1. Indian Post Office Act, 1898
  2. CHAPTER VII - UNDELIVERED POSTAL ARTICLES

CHAPTER VII - UNDELIVERED POSTAL ARTICLES

CHAPTER VII

 

UNDELIVERED POSTAL ARTICLES

 

  1. Power to make rules as to disposal of undelivered postal articles.- (1) Central Government may make rules as to the disposal of postal articles which for any reason cannot be delivered (hereinafter referred to as “undelivered postal articles”)

 

  1. In particular without prejudice to the generality of the foregoing power, such rules may-

 

  1. prescribe the period during which undelivered postal articles at a post office shall remain in that office; and

 

  1. provide for the publication of lists of undelivered postal articles, or of any class of undelivered postal articles.

 

  1. Every undelivered postal article, after being detained at a post office for the period prescribed by rule under the foregoing provisions of this Section, shall be either forwarded, free of further charge, to the post office at which it was posted, for return to the sender, or sent to the office of the Postmaster General.

 

  1. Disposal of undelivered postal articles at office of Post Master General.- (1) Every postal article received at the office of the Post Master General under sub-section (3) of section 37 shall be dealt with as follows:-

 

  1. if practicable, it shall be redirected and forwarded by post to the addressee; or

 

  1. if it cannot be redirected and forwarded as aforesaid, it shall be opened by some officer, appointed by the Post Master General in this behalf and bound to secrecy, in order to ascertain the name and address of the sender.

 

(2) If the name and address of the sender are so ascertained, it shall be returned by post to the sender, free of further charge or subject to such further charge as the Central Government may, by rule, direct.

 

  1. Final disposal of undelivered postal articles.- Undelivered postal articles which cannot be disposed of under the foregoing provisions, shall be detained in the office of the Post master General for such further period (if any), and shall be dealt with in such manner, as the [Central Government] may, by rule, direct:

 

Provided that –

  1. letters and postcards shall be destroyed;

 

  1. money or saleable property, not being of a perishable nature, found in any undelivered postal article, shall be detained for a period of one year in the office of the Post Master General, and, if on the expiration of that period no person has established his right thereto, shall, if money, be credited to the Post Office, and, if saleable property, be sold, the sale-proceeds being credited to the Post Office.