Section Text
POST OFFICE ACT, 1898 POST OFFICE ACT, 1898 6 OF 1898 STATEMENT OF OBJECTS AND REASONS "The present Post Office Act was enacted in 1866, and has been amended since that date by the addition of three sections only. In 1882 section 60-A was added by Act III of 1882 authorising any officer of the Post Office, empowered in this behalf by the Governor-General in Council, to search for newspapers regarding which a notification has been published under the Sea Customs Act. In 1895, section 66 was added by Act III of that year, providing powers, in accordance with the general policy of the Postal Union for dealing with fictitious or previously used postage stamps of other countries found on letters or other articles received from abroad', and last year a further section was added by Act XVI of 1896 authorising the recovery of customs duty, when paid in advance by the Post Office, in the same manner as postage under the Act. During the last thirty years certain defects and omissions in the Act of 1866 have been brought to light, an experience has shown that express provisions of law, as contained in the Act, in respect of various matters are not suited to the present requirements of postal work. It has also been found that further protection is needed by the Post Office and further powers to enable its officers, for instance, to deal with articles posted in contravention of the Act. Various schemes, moreover, which have been introduced of late years such as postal insurance and the value payable and money order systems have remained outside the provisions of the Act, and now require to be based on a legislative enactment. Finally, with the development of the Post Office, and the knowledge of the course of English postal legislation, the necessity for some new penalties has become apparent. The present Bill proposes to supply the defects and omissions which have been brought to notice in the Act of 1866. and to confer the protection and powers which have been found necessary in the extension and increase of postal business. It includes within its scope postal insurance, the value payable post, and the Post Office money order system, and declares and limits the liability of Government in respect of these matters. The Bill is to a large extent an enabling bill reserving to Government the power of dealing by rule with numerous questions of postal practice and procedure affecting the public..........."-Gaz. of Ind., 1897, Pt. V, p. 385.An Act to consolidate and amend the Law relating to the Post Office in India. WHEREAS it is expedient to consolidate and amend the law relating to the Post Office in India; It is hereby enacted as follows :- [a] For Statement of Objects and Reasons, see Gazette of India, 1897, Pt. V, p. 385; for Report of the Select Committee, see ibid, 1898, Pt. V, p. 211. This Act has been declared to be in force in Khondmals District by the Khondmals Laws Regulation, 1936 (4 of 1936), section 3 and Schedule: in the Angul District by the Angul Laws Regulation. 1936 (5 of 1936), section 3 and Schedule. This Regulation has now been repealed by Orissa Act 19 of 1987 and Angul is now a sub-division of Dhenkanal District of that State; in Panth Piploda by the Panth Piploda Laws Regulation, 1929 (1 of 1 929) and in Sonthal Parganas by Regn. (3 of 1872), section 3. As to rules made under the Post Office Act, which are now in force or are in force from time to time, see the Indian Postal Guide, which is published by the Post Offices half-yearly; see also Gazette of India, 1926, Pt. I, p. 1234. This Act has been extended to the new Provinces and Merged States by the Merged States (Laws) Act, 1940 (59 of 1949), section 3 (1-1-1950) and to the States of Manipur, Tripura and Vindhya Pradesh by the Union Territories (Laws) Act, 1950 (30 of 1950), section 3 ( 16-4-1950).-Manipur and Tripura are States now-See Act 81 of 1971. Vindhya Pradesh is but a part of Madhya Pradesh-See Act 37 of 1956, section 9. It has also been extended to States merged in the State of Madhya Pradesh by M. P. Act 12 of 1950, section 3 (3-4- 1950). It was extended to the French Establishments, which now from the Union territory of Pondicherry, by the French Establishments (Application of Laws) Order, 1954, with effect from 1-11-1954. It now extends to the Union territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli (See Regn. 6 of 1963, section 3 and Schedule) and to the Union territory of Laccadive, Minicoy and Amindivi Islands-See Regn. 8 of 1965, section 3 and Schedule ( 1 -10-1967). It was extended to the Union territory of Goa, Daman and Diu by S.O. 2735 dtd. 1-8-1962-See Gazette of India, 1- 9-1962, Pt. II, section 3(ii). Extra., p. 1991 with effect from 1-9-1962. It was extended to the State of Sikkim by S.O. 208(E), dtd. 16-5-1975-See Gaz. of India, 18-5-1975, Pt. II, section 3(ii), Ext., p. 1213. CHAPTER 1 : PRELIMINARY 1 ) This Act may be called The Indian Post Office Act, 1898. 3 (a) [a] Substituted by A.L.O., 1950(26-1-1950). [(2) It extends to the whole of India 3 (b) [b] The words 'except Part B States' were omitted by the Finance Act, 1950 (25 of 1950), section 11 and Schedule IV (1-4-1950). [* * *] and it applies also to all citizens of India outside India.] (3) It shall come into force on the first day of July, 1898.