no claim for refund in respect of delay or non-delivery thereof shall be admitted. RULE 39 . No alteration or addition shall be made in the address of a telegram after it has been despatched except by means of a paid service advice (Rule 153, etc.). RULE 40 . Abbreviated Addresses. Subject to the provisions of rule 151 abbreviated addresses may be registered within the limits of India under the following conditions:- (i) Application for registration shall be made to the officer in charge of the telegraph office at which it is desired to register an address. (ii) No address may be registered in one town for the delivery of telegrams in another town. (iii) The registered address will be available for telegrams from other countries, as well as for inland telegrams. (iv) No registered address shall consist of more than one word in addition to the name of the telegraph office, where delivery is to be effected, as identified by the Postal Index Number (PIN code). (v) Such word shall be easily pronounceable and shall not contain more than 10 characters (including matras in Devanagari script). Proper names shall ordinarily not be accepted. (vi) Numbers, names of professions, trades, countries, states, towns, telegraph stations, well-known steets or registered newspapers shall not be used as registered addresses. (vii) Registration shall be refused of any word which either in writing or in telegraphic signals so closely resembles a word already registered that the one might be mistaken for the other. (viii) Registration shall be refused of any word which either time cancel any registered address, and shall thereupon refund a part of the registration fee proportionate to the unexpired period of the registration, or, at the option of the person by whom such address was registered, shall allow a new address to be substituted free of charge for the one cancelled. (ix) In the event of a change in the title of a firm for which an address has been registered, the records may be altered only with the consent, in writing, of all the partners of the firm. (x) A firm shall be permitted to register an address for an agent, provided that such agent trades under the same name as the firm. (xi) The fee for registration of an abbreviated address (both Roman and Devanagari) shall be Rs. 100 payable for the Calendar year in advance to the officer incharge of the telegraph office at which the registration is made. When the registration is effected during the course of a year, the fee shall be charged at the rate of Rs. 10 per calendar month, inclusive of the month of registrat on, upto 31st December of that year. (xii) An additional fee, equal to half the original registration fee, shall be charged for every change of the word selected, or for every transfer to another telegraph office within the period of registration; no additional fee shall be charged no respect of a charge of residence within the delivery limits of the registering office, or in respect of a change in the name or title of the registering firm or person not amounting to a charge of identity, or to a transfer from one firm to another. (xiii) An abbreviated address, registered permanently by any firm or person under the rules in force prior to 1st July 1904. shall not be transferred to any other firm or person as a permanently registered address, but it transferred shall be retained only on payment of the yearly registration fee prescribed under clause (xi). A fee of Rs. 5 shall be charged for every change of the word selected for an abbreviated address registered permanently under the rules in force prior to 1st July 1904 and for every transfer of such address to another telegraph office. (xiv) No refund of fees shall be made in respect of addresses registered but subsequently given up by the person who registered them, except in cases where the refund has been applied for before the commencement of the period to which the fee relates. RULE 41 . Any person or firm to whom telegrams are frequently addressed by means of an abbreviated name which has not been registered may be required, by a written notice from the telegraph office, to register the address, and on failure of such person or firms to comply with such notice the telegraph office may refuse to deliver telegram so addressed. Provided that the rule of payment for registration of an abbreviated address may be relaxed for a traveller or person expecting to receive a few messages under an abbreviated address during a short period of, say, one week. RULE 42 . Limit to length of telegram.-No inland private telegram shall exceed 500 words in length, nor shall any one person send at the same time a series of telegrams of which the total number of words exceeds 500. In cases where the limit of 500 words has been reached, either in one telegram or in a series of telegrams, the sender of such telegram or telegrams shall not, unless the line is free of all other traffic, be permitted to send a further telegram until three hours have elapsed since the handling in of his last telegram. RULE 43 . The sender's name or designation may be in a customary abridged form, or may be replaced by a registered address, or may be omitted altogether. RULE 44 Signature -The true signature and address of the sender (neither of which shall be charged for or transmitted) shall be written at the foot of the telegram and the sender of a private telegram may be called upon to prove that the signature attached to it is genuine. If the sender of a telegram is lliterate, his mark shall be obtained and shall be verified in such manner as the Director-General may direct. In the case of telegrams from amercantile firm the signature may be the name of the firm written by hand, or the name of the firm stamped and attested by the signature or initials of a responsible member of the firm. In the case of telegrams telephoned by telephone subscribers (Rule 12), the signatures of the senders shall not be necessary. RULE 45 What is counted -Save as provided in Rules 51 and 137, every word or character written by the sender of an inland telegram on the copy intended for transmission shall be included in calculating the charge, provided that the name of the telegraph office of origin shall not be so included but shall be transmitted free. RULE 46 Stops, etc. -Dashes used only to separate on the sender's copy the different words or groups of the telegram shall not be transmitted. Signs of punctuation, apostrophes and hyphens shall be transmitted only at the request of the sender, and shall insuch can be counted as provided under rules 53 and 54. RULE 47 preamble -Words, numbers and signs added by telegraph officials for official purposes shall not be charged for. The hour and minute (Standard Time) at which a telegram is handed in, shall be added by the telegraph office and transmitted free. RULE 48 . Each of the following shall be counted as one word only :- (i) Service indications written in the abridged from authorised in rule 18 (d). (ii) The name of the telegraph office of destination when written as given in the Post and Telegraph Guide (Rule 33) or when completed by the name of the district or the province, if the name of the office has not yet been published in the Post and Telegraph Guide. (iii) Every code words which fulfils the requirements of rules 24, 25 and 26. (iv) Save as provided under rule 137 every isolated character, letter or figure as well as every sign of punctuation, apostrophe or hyphen transmitted at the request of the sender. (v) An underline. (vi) Parenthesis (the two signs forming). (vii) In telegraphic money orders, the amount expressed in both figures and words, the name of the post office of issue, the name of the post office of payment, and that of the locality in which the payee lives, RULE 49 Plain or Secret language Telegrams -In telegrams in plain or secret language each word appearing in a standard dictionary of the admitted languages, each word in common use in one of the languages or any expression mentioned in rule 52 or authorised