Definition of Important Postal Terms asked in Department Exam
V-SAT Stations.- Important Head Post
Offices are identified as Very Small Aperture Terminal Stations. From these
Post Offices, money orders are transmitted using V-SAT technology.
Extended Satellite Money Order
(ESMO).- These stations are working as extension counters for booking and
transmission of money orders through V-SAT stations.
Hybrid Mail Service.- This involves
electronic transmission of written material from one place to another using
computer terminals connected through VSAT which can be delivered to one or more
than one addressee at the receiving station.
General Post Office.- The first class Head
Office situated at the Headquarters of the Head of a Circle or, where there are
more than one such Head Office, the one attached to the Headquarters, is termed
General Post Office. NOTE.- Classes of Head Offices: First Class Head Offices
under the control land supervision of Senior Time Scale Officer. He is called
Chief Postmaster. Second Class Head Offices under the control and supervision
of a Group ‘B’ Officer. He reports to Sr. Superintendent of Post Offices.
Transit Office.- Any Post Office
which is situated on a line of through mail communication, and receives and
sorts bags intended for offices in advance, without opening them, is a transit
office. The bags which are thus forwarded onwards unopened are termed forward
bags. The transit bags addressed to a transit office are opened there, and the
forward bags contained in them are sent onwards, either loose or enclosed in
other transit bags. The use of a transit office is to reduce the number of
loose bags.
Transit Mail Office.- A branch of RMS
where closed bags are received and dispatched, sorting of letters is not done
in this unit. Mail Agent or Mail Guard is in charge of this unit. This can
function in number of sets depending upon requirements. E.g. Bangalore City TMO
Set No. 1 – 06.00 to 14.00
Bangalore City TMO II – 14.00 to 21.40 If TMO is functioning in the night set,
the set works throughout the night. One batch of officials who are working on a
particular night will not work in the following night. Another batch of
Officials will work in the following night. Both these batches will
alternatively work.
Computerized Transit Mail Office.- In
certain cities, computers have been provided to handled the work of the Transit
Mail Office. These Offices are called Computerized TMOs. 10. Sorting Office.-
An office charged with the duty of opening the sorting mail bags received by
its and disposing of their contents is termed as Sorting Office. A Sorting
Office may receive articles of all kinds in sorting. The use of a Sorting
Office is (a) to simplify the work of sorting in other offices, (b) to reduce
the number of bags exchanged between Post Offices, and (c) to reduce the weight
of mails carried on mails lines.
Automatic Mail Processing Centres.-
In important cities where mail traffic is high, sorting machine have been
provided which have high speed of sorting. At present, these machines are
functioning in Mumbai and Chennai.
Computerized Registration Centres.-
The Registration Branch of the Mail Office, where the processing of
registration work is done on computers, is called Computerized Registration
Sorting Centre (CRC). A CRC can be situated in the Mail Office itself or in a
separate location.
Nodal Post Office - In important
cities and towns, some Post Offices are authorized to receive letters from
neighboring Post Offices and sort the mail as per the sorting diagram given by
the RMS Superintendents. This is to reduce the peak hour pressure in the local
sorting offices. Such offices are identified as Nodal Post Offices.
Central Bagging Unit/ Kendriya
Bagging Unit. - This Unit is a branch of RMS Office. Here the bundles prepared
by the Post Offices/ Mail Offices grouped and enclosed in a direct bag. For
instance, if there are 80 :Post Offices in a city and each Post Office is
preparing 20 bundles for 20 Post Offices/ Districts/Circles/Mail Offic es, all
these bundles will reach Central Bagging Unit/KBU in ‘L’ Bag/’R’ Bag. KBU/CBU
will open the ‘L’/’R’ bags, group the bundles with reference to the
destination, i.e. Circles-wise or District-wise or PO-wise or Mail Office-wise
and include them in respective bags for the PO/Sorting Office concerned for
delivery/further transmission, as the case may be.
Office of Exchange, Offices of exchange of
transit bags, Foreign Post Offices and Sub-Foreign Post Offices.- (a) A Post
Office or Sorting Office or Section which exchanges mails with offices in
foreign countries is known as an “Office of Exchange”. It is referred to as the
dispatching office of exchange in respect of mails it makes up and addresses to
an office of exchange in another country, while it is called the receiving
office of exchange in respect of mails addressed to it by an office of exchange
from another country. The term “outward office of exchange” and “inward office
of exchange” are also used to describe them. Even offices functioning as both
inward and outward offices of exchange may function in one of the capacities only
for certain countries. (b) An Office of Exchange on the border which only
receives and dispatches closed bags addressed to or received from other offices
of exchange in India is known as an “Office of Exchange of transit”. Such an
office will not close bags for foreign countries or open inward foreign bags.
