[भाग II—खण्ड 3(ii)] भारत का रािपत्र : असाधारण 107
CHAPTER II
GENERAL
3. Business hours.- (1) The business hours in a post office, during which business is
transacted with the public, shall generally be as under on normal weekdays, which
are not holidays for the Post Office or the Government holidays, namely: -
Sl. No. Work Business Hours
(i) For references and enquiries During the entire working
hours of the office
(ii) Counter services including booking and Six hours
posting of items, premium collection of
insurance premiums
(iii) Money remittance- Electronic Money Six hours
Order, Indian Postal Order etc.
(iv) Savings Bank Six hours
(2) Branch post offices shall be kept open for a maximum period of five hours in a day.
4. (1) The Circle Head, Regional Head and Divisional Head are empowered to
specify the period of each of the post offices under their jurisdiction, during which
business is transacted with the public or customer and the time at which items are
delivered and dispatched, keeping in view, the maximum working hours, business
hours, local convenience and the arrival and departure timings of the items and
working of the post office counters.
(2) The Circle Head or Regional Head may, if it is necessary or expedient to meet the
requirement of the public, or in any special circumstances, specify-
(a) the business hours and the days other than the working days including Sundays
and holidays, during which the post offices shall be opened for business;
(b) the kind of transactions available during such business hours; and
(c) the maximum number of items that may be tendered for booking during
business hours to meet the rush of work in a post office and to ensure the equitable
availability of facilities to the public.
5. Payment of postage and other sums chargeable on items.- (1) Postage shall
generally be paid by modes mentioned in rule 9.
108 THE GAZETTE OF INDIA : EXTRAORDINARY [PART II—SEC. 3(ii)]
(2) The pre-payment of postage and other sums payable on an item shall be mandatory
except otherwise mentioned in these regulations.
6. Postage on unaccountable items and unpaid items.- (1) If the postage required on
unaccountable items, which have embossed postage on it, is more than the value of
the stamp printed on them, the difference shall be made good by affixing additional
postage stamps of the requisite value.
(2) Unpaid or insufficiently paid items are liable to be kept on hold for charging the
postage due on them.
7. Postage and chargeable sums not deemed to be prepaid.- The postage and other
sums chargeable on an item shall not be deemed to be prepaid by means of a proper
stamp or franking impression or point of sale receipt if-
(a) the stamp or impression of a stamp or impression which has not been provided
for use as a postage stamp or franking impression or point of sale receipt under
these regulations or rules;
(b) the stamp has been obliterated, defaced, torn, cut or otherwise rendered
imperfect;
(c) the stamp or franking impression or point of sale receipt has upon it, any word,
letter, figure or design, printed or impressed upon it, otherwise than by the
Director General before posting; or
(d) the stamp has been cut, or otherwise, separated from an embossed envelope,
or from a postcard or wrapper:
Provided that nothing in this regulation shall prevent the perforation of
postage stamps with initials, or other identifying marks, traced in minute holes:
Provided further that nothing in this regulation shall prevent the transmission
of Book Now Pay Later (BNPL) items or other items as specified by administrative
instructions from time to time.
8. Supply of postage stamps.- (1) The operational guidelines for supply, custody and
sale of postage stamps, shall be specified by administrative instructions from time to
time.
(2) No person or entity or institution or organisation or electronic platform shall sell
or distribute postage stamps or deal in any other manner in postage stamps, except
with the prior permission of the Director General.
(3) Whoever contravenes the provisions of sub-regulation (2) above or any term or
condition of permission issued thereunder shall be punishable under the relevant
provisions of the applicable law of the land for the time being in force.
[भाग II—खण्ड 3(ii)] भारत का रािपत्र : असाधारण 109
9. Fraudulent usage of stamp.- (1) The act of usage of previously used postage stamp,
fraudulently or with intent to cause loss to the Government, shall be punishable under
the applicable law of the land for the time being in force.
(2) If such postage stamp is detected on an item already posted, the item shall not be
delivered and dealt with in a manner as may be specified by administrative
instructions from time to time.
10. Illegal manufacture or usage of postage stamps.- (1) The illegal manufacturing
and usage of the postage stamp such as forged, counterfeit, or fictitious postage
stamps shall be punishable under the applicable law of the land for the time being in
force.
