New post office bill will allow employees to open and detain parcels

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• Aug 16, 2023 | Dhupali Das

Digital Desk: The Union government's proposed revamp of the Indian Post Office Act will allow employees to open postal parcels in the interest of national security or public security, as well as provide officers the authority to report them to the appropriate authorities if there is suspicion of duty evasion.

Reportedly, these provisions are part of the Post Office Bill, 2023, which was introduced in the Rajya Sabha during the just-concluded monsoon session. It will repeal the 1898 Indian Post Office Act and "consolidate and amend the law relating to the Post Office in India."

The report stated that the Bill prescribes the right to "intercept, open, or detain any item or deliver" it to the customs authority. "The Central Government may, by notification, empower any officer to cause any item in the course of transmission by the Post Office to be intercepted, opened, or detained in the interest of the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign states, public order, emergency, or public safety, or upon the occurrence of any contravention of any of the provisions of this Act or any other law for the time being in force," one provision states.

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A postal officer will also be given the right to deliver an item acquired from a domestic or foreign source to customs or any other relevant authority "if there is suspicion of duty evasion or it is prohibited by law." These authorities will deal with such items in accordance with the law.

There is also a provision that states the Post Office and its employees "shall be exempt from any liability by reason of any loss, misdelivery, delay, or damage" while providing services. "No officer of the Post Office shall incur any liability with regard to a service provided by the Post Office, unless the officer has acted fraudulently or wilfully caused loss, delay, or misdelivery of service," the Bill says.

"Everyone who uses a Post Office service must pay the applicable fees. Another provision states that "if any person refuses or neglects to pay the charges, such amount shall be recoverable as if it were an arrear of land revenue due from him."

Moreover, the Bill says post offices will have the only authority to issue postage stamps.