Its function is only to exchange mails with the carrier or with the officials
of a foreign administration. ( c) A “Foreign Post Office” is an office of
exchange in which the work of assessment of customs duty on foreign mails is
also carried out. Although mails may be intercepted (and articles not suspected
to contain anything dutiable released) in many exchange offices, the work of
actual assessment of duty (and opening of articles for this purpose where
necess ary) is done only in the Foreign Post Offices. Articles received in one
office of exchange and suspected to contain dutiable goods, for delivery from
an office nearer another office of exchange are directed to the latter for
actual examination and assessment of duty. (d) A “Sub-Foreign Post Office” is
an office which is not an exchange office (i.e., which does not close bags for
other countries and which does not receive from foreign countries bags
addressed it) but in which the work of customs examination, assessment and
accounting of customs duty is carried out. Such sub-Foreign Post Offices are
opened mainly for the convenience of senders and addressees who may be required
to present documents, etc., for the release or dispatch of their foreign
articles.
Transit Sections - Transit Sections are
traveling offices of the Railway Mail Service working on Railway or river
steamer lines. The officer-in-charge of a set of a transit section is called a
Mail Guard or Mail Agent. NOTE.- Sections are numbered serially and designated
by the name of the RMS Division followed by the Serial No.
Mail Office.- Mail Offices are stationary
offices of the Railway Mail Service and are of two kinds, viz., Sorting Mail
Offices and transit Mail Offices. T he principal point of difference is that,
while the former deal with the contents of mail bags addressed to them as well
as with closed forward bags, the latter deal only with closed bags. The officer
in-charge of a set of a Sorting Mail Office is designated a Head Sorting
Assistant and the officer in –charge of a set of transit Mail Office, a Mail
Agent irrespective of the status of the incumbent.
Corporate Mail Office or Bulk Mail
Centre (CMO/BMO).- Consequent on the increase of corporate mail, RMS units,
viz., Corporate Mail Offices/Bulk Mail Centres are opened in big cities. Each
bulk Mailer, i.e., a firm which is capable of posting of 5000 unregistered
articles/250 registered articles at a time is identified a bulk mailer. These
bulk mailers are supplied with customized sorting list. Bundles are prepared by
the bulk mailers as per the customized sorting list. The details of bundles
prepared are entered in one invoice which is prepared in duplicate and brought
to Bulk Mail Centre. The officer in-charge of the center verifies bundles
received from each bulk mailers with reference to invoice received and group
them destination-wise for further despatch.
Mass mailing Centre (MMC).- In order
to help the customers who are regularly posting maximum number of letters,
Department of Posts started assistance centres which are called Mass Mailing
Centres in bigger cities. The responsibility of this Centre is to receive the
loose letters, circulars and blank envelopes separately from the customers and
help them in writing the addresses, enclose the circulars/letters inside the
envelopes and if necessary, affixing the postage stamps/franking the mail. For
this purpose, Mass Mailing Centre may engage the assistance of college
students, house-wives, pensioners, etc., on payment of some amount on hourly
basis. To meet this expenditure, the customers will have to pay extra in
addition to the postage as decided by the Department from time to time.
Press Sorting Office (PSO).- This
sorting office is situated on the premises of the Newspaper. The entire
expenditure towards wages for the establishment is borne by the Newspaper
publisher apart from providing required stationery for working the sorting
office. This office works to suit t he dispatch timing of the newspaper and
closes direct letter bags to the Post Offices/sorting offices concerned which
are dispatched through local regular sorting offices. NOTE- Mail offices
located at Railway Stations are designated by the names of the stations
followed by the letters RMS while those not so located are designated sorting
offices, e.g., Delhi RMS Hindustan Times Press Sorting Offices.
Record Office.- A Record Office is a
stationary office of the Railway Mail Service where the work-papers of the
sections attached to it are prepared, checked and placed on record, and by
which all forms, bags and stationery required for the use of those sections are
supplied. The official in-charge of a Record Office is designated a Record
Officer.