(2) Reproduction of stamps shall only be allowed for illustration purposes in a
philatelic publication, or in an item or section relating wholly to postage stamps that
may appear in a publication or a general character, and such reproductions shall only
be in such form as may be specified by administrative instructions from time to time.
11. Philately.- (1) Philately is a study and collection of stamps, postal stationery,
postmarks and other philatelic materials.
(2) The operational procedures related with the philately shall be specified by
administrative instructions from time to time.
12. Philatelic materials.- (1) Philatelic materials shall be issued by the Post Office as
per administrative instructions specified from time to time.
(2) Philatelic materials include —
(a) philatelic stamps;
(b) first day covers, brochures or information sheets, special covers, maxim cards,
annual packs, postal stationeries and various Philatelic publications and
ancillaries;
(c) artworks, proofs, progressive sheets, printed sheets and printing plates of
philatelic stamps; and
(d) postmarks, slogan dies and other artifacts used in connection with the
production of philatelic stamps.
(3) The Director General shall specify by administrative instructions the philatelic
material to be sold in post offices.
(4) All the activities corresponding to production and issue of philatelic materials shall
be carried out as per administrative instructions issued from time to time.
13. Issuance of postage stamps.- The postage stamps shall be issued in the following
types, namely:-
(a) Definitive Stamps: Definitive Stamps are postage stamps, specifically issued to
110 THE GAZETTE OF INDIA : EXTRAORDINARY [PART II—SEC. 3(ii)]
meet the day-to-day postage needs and are made available for sale for a period till
stocks of a particular series last, which shall be printed and reprinted in different
denominations as per the requirement of the post office.
(b) Commemorative Stamps:
(i) Commemorative Stamps are postage stamps issued to commemorate an event,
institution, theme and personages, which shall be printed only once, in limited
numbers and are sold for a limited period, as may be specified by administrative
instructions from time to time, through philatelic bureaus, philatelic counters,
online channels or authorised offices.
(ii) The Commemorative Stamps may be kept as collectible items and may be used
for payment of postage.
(c) Special Stamps: Special Stamps are postage stamps which are thematic like flora,
fauna, architecture or art without commemorating any specific event.
(d) Joint Issue Stamps: Joint Issue Stamps are postage stamps which are issued by
India and any other country on mutually agreed terms and conditions.
(e) My Stamps: My Stamps are such stamps which are issued on the basis of
personalised or customised printing elements provided by the customer or proponent,
subject to confirmation with administrative instructions specified from time to time.
14. (1) Issuance of Commemorative Postage Stamp.- Any citizen of India may tender
a proposal for issue of Commemorative Postage Stamp in accordance with the
administrative instructions specified from time to time.
(2) All such proposals shall be examined on the basis of the administrative instructions
specified by the Central Government from time to time.
(3) Proponents for issue of a commemorative stamp relating to institutions or events
or organisations are required to make a mandatory purchase of number of such
stamps as specified by administrative instructions from time to time:
Provided that in exceptional and deserving cases, Central Government may
relax this condition.
(4) The denominations of postage stamps shall be in consonance with domestic and
international postal postage.
(5) No postage stamp shall be issued on a living personality.
(6) Stamp design and denomination shall be as approved by the Central Government.
[भाग II—खण्ड 3(ii)] भारत का रािपत्र : असाधारण 111
(7) All philatelic stamps, brochures, first day covers and philatelic ancillaries shall be
sold by the Post Office on the denoted value or on the value specified by
administrative instructions from time to time.
15. Philatelic Advisory Committee.- (1) The Philatelic Advisory Committee shall
advise on the issue of Commemorative Stamps, Special Stamps, and other allied
matters related thereto.
(2) The Union Minister-in-Charge of the Ministry of Communications shall be the ex
officio Chairperson of the Philatelic Advisory Committee and shall nominate the
official and non-official members of the Committee as per the administrative
instructions specified from time to time.
16. Manner of affixing postage stamps.- (1) Stamps affixed to an item must be
completely adherent to the item itself and not to any part of its contents or any
separate label or other device tied or attached to the item.
(2) The stamps should be affixed to the right-hand top corner of the address side.
(3) The provisions of this regulation shall apply to franking of items in toto.
17. Price of postage stamps and stationery.- (1) Postage stamps, postcards, letter card
and aerogramme shall be sold for the denoted value of the stamps which they bear.
(2) The embossed envelopes and the registration envelopes shall be sold at the prices
mentioned in Table VII of Schedule I.
