Government issues rules, regulations under Post Office Act

The government has notified a new set of subordinate legislations under the Post Office Act and the latest rules and regulations signal a shift from the traditional approach of providing mail services to the delivery of citizen-centric services, and entail opening of new avenues and generation of employment through services that can be offered through the post offices, according to an official release.

The norms have been framed with the motto of `Dak Sewa Jan Sewa' and aim to create a subordinate legislation with simplified language and vision of `Maximum Governance and Minimum Government' and `Atmanirbhar Bharat', it further said.

The Department of Posts, initiated legislative reforms and framed a new legislation `Post Office Act, 2023 in December last year. The Act came into effect in June this year.

"To furtherance this initiative, new set of subordinate legislations under the Post Office Act, 2023 that is the Post Office Rules, 2024 and the Post Office Regulations,2024 has also been framed. The Government of India has notified said subordinate legislations through official gazette and they came into force with effect from December 16, 2024," the release said.

The Post Office Rules, 2024 are framed as an enabler for the services to be provided by the post offices. It entails opening new avenues of the Department and generation of employment through services which can be offered through the Post Office, by utilising the vast postal network to provide access for delivery of citizen centric services, even in the distant and remote parts of the country through collaborations with public and private entities.

The rules also have futuristic aspects of address identifiers (digital address) and Digital mode - payment of postage or other charges. It further recognises the sovereign function regarding issue of postage stamps including stamps in digital form and enabling provision for grievance redressal.

These rules do not contain penal provision, the release added.

The Post Office Regulations, 2024 entail details and operational aspects of products and services offered by the post office across the country and it also contain enabling provisions for Insurance and Financial Services offered through the post office network.

Outlining key features of the new regulations, it said the limit of amount of remittance through money order has been doubled to Rs 10,000 to cater the disbursement of various social welfare schemes.

"The parcel has been made compulsorily accountable with track and trace features to promote ease of doing business for small businesses and micro small and medium enterprises. The provision of utilising the post office network for providing services of public and private entities through agreement, has also been made," the release added.