The Ministry of Communication(MoC), Government of India (GoI) notified that “The Post Office Act, 2023” came into force with effective from (w.e.f.) on 18th June, 2024. The Post Office Act, 2023 repealed the 125-year old Indian Post Office Act, 1898.
- The Act aims to create a simple legislative framework for the delivery of citizen centric services, banking services and to extend other government benefits to the country’s most distant areas.
- On 24th December, 2023, The President of India, Droupadi Murmu gave assent to The Post Office Bill, 2023 and then, Ministry of Law & Justice(MoL&J) published it in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 1 dated 24th December, 2023 for general information.
Background:
i.The Act was 1st introduced by the Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, as Post Office Bill, 2023 in the Rajya Sabha (Upper House of the Parliament) on 10th August, 2023 during the monsoon session of the Parliament and was passed in Rajya Sabha on 14th December, 2023.
ii.Subsequently, the Bill was considered by Lok Sabha (Lower House of the Parliament) on 13th December, 2023 and later, passed on 18th December, 2023.
Key Features:
i.According to the Act, the Government will not have any exclusive privilege over conveying letters. The services provided by Indian Post will be prescribed under Rules.
ii.The Act has a provision for the appointment of the Director General(DG) of Postal Services. It also empowers the DG of Postal Services to make regulations regarding charges for postal services such as: supply and sale of postage stamps and postal stationery.
iii.The Act allows the Government through notification may empower any officer to intercept, open, detain or destroy items during transmission by the Post Office on following grounds: security of the state, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, emergency, public safety or contravention of the provisions of the Act or any other laws.
iv.As per the Act, the Government may prescribe standards for addressing of the items, address identifiers and usage of postcodes.
v.The Act provides immunity to post office employees from any liability related to the loss, mis-delivery, delay or damage to a postal article. Except, they have acted fraudulently or willfully caused loss, delay or mis-delivery of service.
- However, the Government may prescribe liability with regard to services by India Post under the rules.
vi.The Act removes penal provisions for various offences such as: theft, misappropriation, or destruction of postal articles by an officer of the Post Office. In case, if any person refuses to pay required charges referred in sub section (1) of the Act, such amount shall be recoverable as arrears of land revenue.
Note: All these offences and penalties were removed by the Jan Vishwas (Amendment Provisions) Act, 2023.
vii.The Act allows Central Government to make any provisions in order to give effect to arrangements made with any foreign country or territory for services provided by the Post Office between India and foreign country or territory.
About Ministry of Communications:
Union Minister- Jyotiraditya Scindia (Lok Sabha Constituency- Guna, Madhya Pradesh)
Minister of State(MoS) – Chandra Sekar Pemmasani(Lok Sabha Constituency -Guntur, Andhra Pradesh)