Head Record Office.- It is a
stationary office situated at the Headquarters of RMS Division which, in
addition to the ordinary duties of a Record Office is entrusted, with the
preparation salary and contingent bills for the entire Division and the
accounts connected therewith is termed a Head Record Office. The official
incharge of a Head Record Office is designated a Head Record Officer.
Sub-record office.- A sub-record
office is a stationary office of the Railway Mail Service, situated at the same
station as a Mail Office, where the workpapers of the Mail Office as well as
the sections, if any, attached to the Sub-Record Office are prepared, checked
and place on record and by which all forms, bags and stationery required for
the use of the Mail Office and the sections are supplied. The official
in-charge of a Sub-Record Office is designated a Sub-Record Officer. A
SubRecord Officer may also work as Head Sorting Assistant or Sub-Sorting
Assistant or Mail Agent.
Bag Office.- For avoiding
unnecessary movement of bags, the new system of bag accounting has been
introduced classifying PO/RMS Office into Bag Office: the office handling it as
under:-
Unit Bag Office (UBO).- Every Post Office
other than Branch Post Offices and EDSOs is identified as Unit Bag Office. This
office is given a minimum/maximum bag balances once in a year by the
Superintendent of Post Offices concerned preferably on 1st July. Each office
will maintain a day bag book and submit a daily bag balance report to its
District Bag Office.
District Bag Office (DBO).- Every HRO/SRO
in RMS is identified as a District Bag Office. This Office will maintain bag account
for all types of bags category-w ise not only in respect of bags received and
dispatched by the Sorting Offices and TMOs attached too them but also in
respect of UBO attached to them. In exceptional cases, Head Post Offices can
also function as DBO.
Circle Bag Office (CBO)- The Postal Stores
Depot situated at the Headquarters of Postal Circle is identified as Circle Bag
Office. This office is responsible for inspection of DBOs and UBOs and
verification of balances. This office is also responsible for procurement of
bags, distribution of bags, repair and auction of bags.
Central Bag Office.- ‘D’ Section of Postal
Directorate works as Central Bag Office. This does not deal with any bags but
only deals with the correspondence relating to procurement and distribution of
bags. NOTE- Wherever the terms “Record Office’ and “Record Officer” are used,
they include Head and Sub-Record Offices and Head and Sub-Record Clerks,
respectively, unless there is anything to the contrary in the extent.
Sorting Assistant.- The term Sorting
Assistant is used to designate all officials in the Railway Mail Service other
than Supervising Officers, Mail Guards and Class IV servants.
Subsidiary Sorting Assistant.- A
Sorting Assistant who works with a Sorting Office over only a portion of its
working hours to assist the set where the work is heavy is called a Subsidiary
Sorting Assistant.
Set of Section.- The establishment
of RMS Sorting Assistants which works together throughout the beat of the same
section in both directions is termed a set of that particular section. Sets are
numbered serially and are designated by their serial numbers preceded by the
name of the section. Thus A-26/Set No. 4 denotes the fourth set of A-26
Section. Each set of the same section has the same working hours, same number
of officials and the same mail exchange arrangement. The number of set of a
section are determined on the basis of weekly working hours.
Set of a Mail Office.- The
establishment of RMS Sortin g Assistants which is on duty at the same time in
Mail Office is termed a set. The sets of Mail Offices are numbered in a
consecutive series, Set No. 1 commencing at or immediately after zero hours.
Thus, Nagpur RMS/1 denotes the first set of Nagpur RMS working in the morning.
Unlike the sets of a section, each set of a Mail Office has different working
hours, different mail and sorting pattern. The strength may also vary depending
upon the volume of work. In the case of the sets of a Mail Office working on
alternate nights with the same number of officials and the same mail and
sorting pattern, the words ‘Batch A’ and ‘Batch B’ shall be used in addition to
the usual consecutive number. Thus: Nagpur RMS/Set No. 3 Batch ‘A’ Nagpur
RMS/Set No. 3 Batch ‘B’ The batches ‘A’ and ‘B’ will be working on alternate
night. NOTE- Suffixes like “Parcel’, “PSO”, “Regd. Packet”, “TMO”, etc., may be
used to denote the Sorting Offices with particular functions and separate
serials may be used for numbering Sets of such Sorting Offices as “Chennai
Sorting Parcel Set 2”, “Bangalore City TMO Set 1” and “Bangalore City TMO Set
2”.
