Appointment of agents and other agency functions

No.116-352009-SB

Government of India

Ministry of Communications & IT

Department of Posts

Dak Bhawan, Sansad Marg,

New Delhi-110001, Dated: 11.03.2011

To

All Heads of Circles/Regions

Addl. Director General, APS, New Delhi.

Subject:- Appointment of agents and other agency functions – fresh instructions issued by MOF(DEA) regarding.

Sir / Madam,

The undersigned is directed to say that Min. of Finance (DEA) vide letter no. F.1/29/2010-NS.II dated 31.12.2010 has issued some instructions regarding appointment of agents and other agency functions. This office is also receiving some representations from Agents Associations regarding noncooperation by the postal staff and insistence on bringing RD schedules in CD format. All these matters have been considered in this office and fresh guidelines as given below are being issued which shall be applicable from the date of receipt of this letter:-

1. Whenever, it is noticed that in any post office, number of agents attached are more than the business potential which may cause heavy rush in that post office, appointing authority should immediately be informed to change the jurisdiction of some agents to alternative post offices.

2. All Divisional Heads will maintain a record of agents which are found involved in the fraudulent activities and inform the appointing authority immediately for cancellation of the agency. No business from such agents should thereafter be accepted. At the beginning of the year, a negative list containing details of such agents should be circulated to all post offices in the division and to the appointing authority. During the course of the year, any addition / deletion may be made and at the beginning of the next year, the list may be reviewed and issued afresh. If name of any agent whose agency is renewed is found in the negative list, no business from such agent should be accepted and matter should be reported to the appointing authority immediately.

3. SAS Agents were earlier authorized to handle cash up to Rs.50,000/- at a time. Now, this limit has been reduced to Rs.10,000/- at a time. If any depositor wants investment of more than Rs.10,000/- through SAS agent, he has to give cheque to the agent duly crossed and endorsed as per latest rules and procedures. However, the limit of issue of cash receipt books to SAS agents will remain Rs.50,000/- at a time.

4. No SAS/MPKBY/PPF agent shall be permitted to issue cheque from his own account on behalf of any depositor.

5. MOF(DEA) has prescribed a half yearly coordination meeting between District Magistrate and Divisional Head. All Divisional Heads may also take up the issues related to agents, such as, appointment, renewal and fraud cases at District level with appointing authority, whenever such issues arise.

6. The postal staff posted at the counters should co-operate with the agents bringing business. Postmaster should fix separate working hours for the acceptance of business from agents keeping in view the business potential of the office and wherever possible, may identify one full time separate counter for handling business of agents particularly in Head Post Offices.

7. This may kindly be brought to the notice of all post offices and administrative offices.

8. This issues with the approval of DDG(FS).

Yours faithfully,

Kawal Jit Singh)

Assistant Director (SB)

Settlement of deceased claim cases vide SB Order 25/2010.

No.113-07/2008-SB

Government of India

Ministry of Communications & IT

Department of Posts

Dak Bhawan, Sansad Marg,

New Delhi-110001, Dated: 08..02.2011

To

All Heads of Circles/Regions

Addl. Director General, APS, New Delhi.

             Subject:- Clarifications regarding new procedure prescribed for settlement of      
                               deceased claim cases vide SB Order 25/2010.

Sir / Madam,

The undersigned is directed to say that PTC Mysore has sought clarifications on some points mentioned in the new procedure circulated for settlement of deceased claim cases vide SB Order No. 25/2010. Points raised and clarifications are given below:-

Sl. No.	Points raised	Clarification
1	What value of Stamp paper will be used for obtaining Affidavit, Letter of Indemnity, Disclaimer certificate of Affidavit.? Whether ‘Notary Public’ and ‘Oath Commissioner’ are one and the same? If not, where the oath Commissioner is available? Whether the claim application forms and annexures will be supplied by department viz PSD? If so, what will be the number of forms? It is suggested that all claim forms prescribed for SB and SC should be assigned different numbers.	The value of stamps on Affidavit differs from State to State as it comes under the State Stamp Act. Circles can circulate the value of stamps as per their State Stamp Act. Notary Public and Oath Commissioner are different and are available in every court complex. The form prescribed are to be supplied by the Department and for numbers allotted are given below:- 1) Form for claim of balance in the Savings Bank Account of deceased depositor- SB-30 2) Claim application form for settlement of Savings Certificates of the deceased holder where nomination is registered-NC-14. 3) Claim application form for settlement of Savings Certificates of the deceased holder where claim is preferred on legal evidence of heirship.NC-15. 4) Claim application form for settlement of Savings Certificates of the deceased holder where no nomination is registered or no legal evidence is produced.NC-16.
2	Whether payment of claim can be made by automatic transfer to POSB account of the claimant? It is suggested to make provision	All payments have to be made by crossed cheque only.
3	For Savings Certificate the limit prescribed for Time Scale SPM is mentioned as Rs.500/- which was earlier Rs.1000/-. Whether this is a typographical error or this limit has been reduced?	It was a typographical error. It may be read as Rs.1000/-.
4	For savings account having nomination or legal evidence, limit for only T/S SPM has been mentioned. It is presumed that LSG/HSG SPMs also can sanction such claim up to the limit prescribed for them in case of no nomination.	In case nomination is registered or legal evidence is produced there is restriction of amount to be sanctioned by T/S SPM or Selection Grade SPM up to the limit they are empowered to sanction claim in case of no nomination. In Note 1 below Rule 87(2) after the words Time Scale SPM words “or Selection Grade SPM may be inserted which was missed during typing. This will clear the confusion
5	Sanction limit of LSG SPM has been shown as Rs.5000/- whereas it was Rs.2000/- prior to 1.1.2011. Whether it is a typographical error or the power has been enhanced?	This was also a typographical error. This may be read as Rs.2000/-.
6	Clarification regarding Sanction of claim in favour of Succession Certificate holder where nomination is registered.	The Sanctioning authority has to give precedence to nominee over all other persons seeking claims. Only in those cases where the nominee has not claimed the amount and someone produces Succession Certificate or Probate of Will or Letter of Administration, the claim should be settled in favour of legal heir without waiting the nominee to prefer the claim.
7	In rural areas, Xerox machines are not available. As the claim application shall be treated as voucher, for keeping the claim application as office copy, whether claim application are to be obtained in duplicate.	This matter can be sorted out at local level and wherever necessary, the claim application can be taken in duplicate.
8	The mode of dispatch of sanction memo is not mentioned.	The need to dispatch the sanction will arise only if the claim is received by post. In such cases the sanction memo may be dispatched by service Insured Post.
9	In the claim application for Savings Account, provision of signatures of only Sr.PM/PM/SPM is provided whereas some cases require sanction of DPS/Regional PMG/CPMG.	Where none out of Sr.PM/PM/SPM are sanctioning authority, the sanctioning authority will issue formal sanction memo of the claim and return the whole case to concerned Sr PM/PM/SPM for payment. The concerned Sr.PM/PM/SPM will mention the particulars of sanction memo on the claim application and sign at the place marked for them to authorize  the payment.
10	In the format of application form for savings account, the wording , “To the Sr. Postmaster/Postmaster/Sub Postmaster………(Name of PO) printed twice which may be a typographical error. It should be confirmed.	This was a typographical mistake.

2.         The points raised and clarifications given may kindly be circulated to all post offices for guidance and necessary information.

3.         This issues with the approval of DDG(FS).

Yours faithfully,

(Kawal Jit Singh)

Assistant Director (SB)

PPF - To avoid irregular opening of Joint accounts in PPF.