(3) Special Rakhi Envelopes shall be sold at the prices as the Circle Head concerned
may determine.
18. Standards for addressing on domestic items.- (1) An item shall not have more
than one delivery address;
Provided that nothing in this sub-regulation shall prevent the delivery of an
item to another address as may be specified by administrative instructions from time
to time.
(2) The address, either handwritten or machine printed, shall contain such elements
and, in such order, as given below: -
Name
C/o, D/o, S/o, W/o, H/o
Mobile Number (optional)
House/ Building (including floor)/ Apartment (including floor)
Street /Road /Lane
Landmark
Area / Locality/ Sector
Village/ Town/City
112 THE GAZETTE OF INDIA : EXTRAORDINARY [PART II—SEC. 3(ii)]
Post Office
District
State
PIN code/ Postcode
(3) The address of the addressee shall be written in the centre of the front side and
address of the sender shall be written on the lower left of the front side of an envelope.
(4) Address of the addressee and the sender should be started from the words “To”
and “From”, respectively.
(5) Blank space of minimum 15mm shall be kept from left, bottom and right side of
envelope and the address block of addressee shall have minimum gap of 40 mm from
top.
(6) Stamps or Frank impressions shall be affixed in maximum area of 74 mm on the
upper right corner.
(7) The address of addressee and sender should be positioned parallel to the length of
the envelope.
(8) A zone of 10mm around the address block should be free from any printing or
writing.
(9) Non-address information such as sender's code, serial or account numbers or other
information are not to be generally included in the address of the addressee and if
necessary, it should be printed above the first line but never below the last line of the
address.
(10) The spacing between the address lines shall be uniform and be more than 1mm
and less than 5mm.
(11) The maximum number of characters per line is 40 characters, excluding spaces
between words.
(12) An accountable item tendered at a post office for transmission shall not be
accepted unless they are addressed to a particular person or firm or institution.
(13) Such items addressed to a particular person or firm, care of post box and the name
of the office where the post box is located shall also be accepted, provided they are
addressed to persons or firms in whose names the post box stands registered;
Provided that in the office of delivery, if it is found that there is no post box in
the name of the addressee, or the addressee has ceased to be a renter of a post box, the
item shall be returned to the sender.
[भाग II—खण्ड 3(ii)] भारत का रािपत्र : असाधारण 113
19. Mails for defence services personnel.- The following particulars shall be
furnished in the address in the case of items for the personnel of the defence services,
which are to be delivered through the army post offices: -
No.
Rank
Name
Unit
Such items should be addressed to Care of (C/o) 56 A.P.O. or Care of (C/o) 99 A.P.O.
20. Exemption in method of addressing of an item in certain cases.- Item(s)
addressed to such authorities and with specified superscription on the envelope,
tendered at a post office, shall be accepted for transmission without the name and
complete address of the sender as may be specified by administrative instructions
from time to time.
21. Standards for addressing on international items.- (1) An item shall not have more
than one delivery address:
Provided that nothing in this sub-regulation shall prevent the delivery of an
item to another address as may be specified by administrative instructions from time
to time.
(2) The address, either handwritten or machine printed, shall be worded in a precise,
complete and legible manner to ensure the easy transmission of the item and its
delivery at the country or territory of destination to the addressee.
(3) The address of the sender and the addressee must be written in roman letters and
in Arabic numerals, and wherever required, the address of the addressee may also be
written in the language of country or territory of destination.
(4) The name of the place of destination and the country or territory of destination
shall be written in capital letters together with the correct postcode number or delivery
zone number, whichever applicable.
(5) The address of the sender and addressee shall contain such elements, whichever
applicable, and, in such order, as given below, unless otherwise specified: -
Name
Mobile Number (optional)
Building (door, floor, stairwell, wing, building, distinct instances)
Street (street name/number/type, primary thoroughfare, secondary
thoroughfare)
PO Box
114 THE GAZETTE OF INDIA : EXTRAORDINARY [PART II—SEC. 3(ii)]
Post Office
City/town/Rural Area
Administrative Areas (region level)
Postcode
Country/Territory
(6) The address of the addressee shall be written on right of front side and address of
the sender shall be written on lower left of front side on an envelope.
(7) The address of the addressee and the sender should be started from the words “To”
and “From”, respectively.