compound shall, for purposes of charging, be counted as single word, provided that it contains not more than 15 characters in the case of plain language and 5 characters in the case of secret language, counted in accordance with the provisions of rule 18. Words or authorised compound containing more than 15 characters shall, for purposes of charging, be counted at the rate of 15 characters to a word plus one word for each 15 characters or fraction of 15 characters in excess. RULE 49A . Subject to the provisions of rule 49, in telegrams written in Devanagari characters in plain or secret language, each word shall be counted as a single word provided that it contains not more than 10 characters either in full or in half (excluding matras) in the case of plain language and 5 characters inclusive of at least one matra in the case of secret language in accordance with the provisins of rule 18. Words or authorised compound words containing more than 10 characters shall, for purposes of charging, a counted at the rate of 10 characters (excluding matras) to a word plus one word for each 10 characters or fraction of 10 characters. Note:-Compound consonant like shall be counted a to characters each. RULE 50 Mixed telegrams If an inland telegram contains both plain language words and secret language words, the plain language words shall be counted at the rate of 15 and 10 characters to a word in Roman and Devanagari scripts (excluding matras), respectively, and the secret language words shall be counted at the rate of 5 characters to a word in both the scripts. RULE 51 . In all inland telegrams the address or sender's name shall, save as provided in rule 137 be charged for according to the provisions of rules 48 and 49: Provided that if the address in inland telegrams, exceeds six words, the number of words exceeding six but not exceeding ten shall not be included in calculating the charge. RULE 52 Groups of Figures, Letters, Commercial Marks, etc. -Groups of figures or of letters, ordinal numbers and commercial marks composed of figures and letters, the number of a cheque or currency note, and all reference numbers in State telegrams, shall be counted at the following rate, namely.- (i) one word for every group not containing more than five figures or letters, (ii) for groups of more than five figures or letters, one word for every complete five figures or letters and one word for the remainder, if any. Each of the combinations ae, aa, ao, oe, ue and oh shall be counted as two letters. When commercial marks form part of the text of a telegram, the sender shall certify them to be such at the foot of the form. RULE 53 . Use of Apostrophe and Hyphens.-Save as provided under rule 58, words separated by an apostrophe and words joined by a hyphen shall be counted as separate words. RULE 54 Signs, etc, used with Figures or Letters -Decimal points or full- stops, commas, colons, dashes and bars of division when used in groups of figures or letters shall be counted each as a figure or a letter. In the like manner shall be counted each letter or figure added to a house number in an address in whatever part of the telegram such address appears. RULE 55 Meteorological telegrams -In Meteorological telegrams the letter X shall be counted as a figure in the group of figures in which it appears. RULE 56 Abbreviations Common titles, which in their full form are expressed by a single word, such as Captain, Reverend and Esquire, may be written in their usual abbreviated forms, such as Capt., Rev., and Esq., each of which shall be counted as one word. Similarly, common abbreviations of single words, such as Rs. (for Rupees), Ibs. (for pounds) shall beadmissible and shall be counted each as one word. RULE 57 Combinations or Alterations of Words Contrary to the usage of the language, whether such combination or alterations be apparent or disguised by reversing the order of letters or syllables, shall not be permitted : (i) Provided that registered abbreviated addresses, names of towns and countries, family names belonging to one person, the full names of places, squares, boulevards, streets and other public ways, the names of ships, whole numbers, fractions, decimal or fractional numbers, written entirely in words, and all expressions which, by the usage of the English language, are written as single words shall, subject to the limitation imposed by rule 49, be counted as single words in inland telegrams and shall be charged for accordingly : Provided further that the words half anna, two annas, three annas, etc., may be written as single word subject to limitation imposed by rule 49. Examples (a) Combinations admissible as single words - Cowhide, Gingellyseed, Rapeseed, Sheepskin. (b) Combinations inadmissible as single words :-Tapestrypatterns. Innerharbour. Tuesday morning. Counteroffer. Boursecredit. Wheatcargo. Bankaction. Sailinsurance. Beerboxes. Wireanswer. Steamcoals. Dischargingday. Alright. Verywell. Goodbusiness. Allright. Steamercargo. Hullsteamer. Coastsailing. RULE 57A Combination of words in Devanagari telegrams :- In Devanagari telegrams, combination of : - (1) prepositions, (2) words, which when written together are equivalent to one word in English language, and (3) words used for one name, idea or thing, subject to the provisions of rule 49A, be counted as one word, provided they are written together. RULE 58 Surnames -Names, such as Macdonald (or McDonald), Fitz-Gerald, O'Nell, DeMorgan, D'Cruz, DelaRue, St. John, Vande Brude, DuBois, shall be counted as one word each even though written with capital medial letters and shall be transmitted as single words without break, the apostrophe where used being omitted. RULE 59 . Examples of Counting.-The following examples show how the rules for counting words are to be interpreted :- Number of words Leveson-Gower (family name) 2 Levesongower (family name) 1 John Henry (Christian names) 2 Johnhenry (Christian names) 2 A. Gower (initial and family names) 2 Agower (evasion, inadmissible) Readdressed 1 Re-addressed 2 Dont 1 Don't 2 Mother-in-law 3 Motherinlaw 1 Allright 2 All-right 2 Allight (misspelt; inadmissible) 44 1/2 (5 characters) 1 444 1/2 (6 characters) 2 44.5 (5 characters) 1 444.55 (6 characters) 2 44/2 (4 characters) 1 44/ (3 characters) 1 5/8 8 (4 characters') 1 2% (4 characters') 1 17th 1 15 29th (6 characters) 1 10 Rs. 10 as 1 10 Rs. 10 1 Rs. 10, 10 (or) Rs. 10/10 2 11 p. 30 2 1130 1 Eight/10 2 5/twel ths 2 May/August 3 30a (30 to the power a) 5 15x6 (signalled 15x6) 3 15 X 6 (without spaces) 1 Two hundred and thirty-four 5 Two hundred and thirty four (23 characters) 2 E.M. (Isolated ie tiers, initials of Christian names) 2 E.M. (Initials of 2 Christian names , wrong combination) 2 15A (Number of House) 1 l5d or 15/3 (Number of houses) 1 I.C.S. (for Indian Civil Service in address of text) 3 Bara Bazar 2 Barabazar 1 Responsibility (14 characters) 1 Misrepresentation (17 characters) 2 Prince of Wales (ship) 3 Prince of wales (ship) 1 Emvchf (6 characters, Secret letters in State telegrams, in commercial marks) 2 117a/199a (Commercial mark ', a group of 9 characters) 2 AP/M (Commercial mark or Secret language in State telegrams; a group of 4 characters) 1 3/M (Commercial mark ; a group of 3 Character'') 1 GHF (Commercial mark, or Secret language in Slate telegrams ', a group of 3 characters) 1 G.H.F. (Commercial mark, or Secret language in Stale telegrams ; 3 groups of 2 characters) 3 (J.H.F. (Without final stop) (Commercial mark or Secret language in State telegrams) 3 GHF 45 (Commercial mark) 1 G.H.F. 45 {Commercial mark) 4 G./O (for General order) 2 G.O. (for general Order) 2 The business is very urgent '. come without delay (8 words and 2 underlines) 10 Received news of you indirectly (very had) telegraph immediately (9 words and 1 passage within parenthesis) 10 ICS or Tcs (in ad'-iress or text) 1 R.A. (for Royal Artillery in address or text) 2 RA or Ra (in address of text) 1 Received letters from Pera reliable source winch says "conversion business hindered by syndicate