Labelled bundle.-
A labelled bundle is a collection of faced
unregistered articles of the letter mail securely tied with a check-slip at the
top. It is treated in sorting as a single article, and is opened by the office
or section to which it is addressed.
Labelled bundle s are of two classes,
viz., station bundles and sorting bundles:- (i) A station bundle contains
station unregistered articles, and may be either a paid articles bundle,
consisting of only paid articles, or an unpaid articles bundle consisting of
only unpaid articles. Station bundles are prepared, ordinarily, when the number
of articles – either paid or unpaid – for any office exceeds fourteen. (ii) A
sorting bundle contains both paid and unpaid unregistered articles which are
not included in station bundles. Sorting bundles may be of two kinds, viz.,
express bundles and deferred bundles. An express bundle contains articles which
require to be sorted immediately on receipt by the Mail Office or Post Office
to which they are consigned, and a deferred bundle contains articles which can
be disposed of later. When a sorting bundle is prepared for a state, a clearly
defined tract of country, or a foreign country, it is termed a territorial
bundle. Territorial bundles are prepared when the number of articles is 25 and
more.
Labelled bundles are not due. Pre-sorted
bundles.- These are received from the customers as well as from Post Offices.
These should not be opened if they are station bundles and can be opened and
sorted, only if they are sorting bundles.
Check-slip.- A check-slip is a label
tied to the top of the labeled bundle: the from is printed on paper of
different colours, pink for ordinary paid and unpaid bundles, white or ordinary
sorting bundles and blue with the words “Air Mail” for foreign air mail
bundles. The white check-slip is used for both express and deferred bundles,
the slip being marked on the face with 2 diagonal lines in blue pencil, for
express bundle. The slip being marked on the face with 2diagonal lines in green
colour for local articles, yellow strip in corner for Rajdhani and blue strip
in corner for Metro bundles. Every check-slip bears the name and date stamps of
the office which prepares the bundle, the name of the office to which it is
addressed and signature infull of the officer by whom it is made up. In case of
a territorial bundle, it also shows the name of the State, Territory, etc., to
which the articles in the bundle are addressed as well as the office by which
it is to be opened, thus:- (Delhi Air Sorting) Check-slips are designated to
fix responsibility for the mis-sending of any article wrongly included in a
labeled bundle.
Money Order Check-slip.- A
check-slip (M.O. 70) printed in red ink on white or Badami paper is prescribed
for use in preparing money orders bundles for dispatch to destination. The
number of money orders included in the bundle is required to noted on this
check-slip.
Mail bags.- (1) A mail bag is a bag
containing unregistered and registered articles of the letter mail, viz.,
letters, postcards, and book and pattern packets: and also unregistered
parcels, the registered articles being enclosed in a registered bag: but when a
registered packet bag is prescribed, heavy registered packets, are dispatched
inside the registered packet bag and not inside the mail bag. When parcel bags
are not prescribed, mail bags may also contain articles of the parcel mail. A
mail bag exchanged between a Branch office and a Post Office other than its
accounts office, mail office or section, with which it is in direct
communication contains all fully prepaid articles except V.P. and insured
articles and those on which customs duty is to be realized. There are three
kinds of mail bags, viz., station mail bags, sorting mail bags and combined
mail bags, Mail Bags are due bags. (2) Mail bags exchanged between a cash
office and the sub-office which it finances will also contain inside the
registered bag, a cash bag. These mail bags are denoted in the due mail lists
of the cash office, of the sub-office and of the offices through which they
transit by a distinguishing symbol “F”. NOTE – In any case in which the Head of
the Circle or the Heads of the Circles concerned consider it advantageous that
the Registered bag should not be sent inside the mail bag, the Registered bag
may be forwarded outside. All bags including those in the nature of ‘L’ bags
should invariably be sealed. The arrangement will be clearly indicated in the
Due Mail and Routing List.
