7. Power to fix rates of inland postage.—(1) The Central Government may, by notification in the
Official Gazette, fix the rates of postage and other sums to be charged in respect of postal articles sent by
the inland post under this Act, and may make rules as to the scale of weights, terms and conditions subject
to which the rates so fixed shall be charged:
3
[Provided that until such notification is issued, the rates set forth in the First Schedule shall be the
rates chargeable under this Act.]
4* * * * *
(3) The Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, declare what packets may
be sent by the inland post as book, pattern and sample packets within the meaning of this Act.
8. Power to make rules as to payment of postage and fees in certain cases.—The Central
Government may, by rule,—
(a) require the prepayment of postage on inland postal articles or any class of inland postal
articles, and prescribe the manner in which prepayment shall be made;
1. Subs. by Act 25 of 1950, s. 11 and the Fourth Schedule, for “the States”.
2. Subs. by the A.O. 1950, for “Crown” which was subs. by the A.O. 1937, for “the Secretary of State for India in Council”.
3. Subs. by Act 7 of 2017, s. 133, for the proviso (w.e.f. 1-4-2017).
4. Subs-section (2) omitted by s. 133, ibid. (w.e.f. 1-4-2017).
7
(b) prescribe the postage to be charged on inland postal articles when the postage is not prepaid or
is insufficiently prepaid;
(c) provide for the redirection of postal articles and the transmission by post of articles so
redirected, either free of charge or subject to such further charge as may be specified in the rules; and
(d) prescribe the fees to be charged for the “express delivery” of postal articles, in addition to, or
instead of, any other postage chargeable thereon under this Act.
Explanation.—“Express delivery” means delivery by a special messenger or conveyance.
9. Power to make rules as to registered newspapers.—(1) The Central Government may make
rules providing for the registration of newspapers for transmission by inland post as registered
newspapers.
(2) For the purpose of such registration, every publication, consisting wholly or in great part of
political or other news, or of articles relating thereto or to other current topics, with or without
advertisements, shall be deemed a newspaper, subject to the following conditions, namely:—
(a) that it is published in numbers at intervals of not more than thirty-one days; and
(b) that it has a bona fide list of subscribers.
(3) An extra or supplement to a newspaper, bearing the same date as the newspaper and transmitted
therewith, shall be deemed to be part of the newspaper:
Provided that no such extra or supplement shall be so deemed unless it consists wholly or in great part
of matter like that of the newspaper and has the title and date of publication of the newspaper printed at
the top of each page.
Explanation.—Nothing in this section or in the rules there under shall be construed to render it
compulsory to send newspapers by the inland post.
10. Power to declare rates of foreign postage.—(1) Where arrangements are in force with the
United Kingdom, or with any British possession or foreign country, for the transmission by post of postal
articles between 1
[India] and the United Kingdom or such possession or country, the Central Government
may, in conformity with the provisions of such arrangements, declare what postage rates and other sums
shall be charged in respect of such postal articles, and may make rules as to the scale of weight, terms and
conditions subject to which the rates so declared shall be charged.
(2) Unless and until such declaration as aforesaid is made, the existing rates and regulations shall
continue in force.
11. Liability for payment of postage.—(1) The addressee of a postal article on which postage or any
other sum chargeable under this Act is due, shall be bound to pay the postage or sum so chargeable on his
accepting delivery of the postal article, unless he forthwith returns it unopened:
Provided that, if any such postal article appears to the satisfaction of the Post Master General to have
been maliciously sent for the purpose of annoying the addressee, he may remit the postage.
(2) If any postal article on which postage or any other sum chargeable under this Act is due, is refused
or returned as aforesaid, or if the addressee is dead or cannot be found, then the sender shall be bound to
pay the postage or sum due thereon under this Act.
12. Recovery of postage and other sums due in respect of postal articles.—If any person refuses
to pay any postage or other sum due from him under this Act in respect of any postal article, the sum so
due may, on application made by an officer of the Post Office authorised in this behalf by the written
order of the Post Master General, be recovered for the use of the Post Office from the person so refusing,
as if it were a fine imposed under this Act, by any Magistrate having jurisdiction where that person may
for the time being be resident; and the Post Master General may further direct that any other postal article,
1. Subs. by Act 25 of 1950, s. 11 and the Fourth Schedule, for “the States”.
8
not being on 1
[Government] service, addressed to that person shall be withheld from him until the sum so
due is paid or recovered as aforesaid.
13. Customs duty paid by the post office to be recoverable as postage.—When a postal article, on
which any duty of customs is payable, has been received by post from any place beyond the limits of
2
[India], and the duly has been paid by the postal authorities at any customs-port or elsewhere, the amount
of the duty shall be recoverable as if it were postage due under this Act.
14. Post Office marks prima facie evidence of certain facts denoted.—In every proceeding for the
recovery of any postage or other sum alleged to be due under this Act in respect of a postal article,—
(a) the production of the postal article, having thereon the official mark of the Post Office
denoting that the article has been refused, or that the addressee is dead or cannot be found, shall be
prima facie evidence of the fact so denoted, and
(b) the person from whom the postal article purports to have come, shall, until the contrary is
proved, be deemed to be the sender thereof.
15. Official mark to be evidence of amount of postage.—The official mark on a postal article
denoting that any postage or other sum is due in respect thereof to the Post Office of 1
[India] or to the
Post Office of the United Kingdom or of any British possession or foreign country, shall be prima facie
evidence that the sum denoted as aforesaid is so due.