bankers" (14 words and a passlige in inverted coiilinas) 15 As. (for "annas") Co. (for "Company") 1 Etc. (for "etcetra") 1 Mr. (for "Mister") 1 Mrs. (for "Mistress") 1 No. (for "Number") 1 d. (for "pence") 1 s. (for "shilling") 1 Cwt. (for "hundred weight") 1 245-F (reference in Stale telegrams ', a group of 5 characters) 1 C F"533409 (number of Cheque : a group of 10 characters) 2 B FB ""42666 (number of Currency note : a group of 10 28 characters) 2 RULE 60 Inland telegrams for delivery in India -Inland telegrams for delivery in India shall be classed as express or ordinary. Save as provided by rules 124 and 133 and subject to the proviso to rule 51, the charges payable on such telegrams shall be as follows : RULE 61 . The charges payable for Press telegrams shall be those provided in rule 133. RULE 62 . In respect of telegrams telephoned by the telephone subscribers (Rule 12), a fee of one rupee shall bepayable for each such telegram in addition to the charges payable as on a similar telegram of the same class and the same length and with the same special services, if any, when not booked over a telephone call. Provided that in a measured rate system, the call on which the telegram is booked shall also be taken into account in determining the local call fees payable by the subscriber under Section III of Rule 434. In respect of telegrams accepted by a village postman (Rule 9), a fee of 7 Paise for each such telegram shall be payable in addition to any other charges payable on such telegrams. RULE 63 . Deleted. RULE 64 Charges how paid -Save as provided under rules 12, 13, 68, 69, 70, 140 and 149, all charges on inland telegrams shall beprepaid in cash, if the class of the telegram is not stated by the sender, it shall be classed and charged for as Ordinary (Rule 60). RULE 65 . Deleted RULE 66 . Deleted. RULE 67 Receipt -A receipt stating the number of the telegram and the charge paid may be obtained for each telegram accepted for transmission at a telegraph office or postal receiving office. Duplicate copies of receipts for telegrams shall not be given. RULE 68 Acceptance of Telegrams on Deposit Account System and Guarantee System (1) At departmental telegraph offices and at such combined offices as the Head of a Circle may specify in this behalf, inland telegrams may be accepted without prepayment from any person who has (a) made at the telegraph office from which the telegrams are to be sent a minimum deposit in cash or Government promissory notes or National Savings Certificates of a sum equivalent to the estimated cost of fourteen days' telegrams plus fees for the upkeep of accounts, or(b) furnished to such telegraph office a letter of guarantee in the form annexed to this rule from a bank approved by the Director General in this behalf for a sum equivalent to the estimated cost aforesaid: Provided that subject to the approval of the Head of a Circle, the deposit to be made or guarantee to be furnished by persons whose average expenditure on telegrams at the office in question exceeds Rs. 800 a month shall be, or shall be for, Rs. 1,000 only and that the account in such cases may be rendered monthly. (2) The telegraph office concerned shall submit to each such person a weekly account showing the cost of the telegrams accepted under this rule and the fees charged for the upkeep of the account : Provided that the account may. at the request of the person concerned, be rendered at intervals greater than a week if the deposit or sum guaranteed is increased accordingly. (3) The fees for the upkeep of accounts referred to in the two preceding sub-rules shall be at the rate of rupees five for every batch of twenty telegrams or part thereof. (4) No telegram shall be accepted under this rule from a person who fails to pay the deposit account bill within two weeks of the date on which it is received or whose deposit is exhausted or whose debt to the telegraph office equals or exceeds the amount secured by his letter of guarantee, until the deposit has been renewed, or the debt paid and. if it has been paid by the guarantor, bank under the terms of the letter of guarantee a fresh letter of guarantee has been furnished. FORM OF LETTER OF GUARANTEE FROM BANKS TO THE PRESIDENT OF INDIA In consideration of your having at our request agreed to waive the deposit you are entitled to demand from Mr./Messers.........(hereafter referred to as the customer) under rule 68 of the INDIAN TELEGRAPH RULES, 1951, in respect of Telegrams booked without prepayment from...... Telegraph Office, we undertake to pay the amounts of the bills issued by the Posts and Telegraphs Department on behalf of the President of India without questioning the accuracy thereof if the said customer......fails/fail to pay the same within two weeks from the date of its receipt. Provided that we shall in no event be liable to pay a sum greater than Rs....... We further agree that any extension of time or forbearance towards the customer or any act, omission or neglect on your part will not absolve us from our liability under this Guarantee. This Guarantee will be a continuing guarantee and will not be revoked by us for a period of Five Years from this date without your prior consent in writing. (Signature) Signed and sealed on behalf of...... Dated this...... ...day of...... RULE 69 Telegram from Ships Telegrams arriving by mail steamer or other vessel for onward transmission by telegraph as inland telegrams may be transmitted without prepayment; but no such telegram, whether prepaid or not, shall be transmitted until the name of the vessel from which it is received is known at the telegraph office. RULE 70 Telegrams from Military Field Telegraph Offices When at a military field telegraph office prepayment is impracticable, inland private telegrams, addressed to any office other than a military field telegraph office, may be accepted "bearing" (i.e., charges payable on delivery). RULE 71 Recovery of Bearing and other charges from Addressee - When a charge is due on delivery (Rules 13, 69, 70 and 111), the telegram shall be handed to the addressee only upon payment of the amount due, provided that in the case of State Telegrames addressed to Government officials, the addressee shall pay the bearing charges (Rules 13, 69, 70 and 111) to the telegraph office within 24 hours. RULE 72 Undercharge -if any made in error, and charges and expenses not recovered from the addressee of an inland telegram in consequence of his refusal to pay them, or the impossibility of finding him shall be recovered from the sender. RULE 73 Overcharge The amount of any overcharge made in error shall be refunded to the person entitled thereto on application made by him in accordance with the provisions of Rule 162. RULE 74 Order of Transmission Inland telegrams shall be transmitted in the following order, namely.