Airmail bag.- A mail bag containing
unregistered and registered articles to be carried by any air service under the
All Up Scheme is called an airmail bag. The bag should not contain articles not
intended to be carried by air. A blue dosuti bag should ordinarily be used for
closing an airmail bag. NOTE 1.- If on any occasion there is no article for
dispatch in a particular air mail bag, a bag with ‘nil’ contents need not be
closed, but a suitable entry should be made in the delivery bill that no bag
has been closed as there was no content. If the number of articles to be
dispatched is less than fifty and there is also no insured article or air
parcel for dispatch in an airmail bag, an airmail cover of suitable size should
be used instead of a bag. NOTE 2- When an air parcel is sent inside an airmail
bag, the label of the bag should bear the superscription “C.A.P” to indicate
that it contains air parcel. NOTE 3.- Registered articles should not be
enclosed in a bag unless their number exceeds 25 or they are bulky or there are
insured articles for dispatch. But they should be bundled and tied up crosswise
along with the registered list, with a suitable check-slip prominently marked
‘REGISTERED’ and the bundle should be sealed with the registration seal on the
knot which should come on the check-slip. This bundle is to be tied lengthwise
and breadth wise to ensure that no article gets loose and mixed up with
unregistered articles. This bundle may then be placed in the air mail cover of
bag. Whenever registere d bags are used in enclosing registered articles for
dispatch inside air mail bags, normal rules for closing registered bags should
be followed. Whenever a bag is used for enclosing registered articles not
exceeding 25 due to their bulk and unusual size, a remark should invariably be
passed on the registered list to that effect. NOTE 4.- The weight of an air
mail bag or air TB should not exceed 30 kg.
Registered bundle.- (1) A registered
bundle is a collection of faced, uninsured registered articles of the letter
mail placed, together with a registered list, in a prescribed form of envelope,
carefully gummed and sealed, or if necessary, in a dosuti bag, tied and sealed
in the ordinary way, with the label showing distinctly that it is a “registered
bundle” and not a ‘registered bag’. Registered bundles are not due, but are
made up, ordinary, when the number of registered articles to be enclosed
exceeds two; they are treated in sorting as single registered articles. 27-A.
Registered bundles from customers.- The customers booking their articles in
bulk prepare station and TB bundles in the same manner as discussed above and
present them at the sorting office.
Registered bag.- (1) A registered bag
contains cash bag, ordinary and V.P. registered letters and packets, insured
envelopes, registered bundles, insured bundles, ordinary and V.P. money order
bundles tied with a check-slip, and a registered list. NOTE – The registered
bag inside a mail bag indicated by symbol ‘P’ in the D.M. list will also
contain a cash bag. (2) A registered bag is a due bag and must be prepared,
together with a registered list, whether there is a cash bag or registered
articles for dispatch or not. (3) The registered list sent in registered bags
which are prescribed to contain a cash bag must invariably bear, in addition to
the Registration Date-Stamp impression, the impression of the treasury
date-stamp of the office closing the bag, or in offices where there is no
treasury date-stamp, the round money order stamp of the SubPostmaster.
Speed Post Bag.- This bag contains
Speed Post articles, Speed Post Money orders and a Speed Post list. In the
Speed Post list, the number of articles and the office of booking in invariably
written and totals are struck at the bottom.
Insured bundle.- (1) An insured bundle
is a collection of insured letters enclosed, together with a registered list,
in an insured envelope, or if necessary, in a dosuti bag, properly closed and
sealed, showing distinctly on the envelope or the label of the bag that it is
an “Insured Bundle”. Insured bundles are not due, but are made up ordinarily,
when the number of insured letters for dispatch to a Post Office is more than
one; they are treated in sorting as single insured enve lopes. When the number
of insured letters and I.Bs to be disposed of through a Mail Office is usually
more than ten, a separate insured letter bag addressed to that mail office may
be prescribed to be closed as a separate due bag. The insured letter bag should
be dispatched inside the registered bag with suitable remarks in the registered
list.
Parcel bag.- A parcel bag contains
ordinary registered parcels, V.P. parcels and insured bags. It also contains a
parcel list in which all the registered articles of the parcel mail are entered
in detail. Parcel bags are not due bags, and when dispatched they are treated
as unusual mails.
Insured bag.- An insured bag is
intended to give cover to insured parcels (including insured V.P. parcels) so
as to afford them greater security. Insured bags do not come under the category
either of due or unusual bags nor do they contain any list of their contents,
these being detailed in the ordinary parcel list. An insured bag is never
dispatched loose, but is always enclosed in a parcel bag or mail bag. It is
placed inside the parcel bag when a parcel bag is made up for the office or
section to which it is addressed; when a parcel bag is not made up, it is
placed inside the mail bag. However, in large parcel sorting offices, when
insured parcel bags are closed separately, double canvas bags should be used
for the purpose of ensuring security.