(8) Blank space of minimum 15mm shall be kept from left, bottom and right side of
envelope and the address block of addressee shall have minimum gap of 40 mm from
top. Stamps or Frank impressions shall be affixed in maximum area of 74 mm on the
upper right corner.
(9) A zone of 10mm around the address block should be free from any printing or
writing.
(10) Non-address information such as sender's code, serial or account numbers or
other information are not to be generally included in the address of the addressee and
if necessary, it should be printed above the first line but never below the last line of
the address.
(11) The spacing between the address lines shall be uniform and be more than 1mm
and less than 5mm.
(12) The maximum number of characters per line is 40 characters, excluding spaces
between words.
(13) An accountable item tendered at a post office for transmission shall not be
accepted unless they are addressed as per regulations 18, 19 and sub-regulation (5).
22. Posting of items.- The following modes may be used for posting of items: -
(a) Letter Boxes – Letters, letter cards, aerogramme, postcards, airmail postcards, book
post, small packets, printed papers and literature for the blind, shall be posted in the
letter boxes, provided the postage chargeable is fully prepaid.
Note 1: Registered newspaper items, periodical post items and franked items shall
not be posted in these letter boxes and, if posted, these shall be treated as unpaid
and shall be dealt as per regulation 71.
Note 2: Accountable items shall also not be posted in the letter boxes.
[भाग II—खण्ड 3(ii)] भारत का रािपत्र : असाधारण 115
Note 3: Large items, which owing to their size cannot be posted in the letter-boxes,
may be received by hand at the window of the post office. However, such items
shall not be deemed to be accountable items.
(b) Post office counter - All the accountable items shall be presented at the counter of
post office for transmission by post.
(c) Franchisee Outlet- Items as specified by administrative instructions from time to
time, may be presented through the franchisee outlet of the Post Office.
(d) Self-Booking Kiosk- Self-booking kiosk available at the designated post offices
may be used for posting of items as may be specified by administrative instructions.
Note: The Regional Head is authorised to designate the post offices, where the service
of self-booking kiosk is available.
(e) Web or Mobile Application- The authorised web portal or mobile application may
be used for posting of items as may be specified by administrative instructions from
time to time.
23. Receipt for transmission by post.- A receipt shall be given to the person who
presents an accountable item for transmission by post.
24. Ownership of items.- (1) For domestic items, an item shall remain the property of
the sender until it is delivered to the rightful addressee, except in the case of seizure
of the item under the applicable law of the land for the time being in force.
(2) For international items, an item shall remain the property of the sender until it is
delivered to the rightful addressee, except in the case of seizure of the item under any
law of the land of the country or territory of origin or transit or destination.
25. Prohibition of domestic items. - (1) Subject to the provisions of these regulations,
no person shall send by post, -
(a) any explosive, dangerous, filthy, noxious or deleterious substance, any sharp
instrument not properly protected, or any living creature which is either noxious
or likely to injure items in course of transmission by post or any officer of the Post
Office; or
(b) anything likely to injure, any item during transmission by post, or any officer
of the Post Office; or
(c) any ticket, proposal, advertisement or any other matter relating to a lottery,
except the case where the lottery is organised or authorised by the Central
Government or State Government; or
116 THE GAZETTE OF INDIA : EXTRAORDINARY [PART II—SEC. 3(ii)]
(d) any indecent, immoral or obscene printing, painting, photograph, lithograph,
engraving, book or card, or any other digital media, or any other indecent,
immoral, or obscene item; or
(e) any item having thereon, or on the cover thereof, any words, marks or designs
of an indecent, obscene, seditious, scurrilous, threatening or grossly offensive
character; or
(f) any item having thereon, or on the cover thereof, any matter which is prejudicial
to the maintenance of law and order; or
(g) any item having thereon, or on the cover thereof, any pictorial representation
of a person who is a proclaimed offender, or who has been convicted of an offence
punishable under any applicable law of the land for the time being in force; or
(h) any item having thereon, or on the cover thereof, anything written, printed, or
otherwise impressed upon or attached to its address side, which, either on account
of its being likely to be mistaken for stamps used for the payment of postage or by
inconvenient proximity to any such stamp or by tending to prevent the easy and
quick reading of the address; or
(i) narcotics and psychotropic substances, as defined by the International Narcotics
Control Board, or other illicit drugs which are prohibited in the country or territory
of destination, the country or territory of origin, the Central Government, State