- (a)S. V. H. telegrams relating to safety of human life on land, at sea or in the air and Epidemiological telegrams of WHO (Rule 145), (b) Most Immediate and Operations Immediate state telegrams (Rule 143). (c) State Immediate and Weather Immediate telegrams (Rule 143). (d) Special Police Immediate Service and Storm Signal telegrams. (e) Urgent Private (Intimation of death) Flash Press and Express Weather telegrams. (f) Other Express telegrams (State, private, press and Service) excluding Express Greetings telegrams. (g) Express Greeting telegrams (h) Ordinary telegrams (State, private, press and Service) excluding ordinary Greetings telegrams. (i) Ordinary Greetings telegrams and letter telegrams." (j) Meteorological (other than Storm and Flood Warning) telegrams. (k) Express State telegrams (Rule 146). (l) Express private and press telegrams (Rules 76 and 133). (m) Ordinary State telegrams (Rule 146). (n) Ordinary private and press telegrams (Rules 76 and 133). RULE 75 . Subject to the provisions of rules 74 and 76 inland telegrams shall be transmitted in the order in which they are received. RULE 76 . (1) Except as provided in sub-rule (2), all inland telegrams shall be accepted and transmitted by any telegraph office during its normal working hours. (2) Ordinary telegrams other than the following categories of telegrams even on late fee shall not be accepted by any telegraph office between 1700 to 0700: (a) Priority telegrams conveying news of death. (b) private personal telegrams containing communications regarding : - (i) Arrivals and departures at railway stations or airports ; (ii) sickness and accidents, including calls for attendance of relations; (iii) applications for, and offers of employment including calls for interview; or (iv) intimation of examination results : Provided that classes of inland telegrams specified in rule 16 shall be accepted and transmitted during closed hours of an Office authorised to handle such telegrams, on payment of late fee. (3) Express telegrams shall have precedence over ordinary telegrams in transmission only. (4) All inland telegrams shall be delivered by any telegraph office during its normal working hours : Provided that ordinary telegrams other than the categories specified in clause (a) and Sub -clauses (i) and (ii) of clause (b) of sub -rule (2) received between 2200 hours and 0600 hours shall sent out for delivery after 0600 hours. (5) (a) Telegrams accepted under rule 16A and express telegrams shall be sent out for delivery if received between 2200 and 0600 hours only if the sender has inserted the special instruction 'Night' at the time of booking of the telegram. (b) The word "Night" shall be charged for as one word at express or ordinary rate depending on the class of the telegram RULE 77 . Deleted. RULE 78 . Deleted. RULE 79 Transmission in duplicate When owing to an interruption in telegraphic Communication an inland telegram cannot be transmitted by the ordinary route between two telegraph offices, the offices beyond which the interruption occurs, or an office situated further back, shall forward the (telegram immediately by an alternative telegraph routes or by speech circuit, and if no such methods of disposal are possible, by special messenger or by post (registered, if possible). RULE 80 . If an inland telegram is retransmitted by means other than telegraphic, it shall be addressed by the retransmitting office either to the nearest telegraph office in a position to retransmit it, or to the office of destination, or to the addressee himself. As soon as communication is restored, the telegram shall be transmitted afresh by telegraph, unless its receipt has been already acknowledged, or unless, by reason of exceptional congestion of traffic, such retransmission should be obviously prejudicial to the service as a whole. RULE 81 . The sender of an inland telegram or his authorised representative may on establishing his identity cancel the telegram at any time before transmission has begun, and in such case the charges paid less, a fee of rupees two shall be at once returned. If the telegram is in course of transmission, or has already been despatched, it may be cancelled only on payment of a fee of rupees two in addition to the charge for a paid service advice address under rule 154 to the office of destination. If in addition, the sender wishes to be informed by telegraph of the manner in which his request has been acted upon, he shall deposit the cost of the return telegram; otherwise he shall be informed by post. If the telegram has been delivered to the addressee, the latter shall be informed of its cancellation unless the service advice contains instructions to the contrary. RULE 82 According to Address and Order - Inland telegrams shall ordinarily be delivered at the residences of the addressees, or, if addressed "telegraphe restante" or "poste restante" or "care of telegraph office shall be kept at the telegraph office or post office, as the case may be till called for. By the purchase of a window delivery ticket, rates for which shall be notified in the Telegraph Guide, Vol. I firms or individuals may have all telegrams addressed to them delivered to their peons or servants at the window of the telegraph office. Inland telegrams shall, in all cases, be delivered at, or forwarded to, their destinations in order of receipt. RULE 83 . An inland telegram addressed to a registered abbreviated address for which service indications for delivery by telephone are registered (Rule 110) or addressed to a person by his telephone number (Rule 36) may be telephoned to the addressee. In other cases a telegram may, with the consent of the addressee, be delivered by telephone if this method of delivery is convenient to the telegraph office. Whenever delivery is made by telephone, a confirmatory copy of the telegram shall be sent to him by the first available post at the address given against the telephone number in the Telephone Directory: Provided that in cases where delivery of the confirmatory copy of a telegram is desired to be effected by a messenger and not by post an additional charge of twenty five Paise per confirmatory copy so delivered shall be payble by the addressee. RULE 84 Free Delivery Limits In the case of large cities where delivery is arranged through more than one telegraph office the free delivery area shall ordinarily comprise of the limits of the city. In other cases and where free delivery area is not specified, telegrams shall normally be delivered free of charge to places within a radial distance of eight kilometers of the telegraph office concerned. Beyond this distance, telegrams shall be delivered either by post without additional charge, or by such other means as may have been arranged and paid for by the sender (Rules ll7- 122): Provided that from railway telegraph offices at stations where the traffic is not sufficient to justify the maintenance of a special delivery staff, telegrams shall ordinarily be delivered by hand within the railway station limits only, and telegrams for places outside such limits shall ordinarily be delivered through the post. RULE 85 . If in any case owing to floods or to any other cause a place at which an inland telegram is to be delivered cannot be reached otherwise than by boat, the provisions of rule 88 shall apply. RULE 86 Persons to whom Telegrams may be delivered An inland telegram taken to the addressee's place may be delivered either to the addressee or an adult member of his family, to any person in his service, to his lodgers or guests, or to the porter of the hotel or the house. RULE 87 Open Delivery The sender may by writing on the telegram form at the service indication "Open" [Rule 18 (d)] request open delivery of the telegram, and in such case the indication shall bereproduced on the addressee's copy of the telegram which shall be delivered without an envelope, simply foked with the address written on the back. RULE 88 . Deleted. RULE 89 Delivery on ships -Inland telegrams addressed to passengers on board a vessel arriving at a port shall be delivered, if possible, before disembarkation. RULE 90 Reply given to Messenger Save in the case of delivery by the ordinary post, the messenger who delivers a telegram may be entrusted with a reply telegram, provided he be not retained for this purpose more than five minutes. The fact of a reply telegram having been given to the messenger, and the amount paid to him in respect thereof, shall be mentioned on the receipt signed for the original telegram. RULE 91 Undelivered Telegrams When an inland telegram cannot be delivered, the telegraph office of destination shall send with the minimum of delay a service advice to the telegraph office of origin standing the cause of non-delivery and the amount of bearing charges, is any, unpaid at destination and payable by the sender. Such advice shall, where possible, be communicated to the sender by the telegraph office of origin : Provided that no advice shall be sent under this rule in respect of a telegram posted under rule 85 and returned undelivered by the post office to the telegraph office which posted it, or in respect of telegrams addressed to await arrival, "post restante". "telegraph