Registered packet bag. – (1) A
registered packet bag contains heavy registered packets and a registered list.
Registered packet bags are prescribed when justified. They are treated as due
mails and entered under the column for entries of mail bags in the mail list
with the remarks ‘RP’ against the entry. When prescribed, they must be closed
irrespective of the fact whether there are any registered packets or not. Such
registered packet bags may also be closed, though not due, when the Registered
packets intended for any office or section cannot, due to their bulky size, be
included in the registered bag. In such cases, a remark ‘RP bag closed’ is to
be given in the registered list of the due registered bag. (2) Packet bag.-
Bags returned empty to UBO/DBO/CBO/PO or sacks containing such bags are treated
as packet bags. Packet bags are not due bags and when dispatched they are
treated as unusual mail.
Transit bag.- A transit bag is used to
enclose several bags sent to the same office or section thereby affording
protection to them, and securing the disposal in transit of only one bag in
place of several. A transit bag must contain a mail list. Transit bags are due
bags.
Account bag. - An account bag is used
between a sub-office and its Head Office to enclose cash bags and articles,
documents, etc., connected with accounts as well as correspondence unconnected
with accounts, from the Head Office to one of its sub-offices and vice versa.
When sent by the Head Office to the sub-office, it contains the S.O. slip and
when sent by the sub-office to the Head Office, it contains the S.O. daily acc
ount. Account bags may be loose or enclosed in mail bags made up by Post Offices
and Mail Offices. Account bags are due bags. They should contain all types of
postal articles posted in SOs deliverable at HO and vice versa.
Branch office bag. - A branch office
bag is used between a branch office and its account office to enclose cash bags
and all articles, documents, etc., exchanged with the account office. Branch
office bags may be sent loose or enclosed in mail bags made up by Post Offices
and Ma il Offices. Branch office bags are due bags.
Cash bag. - A cash bag is used to
enclose remittances of cash between Post Offices. Cash bags are not due bags.
They are ordinarily dispatched enclosed in account bags, registered bags, or
branch offic e bags, but may also be sent loose in the charge of postman,
village postman, overseer, or other subordinate.
Special bag.- A special bag is used to
enclose correspondence of the high officers of Government mentioned in the Post
Office Guide, Part-I, as entitled to the privilege, and the correspondence of
the Director-General of Posts when on tour. A special bag contains unregistered
and registered articles of the letter mail, the latter being tied in a separate
bundle with the registered list in which they are entered placed on top.
Special bags are not due bags, but when dispatched they are treated as unusual
mails.
Camp bag. - A camp bag is used to
enclose the office files and other official papers, and is closed by the
Secretariat or Headquarters offices of the high officers mentioned in Clause
198 of Post Office Guide, Part-I, for the High Officer-inCamp, and vice versa.
Camp bags are not due bags, but when dispatched, they are treated as unusual
mails.
Telegraph cover.- A telegraph cover
(Form T.I. 60) is used to enclose express telegrams, telegraph envelopes closed
by Post Offices, telegraphic advices, etc., when their transmission in the
ordinary course as service registered letters is likely to cause delay in their
disposal, and one must always be used to enclose telegraph envelopes received from
local telegraph office for dispatch to another telegraph office. The6y are
treated as unusual mails and sent loose, but may in exceptional circumstances
be enclosed in a mail or transit bag.
Changing station - A Railway Station,
where the beats of two transit sections join and where the mails brought by one
of them are handed over to the other, is called a changing station.
Connecting section.- A connecting
section is an RMS section working in a train in immediate connection with
another train in which another RMS section works. If the interval between the
arrival of one section and the departure of another is sufficient to connect
bags being made up by a mail office at the junction station, the sections are
not termed “connecting sections”.
Overtime duty. - The expression
overtime duty means the duty performed under the orders of the Superintendent,
Assistant Superintendent, Inspector or Record Officer by a Sorting Assistant,
Mail Guard, Van-Peon, Porter, or other staff of the RMS after the completion of
prescribed term of duty.
Rest house.- Rest-houses are houses or
rooms provided at terminal or changing stations for the accommodation of Mail
Agents, Mail Guards and Van Peons where absolutely necessary.
Cage TB.- When a lot of bags are
available at distant places, Cage TB facility is utilized. For instance,
Chennai Central Station TMO has got 350 bags intended for the delivery at
Howrah Station. If these bags are given to the Section leaving Chennai Central
Section TMO, viz., TP-16-OUT, all these bags are required to be handled by
TP-16-OUT and other intermediary sections, viz., V-10-IN, V-14- OUT and N-2-IN.