Governments, or any authorised agency; or
(j) counterfeit and pirated items; or
(k) anything which, by their nature or their packing, may expose officials or the
general public to danger, or soil or damage other items, postal equipment, or third-
party property; or
(l) dangerous goods, narcotics and psychotropic substances, prohibited drugs and
cosmetics items, items prohibited by or under International Air Transport
Association (IATA), International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO),
Department of Wildlife and the Drug and Cosmetics Act, 1940 (23 of 1940) or items
prohibited by any law of the land; or
Explanation.- For the purpose of this clause, “dangerous goods" means items or
substances that are capable of posing a risk to health, safety, property or
environment, which include explosives, gases, flammable liquids, toxic and
infectious substances, corrosives and other miscellaneous items which may cause
health and safety hazards :
Provided that battery and other items, the transmission of which, by air, is
prohibited, shall be sent to the addressee through surface mode only; or
[भाग II—खण्ड 3(ii)] भारत का रािपत्र : असाधारण 117
(m) live animals except otherwise permitted in these regulations; or
(n) coins, banknotes and other valuable items, except permitted through a special
process:
Provided that the order shall be in consonance with Reserve Bank of India
guidelines, Foreign Exchange Management (Export and Import of Currency)
Regulations, 2015 made under the Foreign Exchange Management Act, 1999 (42 of
1999), or any other applicable law of the land for the time being in force on the
subject:
Provided further that currency notes, coins, or bank notes, shall invariably
be transmitted as insured items; or
(o) other items, the importation or circulation of which is prohibited in the country
or territory of origin or destination; or
(p) documents having the character of current and personal correspondence, with
the exception of archived materials, exchanged between persons other than the
sender and the addressee or persons living with them; or
(q) anything prohibited in International Postal Services by the Universal Postal
Union (UPU) or any other organisation; or
(r) any other thing, prohibited by Central Government from time to time.
26. Prohibition of international items. - International items not fulfilling the
conditions laid down in these regulations shall not be admitted and items sent in
furtherance of a fraudulent act or with the intention of avoiding payment of the
postage or other postal fee, shall not be admitted.
27. Application of regulation 25 on international items. - Regulation 25 shall apply
to International items to be transmitted by post to or from any foreign country or
territory, except in the following cases, namely: -
(a) such dangerous goods which may be transmitted by post between the country
or territory of origin and destination that have declared their willingness to admit
them either reciprocally or in one direction, provided that they comply with
national and international relevant laws;
(b) live animals which shall be admitted in-
(i) letter post items other than insured items: bees, leeches and silk-worms;
parasites and destroyers of noxious insects intended for the control of those
insects and exchanged between officially recognised institutions; flies of the
118 THE GAZETTE OF INDIA : EXTRAORDINARY [PART II—SEC. 3(ii)]
family drosophilidae for biomedical research exchanged between officially
recognised institutions;
(ii) parcels: live animals whose conveyance by post is authorised by the postal
regulations or applicable laws of the countries or territories concerned.
28. Transmission of precious metals and precious stones.- (1) Precious metals
(including gold, silver, platinum or other precious metals), precious stones (including
diamond or other precious stones), jewellery or any combination of these, whether
manufactured or not, coins, bank notes, currency notes, securities of any kind payable
to bearer, travellers’ cheques, except as otherwise specified, shall, in no case, be
transmitted by post in an uninsured letter-post item.
(2) Without prejudice to the provisions of sub-rule (1), any country or territory may
prohibit the enclosure of gold bullion in insured or uninsured parcels originating
from or addressed to its territory or sent in transit à découvert (open transit) across
its territory; to the actual value of the items so transmitted.
29. Items for blind prohibited in certain cases.- The items shall be prohibited from
being transmitted as printed papers and literature for the blind under the following
conditions, namely:-
(a) shall not bear any inscription or contain any item of correspondence;
(b) shall not contain any postage stamp or form of prepayment, whether cancelled
or not, or any paper representing a monetary value, except in cases where the item
contains as an enclosure, a card, envelope or wrapper, bearing the printed address
of the sender of the item or his authorised person in the country or territory of
posting or destination of the original item, which is prepaid for return.
30. Items transmitted in contravention of regulation 27.- (1) An item in
contravention of regulation 27 shall, in no circumstances, be forwarded to their
destination, delivered to the addressees, or returned to origin whichever is
applicable.