restante", "care of telegraph or post office" or "care of station master", except when a charge has to be collected, in which case a service advice of non-delivery shall be sent by post at the expiration of the period prescribed for the retention of such correspondence in rule 93. RULE 92 . If at the address given on the telegram the messenger is unable to attract the attention of any person to whom he is authorised, under the provisions of rule 87 to effect delivery, a notice shall be left by the messenger at such address advising the addressee of the arrival of the telegram and intimating that delivery may be obtained on application at the telegraph office. The telegram shall then be brought back to the telegraph office, to be delivered to the addressee or his representative upon application. If the addressee, duly advised as above of the arrival of a telegram, fails to take delivery within 24 hours, non-delivery shall be reported in accordance with rule 91. RULE 93 Unclaimed Telegrams -Inland telegrams unclaimed, or not delivered, shall be preserved for two months by the office of destination as laid down in clause (f) of Rule 164. RULE 94 . The sender of an inland private telegram, or of an inland State telegram addressed to a person other than a Government official may prepay the charge for a reply, but the amount so prepaid shall not be less than the minimum charge, for an ordinary telegram. The sender of a reply-paid telegram shall write the words "reply paid", in the space provided on the telegram form [Rules 18 (d) and 29]. RULE 95 . (i) At the destination of a reply-paid inland telegram, the telegraph office shall deliver to the addressee a reply telegram form, entitling him, subject to the provisions of rule 101 to send free of charge from any telegraph office of receiving office in India, up to the value of the amount notified on the from as prepaid, a telegram to any destination in India. (ii) Two or more reply telegram forms issued in India may beused in payment of one inland telegram, but one reply telegram form shall not be used in payment of two or more telegrams. (iii) Save as provided under rule 101, a reply telegram form may be used to prepay the cost of an inland telegram and its reply. RULE 96 . (i) If the cost of the telegram sent on the reply form exceeds the amount notified therein, the difference shall be paid in cash by the sender using the reply from (Rule 64). (ii) If the amount notified on the reply telegram from exceeds the charge payable for the telegram sent the difference, if it be not less than fifty paise, shall be refunded to the sender of the original telegram on application made by him in accordance with the provision of Rule 162. Provided that no refund shall be given on a reply telegram from which has been prepaid by another reply telegram from and not by cash. RULE 97 . An inland reply telegram from shall be available only for two months from the date of issue. RULE 98 . When the addressee has not made use of the reply telegram form or has refused it, the money deposited for the reply shall be refunded to the sender on application made by him in accordance with the provisions of rule RULE 99 . In case of non-delivery of a reply paid inland telegram the reply telegram from shall remain attached to the telegram for a period of two weeks and on the expiry of that period, it shall be cancelled and sent to the office of origin for linking it with the relevant 'A' message draft and for refund of the amount prepaid, if applied for, by the sender, in accordance with the provisions of Rule 162. RULE 100 . When a reply-paid inland telegram is addressed to a place where there is no telegraph office, the telegram and reply telegram form shall be forwarded to destination from the nearest telegraph office by ordinary post free of charge. RULE 101 . Prepayment for reply shall not be permitted in the case of an inland State telegram addressed to a Government official. In the case of an inland State telegram addressed to any other person, any sum deposited by the sender under rule 82 shall be utilised for no other purpose than to cover the cost of a return telegram to the sender of the original telegram. RULE 102 . Collation means the repetition back to the transmitting office of the entire telegram (including the preamble) immediately upon its receipt by each office concerned in its transmission. RULE 103 Deleted RULE 104 Deleted RULE 105 . Inland Stale telegram written in secret language other than those classed Ordinarily and Service telegrams written in secret language shall invariably by collated and no charge shall be made for collation of such telegrams, RULE 106 . The sender of an inland telegram may, by writing on the telegram form the service indication ''PC" [ Rule 18 (d)] require that the date and time at which the telegram has been delivered to the addressee be notified to him by ordinary telegram as soon as possible after its delivery. RULE 107 . (i) When in inland telegram requiring notification of delivery is forwarded to its final destination by post, or is deposited in the "poste restante" or is delivered into the care of a third party, the notification shall mention the date and time of such forwarding, deposit or delivery. When the telegram is addressed to a ship at sea, the notification shall be despatched by the cost or Semaphore Station and shall state the date and time of transmission of the telegram to the ship. (ii) A notification of delivery may be addressed to the sender at any place named by him. (iii) Notification of delivery shall be communicated to the sender immediately on its arrival at the office of origin, or the office indicated in the telegram. RULE 108 . The charge for a notification of delivery of an inland telegram shall be the minimum charge for an ordinary telegram and shall be prepaid by the sender of the telegram. RULE 109 . When an inland telegram requiring notification of delivery cannot be delivered, a service advice reporting non-delivery shall be sent to the office of origin as laid down in rule 91 and the notification of delivery shall be sent only if, at a latter time within the period prescribed under rule 93 for retention of the telegram is delivered to the addressee. If at the expiration of the prescribed period, the telegram has not been delivered, the charge for the notification of delivery shall be refunded to the sender of the telegram on application made by him in accordance with the provisions of rule 162. RULE 110 Directors about delivery (a) Registration of special delivery instructions regarding the delivery of telegrams shall be made only in the case of holders of abbreviated addresses registered under rule 40 without any additional fee. The registration of Special Delivery Instruction shall be restricted to only one instruction by which delivery may be effected by the same telegraph office at all times." The facility of registration of Special Delivery Instructions for delivering telegrams at a second address served by a different telegraph office may be allowed subject to the subscriber's willingness to accept delays, if any involved in the process of delivery and on the condition that the holders of abbreviated addressee shall pay for the additional cost involved in such delivery at the rate of Rupee one per telegram. Charges towards such additional cost shall be recovered through a system of Deposit/Credit account maintained for the purpose. (b) Instructions restricting the delivery of telegrams during certain period of the day or night or for delivery to telephone or telex numbers round the clock shall not be charged for and shall not be treated as special delivery instructions. RULE 111 Deleted RULE 112 Deleted RULE 113 Deleted RULE 114 . Multiple telegram means a telegram addressed to several persons in a locality served by one and the same telegraph office, or by different telegraph offices within the free delivery radius of a central telegraph office, or to the same person at several addresses in such locality. The maximum