If the Cage TB facility is used, the Chennai Central Station TMO can load all
the bags in a partition in the Mail Van of the train (TP-16-OUT) and lock the
partition so that TP-16-OUT and other intervening sections need not handle
these bags. This partition which is locked sealed and labeled by Chennai
Central Station TMO can be opened only by the Mail Agent at Howrah Station TMO
after N-2-IN reaches Howrah Station. Cage TB facility avoids unnecessary
handling of bags by intermediate sections.
Press packet.- A press packet is a
packet containing newspapers intended for sale by a news-agent recognized as
such and marked for delivery from the Railway Mail Service van at the Railway
station to which it is addressed.
A Orders.- A orders are orders issued
by a Superintendent, RMS prescribing changes in sorting lists.
B orders are orders issued
by a Superintendent, RMS for the guidance of the subordinates in the
performance of their duties in Mail Offices on all subjects except alternations
in sorting lists. NOTE – The letter ‘T’ will be prefixed to the letter ‘B’ in
the case of ‘B’ orders issued in connection with the disposal of camp articles
and camp bags for high officials on tour.
Work-papers.- The expression
work-papers means the documents received and dispatched by a set of a Transit
Section or Mail Office as well as abstracts and other documents prepared by it
while at work.
Due Mail and Sorting List.- The due
mail list shows the details of bags to be received and dispatched by a Mail
Office/ Transit Section. It will show (a) in what cases mail lists are to be
dispatched and received with loose bags (b) transit bags are to be used (c)
account bags and B.O. bags are to be sent or received in mail bags, (d) in the
case of sub-office, the mail bags containing cash bags enclosed in registered
bags. The sorting list will show (a) for what offices, mail bags and registered
bags are to be made up (b) to what offices parcel mail articles may be sent
direct and the manner in which they must be dispatched.
Due mails and unusual mails.- The term
due mail comprises all the bags, articles and documents which must be
dispatched every day or at regular intervals. The terms unusual mail comprises
parcel bags, packet bas, special bags, camp bags, telegraph bags and any other
bags not included in the term “due mail”.
Face and facing. - The face of an
article is the side on which the address is written. The terms ‘facing’ means
the arrangement of articles with the address-side upwards and the addresses
turned in the same direction.
Beat.- The term beat used in relation
to a RMS section means the portion of a Railway or Steamer line over which the
section works. When used in relation to postal overseers and delivery agents,
such as, postmen, village postmen, etc., it denotes the area within which they
are required to perform their respective duties. A beat includes Post Office
served by the official concerned..
Camp correspondence.- The expression
camp correspondence means letters and other articles of correspondence
addressed “camp” or with any other prescribed address, without the addition of
the name of any post-town, and intended for high officers on tour.
Late letters and too late letters.-
Late letters are letters presented at the window of a Post Office or Mail
Office or posted in the letter box of a Mail Office after the prescribed hour
of closing the mail but within the interval allowed for posting of such letters
with the prescribed late fee affixed in addition to the postage. “Too late”
letters are those posted within such interval but without having been fully
prepaid with postage and late fee. These are stamped “Detained late fee not
paid” and detained till the next dispatch.
Mis-sent and mis-directed articles.- A
mis-sent article is an article which has been erroneously forwarded by an
office to an office other than the office of destination or by a route other
than the prescribed one. A mis-directed article is a vernacular article on
which the incorrect destination has been written in English by the office of
posting.
Trial cards.- Trial cards are
service Post Cards [M 26 (a)] which are employed for the purpose of determining
the relative advantage of alternative mail routes or the cause of detention to
articles. A trial card contains on the back the following printed columns,
viz., (1) Source of receipt (2) Remarks, misconnection, etc., (3) Manner of
disposal, (4) Date stamp of the Office or Section, (5) Signature of Head
Sorting Assistant/Postmaster/Supervisor. All these columns should be carefully
filled in by the Head Sorting Assistant, the Postmaster or Supervisor of each
office or section handling the card and on reaching the destination the
Postmaster should also note the date and hour of the mail conveying the card
and the date and hour of delivery of the card before the same is returned in a
service cover to the officer by whom it was issued. The card should be
forwarded by the route if any, marked therein and should not be included in any
station bundle.
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