(2) Where, any item referred to in sub-regulation (1) is discovered during transit, it
shall be handled under the applicable law of the country or territory of transit.
(3) Where, any item referred to in sub-regulation (1) is discovered during
transmission, it shall be liable to be removed and disposed of in the manner as may
be specified by administrative instructions and the remainder of the items shall be
forwarded to its destination, together with information about the disposal of such
inadmissible item.
[भाग II—खण्ड 3(ii)] भारत का रािपत्र : असाधारण 119
31. Customs control.- (1) All international outbound items tendered at the post office
shall be subject to customs control and the applicable laws of the country or territory
of origin and the country or territory of destination.
(2) All international inward items shall be subject to customs’ control and the
applicable law of the land for the time being in force.
(3) Any custom duty imposed by the customs department, along with an additional
postal fee as mentioned in Table XII of Schedule III, shall be charged from the
addressee at the time of delivery.
32. Post Office authorised to collect customs duty, etc.- The Post Office shall be
authorised to collect from the sender or addressee of items, as the case may be, the
customs duty and all other fees which may be due.
33. Items sent in contravention of any law.- Any item sent by post in contravention
of any Act, rules, regulations, or any other law of the land for the time being in force,
may be detained and disposed of in the manner as directed by the enforcement agency
or authority or officer, as the case may be.
34. Disposal of intercepted items.- (1) If an official or officer of the Post Office
suspects on reasonable grounds that an item in the course of its transmission —
(a) contains anything in respect of which an offence is being committed or an
attempt to commit an offence is being made; or
(b) contains anything that will afford evidence of the commission of an offence; or
(c) is being sent to further the commission of an offence; or
(d) needs to be obtained and examined in the interests of defence, public safety or
public order,
Such official or officer shall inform the competent authority for directions to
detain the item for the purpose of examination by the concerned law enforcement
authority in accordance with the provisions of the rules.
(2) If, on examination of an item under sub- regulation (1), the suspicion that gave rise
to its examination—
(a) is substantiated, the item may be detained for the purposes of evidence in a
criminal prosecution or destroyed or dealt with in such other manner as may be
authorised in the orders of the law enforcement authorities;
(b) is not substantiated, the item shall be delivered to the person to whom it is
addressed or to the authorised person.
120 THE GAZETTE OF INDIA : EXTRAORDINARY [PART II—SEC. 3(ii)]
35. Items suspected to contain dangerous substances.- (1) Where an item is suspected
to contain any explosive, dangerous, obnoxious, deleterious or filthy substance, or
anything likely to injure the mails or any officer of the Post Office, it shall be
intercepted and detained at the point of transmission, where it is so detected and the
officer-in-charge of the post office shall immediately inform the matter to the police
authorities, post office authorities and other designated authorities, as may be
applicable.
(2) Further necessary action in respect of the item, shall be taken in accordance with
the directions of the authorities as referred in sub-regulation (1).
36. Restriction on disclosure.- No person may disclose any communication or
information, which is obtained in the exercise of his powers or the performance of his
duties in terms of these regulations, except—
(a) to any other person, who of necessity requires it for the like exercise or
performance of their functions in terms of these regulations;
(b) information which is required to be disclosed in terms of any law or as evidence
in any court of law.
37. Disposal of items opened.- (1) If any item opened or examined by designated
postal officer under the rules is found to be an unlawful item or prohibited item, the
items shall be disposed of in accordance with the directions of the designated
authorities.
(2) If the item referred to in sub-regulation (1) is found not to be an unlawful or
prohibited one, it shall be forwarded to its destination as if it had not been so opened
or examined.
38. Notice of opening of an item. - Where an item that is found to be unlawful, is
opened by a postal officer or official under section 9 of the Act, a notice shall be sent
to the sender, and if not found, to the addressee.
39. No relief from liability. - The detention, opening, examination, destruction or
disposal of an item under the Act or rules or these regulations shall not relieve any
person from the liability for any offence against these regulations.
40. No right to compensation. - No person shall have any right to compensation, nor
shall any liability be incurred by the Department of Posts in the Ministry of
Communications or any of its officers or officials, by the reason of the detention,
opening, examination, forfeiture, destruction or disposal of an item or its enclosure,
under the powers conferred by the Act or rules or regulations or the applicable law of
the land for the time being in force.