number of such addresses in a telegram shall be limited to five. RULE 115 . The charge for a multiple telegram shall be the charge prescribed for a single telegram of the same class and length together with, for each address after the first, a copying fee calculated at the rate of Rs. 5.00 for any number of chargeable words not exceeding 30 and Rs. 3.00 for every group of 30 additional chargeable words or part thereof. RULE 116 . Each copy of an inland multiple telegram delivered shall bear its own particular address only. RULE 117 Post or Special Messenger Inland telegrams addressed to places where there are no telegraph offices may be delivered at destination either by post or by special messenger according to the sender's instructions. RULE 118 . The address of inland telegrams to be conveyed beyond the telegraph lines shall be written in the manner shown below :- (a) If the message is to be posted from the nearest telegraph office- To-Sri Krishna Ghosh, Sherghotty, post Gaya. (b) If the message is to be sent special messenger- OFFICE OF ORIGIN AND SERVICE INSTRUCTIONS Calcutta X. P. To "Sri Krishna Ghosh, Nynan, Express Hooghly Point. RULE 119 . In the case of telegrams for places in India not falling within free delivery area of any telegraph office, if the sender wishes that the telegrams may he delivered through a special messenger, he shall prepay a fixed proterage or XP charges at the rate of Rs. 3.00 per telegram. A telegram in respect of which porterage or XP charges have been paid, shall bear the code "XP" as service indication. RULE 120 . On an inland telegram addressed to a place in India where there is no telegraph office, no charge shall be made for postage. Telegrams may be posted as registered letters on payment of the registration charges. RULE 121 . The telegraph office of destination may forward by post inland telegrams for addresses beyond the eight kilometers limit, if- (a) The telegram contains no directions as to the means of delivery to be employ ;1[x x x]1[x x x[. RULE 122 . The telegraph office of destination shall forward by post inland telegrams for addresses beyond the eight kilometcres limit :- (a) when delivery by post has been requested by the sender (Rule ll7) or by the addressee (Rule 111): Provided that where the addressee has asked to have his telegrams delivered to him by special messenger, the office of destination may adopt this method of delivery for all telegrams addressed to him, whether they bear the instruction "Post" or not. (b) when the telegraph office of destination has not a more rapid means of delivery at its disposal. RULE 123 . Greetings Telegram means a telegram accepted on such festive or congratulatory occassions as may be notified in this behalf by the Director- General. RULE 125 Service indication -A greetings telegram shall bear no other service indication [Rule 18 (d)] save, if desired, that relating to multiple telegrams [Rules 114, 115 and 116]. RULE 126 Acceptance -Greetings telegrams whether festive or congratulatory, if addressed to Government telegraph offices shall be accepted at all Government and such Railway Telegraph offices which are open for paid traffic and are listed in the Telegraph Guide, Volume II. All such telegrams, whether ordinary or express, may be booked in advance, with the indication of the date and the month of delivery, provided that any such date of delivery is within thirty days of but not less than three clear days from the date of booking. Such instruction for delivery shall be transnutted free of charge. RULE 127 Order of Transmission (1) Express Greetings telegrams shall be transmitted after other Express telegrams. (2) Ordinary Greetings telegrams shall he transmitted after other Ordinary telegrams. RULE 128 Text - Stock phrases indicated by a number containing greetings appropriate to each occasion shall be made available to the sender for use in the text of these telegrams. The sender shall select a suitable phrase from the list of stock phrases and shall either write the number only, corresponding to the selected greetings, or the selected greetings in full. In the later case, the telegraph office shall substitute the corresponding number as shown in the list of stock phrases. RULE 129 Delivery Greetings telegram shall be delivered in specially printed forms and envelopes after the number of the stock phrase has been deciphered into the full plain language phrase corresponding with the number received. It shall take its turn for purposes of delivery with Express and Ordinary private telegrams as the case may be. RULE 130 Acceptance and Delivery under the Phonogram System -Greetings telegram shall be accepted over telephone for onward transmission, but shall not be addressed to telephone numbers nor be delivered by telephone. RULE 130A . By Phototelegram is meant anything which can be transmitted by phototelegraphic apparatus. Senders of phototelegrams shall avoid the use of the colours blue, lilac, green or yellow, or gilt print or pictures, etc., on yellow, red or grey paper which lack the qualities necessary for good transmission. In no case, however, shall the Government be responsible for the quality or durability of the phototelegram to be delivered to the addressee. Phototelegrams must be rectangular in shape. RULE 130B . Inland phototelegrams shall be accepted at all such telegraph offices in India and for such places within India as may be notified in this behalf by the Director-General in the Post and Telegraph Guide, She rates shall be determined on the basis of the area of phototelegram in square centimetres, a fraction of a square centimetre being reckoned as one square centimetre. Every inland phototelegram shall bear an address which may be written on an ordinary inland telegram form, the transmission of which shall be free of charge. If the address is written on the phototelegram, it shall form part of the area of the phototelegram to be transmitted. RULE 130C. (1) The charge for an inland phototelegram accepted for transmission shall be as follows :- Upto 335 square centimetres - - Rs. 50/- For every additional 100 square Rs. 20/- centimetres or part thereof. (2) These rates shall be applicable to all classes of phototelegrams, whether commercial Government or Press. RULE 130D Full refund shall be made of the charges paid in the case of a phototelegram cancelled at the request of the sender or his duly authorized representative before the transmission of the phototelegram has begun. In the case of a phototelegram cancelled after the transmission has begun, no charge shall be refunded. RULE 131 . (1) (a) Inland press telegrams are inland telegrams, the text of which is made up of information and news intended for. (i) Publication in newspapers and other periodical publications, the names of which have been registered by Heads of Circles, or (ii) Broadcast by the All India Radio : Provided that such telegrams may contain also instructions, written within brackets at the beginning or end of the text, relating to the publication or broadcasting of the telegrams not exceeding in length 10 words or 5 per cent of the total number of chargeable words in the telegram, whichever is less. (b) Such telegrams shall be addressed by means of the registered titles or abbreviated telegraphic addresses and towns of registration of the authorised recipients. (2) The following shall also be considered as inland press telegrams :- (a) An inland telegram from or to a newspaper of news agency by its registered title (but not by the name or designation of a person connected with its publication or management) to or from any of its correspondents or employees by name or designation or both, on the subject of a press telegram actually received from or despatched by, such correspondent or employee ; (b) An inland telegram on any matter of press business from a newspaper or news agency by its registered title only to an officer of the Telegraph Department; (c) An inland telegram containing news from a registered news agency by its registered title only to an officer of the Central or a State Government duly authorised, in this behalf, by the Central Government ; (d) An inland telegram containing a summary for public information of the reports received from weather observation stations to any person from any officer of the Indian Meteorological Department ; (e) An inland telegram containing intelligence for broadcasting from a registered news agency, or from an officer of the All India Radio to another such officer authorised in this behalf by the Central Government ; (f) Press Communique to and from the Publicity Departments of the State and Central Governments ; (g) An inland telegram containing intelligence from registered news agencies or duly authorised correspondents to the press service of any Diplomatic Mission; (h) An inland telegram containing intelligence for publicity or broadcasting from officers authorised in this behalf by the Central Government to the Ministry of External Affairs', XP Division. RULE 132 . For the receipt only of inland press telegrams each authorised address registered free of charge. RULE 133 . Subject to the exceptions and conditions contained in Rules 134' 135 and 136 inland press telegrams shall be accepted tor transmission at the special press rates shown below, namely : RULE 134 . The special press rates prescribed under Rule 133, shall not apply to telegrams for transmission from or to licensed telegraph offices or through an intermediate licensed telegraph office : Provided that railway telegraph, subject to the requirements of Railway business, accept press telegrams for transmission at press rates within the limits of their respective Railways. RULE 135 . The admission of inland press telegrams for transmission at the special press rates prescribed under rule 133 shall be subject to the fulfilment by the news agency concerned and by its correspondents and employees, of the following conditions:- (1) A news agency shall, in registration, and annually thereafter, submit to the Head of the Circle concerned, a list of its bonafide subscribers to whom it issues news. Note :-Form of application for registration may be obtained at any Government Telegraph Office (2) A copy of every newspaper in which a press telegram is published shall on demand, be furnished to the telegraph office by which such press telegram was delivered. RULE 136 . Inland press telegrams for transmission at press rates shall conform to the following conditions :- (1) Such telegrams shall be written in plain language in Roman or Devangari script ; but ordinary words so written may be abbreviated. Telegrams in any Indian languages prevalent in the place of origin or of destination shall also be accepted provided they are written in Roman or Devanagari Script. (2) Long telegrams shall be divided into pages of about 200 words each : such pages shall be numbered consecutively and each of them, except the last, shall conclude with the service indication ''MIF" [Rule 18(d)], the last page shall conclude with the service indication ''End of message". The name of the sender shall he written at the top of each page, and the last word of each page shall be repeated at the top of the next page. (3) The interval between the handling in of the different pages of one and the same telegram shall not exceed one hour. When this interval is exceeded, the first page handed in thereafter shall be treated as commencing a fresh telegram. (4) When possible, previous notice shall be given at the telegraph office concerned, of an intention to send a press telegram of greater length than 1,000 words. Such notice shall contain the following particulars:- (a) probable time at which telegram will be handed in : (b) probable length of telegram ; (c) addresses to which telegram is to be sent. (5) In the case of press telegrams addressed to more than one newspaper or news agency, the full list of addresses shall be required to be furnished with the first page only. RULE 137 . In inland telegrams for accepted for transmission at pess rats the address, the sender's name and all full-stops shall be transmitted free of charge. The transmission of signs of punctuation other than full-stops shall be governed by the ordinary rules. RULE 138 . (1) The charge for an inland press telegram addresesed to serveral persons in a locality served by one and the same telegraph office, or by different telegraph offices within the free delivery radius of a Central Telegraph Office, or to the same person at several addresses in the same locality, shall be the charge for a single inland press telegram of the same class and length, together with, for each address after the first, a copying fee calculated at the rate of 40 paise for any number of chargeable words not exceeding 100 and 10 paise for each additional 20 chargeable words or part thereof. (2) For inland press telegrams to several addresses within India served by different telegraph offices not within the free delivery radius of a Central Telegraph Office, the charges will be : (i) for the first address in the first telegraph office: as for a single inland press telegram under rule 133. (ii) for the first address in each of the second and the subsequent telegraph offices : three -fourth of the charges in (i) above. (iii) for each address after the first in all telegraph offices : copying fee at the rate given in sub -rule (1). RULE 139 . (d) The charge for such telegrams shall be the same as for inland 'express' private telegrams. RULE 140 Press Telegrams accepted without Prepayment (1) Inland press telegrams may be accepted without prepayment in cases in which the newspaper or news agency concerned has obtained previous sanction from the Head of the circle or District concerned and has deposited in cash or in Government promissory notes or in Post Office cash certificates or National Saving Certificate or has furnished a letter of guarantee in the form set out in rule 68 from a bank approved by the Director-General in this behalf as security for, a sum of money calculated as below : (a) If the accounts are to he rendered monthly :-The equivalent, of eigh weeks' transactions subject to a minimum of Rs. 50. (b) If the accounts are to be rendered fortnighly,-The equivalent of six weeks' transactions subject to a minimum of Rs. 50. (2) If at any time the amount of transactions exceeds the deposit, a proportionate increase in the deposit may be demanded from the newspaper or news agency concerned (3) A fee for the unkeep of such accounts shall be levied by the Telegraph Check Office at the rate of three per cent on the amount of such accounts. (4) Accounts for such telegram and fees shall be rendered monthly or fortnighty, as the case may be, by the Officer in-Charge of the Telegraph Check Office, Calcutta, and shall be paid within one week of the date on which they are received. RULE 140A . Inland Press Telegrams may be accepted without prepayment and without any security deposit or guarantee from the officers of the Stale Government in the Department dealing with the work relating to information and publicity (hereinafter referred to as the said Department) on the condition that: (i) the offices are duly authorised by the said Department ; (ii) the telegrams arc addressed to addressees approved for the purpose by the said Department (by a general or special order) ; (iii) all the charges due on such telegrams, including the fees for the unkeep of accounts, at the rates prescribed in Rule 140 (3) shall be paid by the said Department on receipt of the bill." RULE 141 Deleted RULE 142 . If a telegram which has been transmitted at press rates is subsequently found not to comply with the conditions prescribed by the rules for the acceptance of telegrams at press rates, a sum equal to the difference between the charge for such telegram at press rates and the charge at the full rate shall be demanded by the telegraph office concerned from the sender or receiver, as the case may be, who shall immediately pay the same. RULE 143 Classification and Order of Priority for State Telegrams (1) The following classification indicates in descending order the priority which regulates the disposal of State telegrams :- (i) SVH, (ii) MOST IMMEDIATE AND OPERATIONS IMMEDIATE ; (iii) IMMEDIATE. (2) Offices empowered to send State telegrams authorised in this behalf by the Director-General, may use these priority indications and obtain for their telegrams precedence over all telegrams of a lower indication awaiting disposal. Telegrams in the course of transmission shall not be interrupted except to prevent delay in disposal of telegrams classed "IMMEDIATE" or higher priority. (3) These indications shall be written immediately before the address of the telegram and will be transmitted free. (4) Telegrams bearing the same priority indication shall be disposed of in the order in which they are booked. (5) The priority indications mentioned in sub-rule (1) shall operate in respect of telegrams to Sri-Lanka and Nepal and in respect of foreign telegrams whilst within Indian limit. RULE 144 Charges MOST IMMEDIATE, OPERATIONS IMMEDIATE IMMEDIATE, IMMEDIATE and the WEATHER IMMEDIATE inland telegrams shall be charged at double the rates for Express telegrams. SVH telegrams shall be charged at the rates for ordinary telegrams. Express and ordinary State telegrams shall be charged at the rates fixed for private telegrams of the same class (Rule 60). RULE 145 . Telegrams relating to the safety of human life in maritime or aerial navigation shall bear the service instruction 'SVA" written by the sender or the office of origin, and telegrams so written shall be given priority in transmission above "Most Immediate" priority telegrams. Such telegrams shall be delivered to the addressee at once by the office of delivery. Every office which receives a telegram of this category classed either as a state telegram, or a service telegram, or a Meteorological telegram, shall handle it with top most priority at all stages. RULE 146 . The following persons shall he entitled to send Inland State Telegrams subject to the conditions noted against each : (1) All persons in the service of the Government (except those who are on leave), provided that the telegrams sent by them relate solely to the business of Government. (2) The diplomatic or consular agents provided that such telegrams solely relate to official matters. (3) Any persons in the employment of a semi-Government organisation, public undertaking or an autonomous body and specially authorised in this behalf by the Central Government or State Government provided the telegrams so sent relate to official business only. RULE 147 Language Inland State telegrams may is all cases be expressed in secret language (eg., Code or Cipher or both) Rule 23, but a combination in the same telegram of figures and letters, having a secret meaning, shall not be permitted. RULE 148 Service Indication and Payment (1) Inland State telegrams other than Weather telegrams sent on behalf of the Metrological Department, shall have the service indication "State" inserted by the sender. (2) Inland State telegrams may be paid for prior to despatch in cash. In case the telegrams are tendered without pre-payment same shall be treated to have been booked under the credit accounts system whether or not the State parties apply for opening such account. All recoveries under the credit account system shall be made in accordance with the provisions of Rule 149. RULE 149 State Telegrams without Prepayment Inland State telegrams may be accepted without prepayment at all Government Telegraph Offices, from any Government official, on the conditions that settlements of all charges due on such telegrams shall he made monthly, within a period or three weeks from the date of presentation of the bill in cash or by crossed cheques drawn in favour of the Incharge of the telegraph office at which the telegrams were booked, and that an additional fee for the maintenance of the account of charges due shall he paid at the rate of rupees five for every batch of twenty telegrams or part thereof despatched under credit account system. The accounts in respect of Inland State telegrams sent on behalf of the Meteorological Department shall be settled by the Deputy Accountant- General, Telegraph Check Office, Calcutta, in accordance with the current rules on the subject. RULE 150 At Railway Telegraph Offices Except in cases of emergency State telegrams shall not be accepted at railway telegraph offices at places where there is also a Government telegraph office. RULE 151 Abbreviated Addresses The abbreviated addresses of government officials shall be registered on payment of fee prescribed in Rule 40 without any restriction as to the number of words or letters used. A single fee shall be charged for the registration of an abbreviated address of a touring government official which has to be registered at more than one telegraph office irrespective of the number of offices at which the registration is required. RULE 152 . "Service Telegram" means- (a) a telegram sent free on the service of the Government Department Posts and Telegraphs of ; or (b) a telegram sent free on the service of certain foreign Government notified by the Central Government RULE 153 . "Service Advice" means a telegraphic communication between one telegraph office and another in respect of a telegram already transmitted or in course of transmission between such offices. RULE 154 . During the period of preservation of records in telegraph offices (Rule 164) the sender or the addressee of any inland telegram already transmitted or in course of transmission, or the authorised representative of either of them may if their identity and in the case of agents, their authority, is satisfactorily established, have information obtained or instructions given by telegraph about such telegram. Such person shall deposit the cost of the telegram conveying the request and of reply telegram if one is needed, such telegram and reply being classed Express or Ordinary at the sender's option : Provided that, when the addressee asks for repetition of a telegram received by him, he shall pay the charge for the transmission of a telegram (Express or Ordinary at his option) to cover the cost of the number of words to be repeated and no further charge shall be made for a reply : Provided, further, that when a Government official asks for the repetition of a telegram received by him in his official capacity, he shall not be required to repay the charge for transmission referred to in this rule but if no error of the telegraph service is revealed by the repetition, he shall be required to pay such charge. RULE 155 . A telegram sent at the request of the addressee, in order to obtain the repetition of a passage suspected to be erroneous, shall be deemed always to imply a telegraphic reply of the same class as the telegram making the request, and the insertion of the instruction ''Reply Paid" shall not be necessary. In other cases in which a telegraphic reply is desired, the instruction "Reply Paid" shall be inserted in the telegram conveying the request. RULE 156 . The rectification or cancellation of telegrams, and all other communications addressed to a telegraph office in respect of telegrams already transmitted or in course of transmission, shall be effected solely by means of service advices at the expense of the person making the demand. For cancellation of a telegram already transmitted or in course of transmission, a fee of 50 paise shall be charged in addition to the paid service advice (Rule 81), RULE 157 . The charges paid for service advices necessitated by errors of the Telegraph Service shall be refunded upon application made in accordance with the provisions of rule 162. RULE 158 . When the words of which repetition is requested arc indistinetly written, the office of origin shall, before giving a repetition, make inquiry of the sender or, if the sender cannot be found, shall add to the repetition a note "Writing doubtful". |
| Central Bare Acts |