CHAPTER 5. PROCEDURE FOR DEPOSITING FRANKED MAIL
1. (a) The Franking Machine User shall first keep the article to be franked on an electronic weighing scale/platform, which is interfaced to the franking machine, and select the product class. The franking machine shall automatically calculate and set the postage value for franking. Now the Franking Machine User can frank the desired articles in the franking machine. Thus the product class chosen shall be stored in the franking machine. The list of postal product classes and product codes (Annexure ‘K’) is given alongwith this Manual. This will be supplied to the venders by PO Division of the Directorate. Whenever the franking machine dials the RMFS Server the data stored in such a way alongwith Funds Register Data shall get uploaded. It will not be possible for the user to manually feed weight or postage in the franking machine.
The franking machine shall frank the articles with the frank impression approved by the India Post. The frank impression shall be blue in color. A sample frank impression shall appear as shown below:
The franking machine should be able to print various types of franks depending upon the status of the machine i.e. uninstalled state, installed state, withdrawal state etc. The sample franks for all such states are shown in Annexure “L”.
b) After the day’s franking is over and the mail is ready for dispatch, the Franking Machine User shall print 2 copies of the Statement of Mailing (SOM) from the franking machine. One copy shall be pasted on Customer Record Book as indicated in Annexure ‘G’. The franking machine user shall bring the second copy of Statement of Mailing and Customer Record Book along with the franked mail to the Designated Post Officer or Mail Office or Field Post Office.
In case of commercial mailers, who normally frank uniform mail for their customers, they shall print two copies of the Statement of Mailing separately for each customer. One copy of the same will be pasted on Customer Record Book by them and the second copy shall be given along with the franked mail of the customer to the Designated Post Office i.e. Statement of Mailing will be prepared customer-wise and mail is presented customer-wise along with its relevant Statement of Mailing. The Franking Machine User shall have to ensure that before the next batch is begun the Statement of Mailing printout is taken and then reset. Thus the new batch starts from zero.
The sample Statement of Mailing are given below:
Or
c) (i) The Postal Assistant shall conduct a random inspection on the franked mail presented by the Franking Machine User and check for legible franks, correct postage and genuineness of frank. The running serial number of frank (item counter value) printed on the randomly selected articles would be checked to find that these were entered in the Statement of Mailing presented by the concerned Franking Machine User. The Supervisor shall ensure that this check is carried out every time when franked mail is received for posting and make a note of this check in Office Order Book/Error Book. Any discrepancies noticed may be reported to licensing authority immediately.
(ii) Postal Assistant will scan 2 D barcode of some franked articles presented for dispatch, selected at random to check genuineness of frank impression by comparing the information encoded in the barcode and information printed on the franks. The Supervisor will ensure that this check is carried out regularly.
(d) If there is less postage franked on the articles presented for posting, the article will be accepted for dispatch but a detailed report indicating name of the licensee CRN and total deficit postage will be sent to licensing authority for inquiry and checking of correctness of scale of franking machine. If it is found that postage was actually under paid the deficit amount will be recovered from the franking machine user. Before accepting the article an undertaking will be obtained from the FMU that he will abide by the decision of licensing authority and amount of deficit postage will be paid within 3 days on demand from the licensing authority and if amount is not paid within prescribed period license may be cancelled in addition to action for recovery of amount due. If he refuses to give undertaking the mail should not be accepted for posting till he affixes additional postage as required.
(e) The Postal Assistant accepting the mail shall paste the second copy of the Statement of Mailing on the Post Office Record Book (Annexure ‘H’). In case of commercial mailers all Statements of Mailing shall be pasted on PO Record Book by the Postal Assistant.
2. The general conditions associated with mail posting are given below:
(a) The franked articles shall be accepted only in the Designated Post Office/ Designated Mail Office/Designated Field Post Office as specified by the licensing authority. This will normally be the one specified by the franking machine user while applying the license. In case he wants to post articles in more than one office, he will have to use different franking machine for those offices.
(b) The Licensing Authority may refuse to allow acceptance of mail in a particular Post Office keeping in view availability of manpower and other infrastructure.
(c) Franking will be allowed up to any amount.
(d) All frank impressions for the purpose of pre-payment of postage must be made on the right top corner of the address side of the postal article itself or a wrapper or label firmly pasted on it.
(e) The impressions of the franking machine recorded on the postal articles should not be interfered in any way. The impressions should be blue in color and distinct and should not overlap.
(f) The franked articles shall be posted only at the office specified in the licence and the franked articles must be handed over at the counter of the post office or mail office authorised to receive the franked mail on the very day of the date of frank. In mail offices such articles must be tendered by the latest hour notified by the Superintendent, RMS.
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(g) In all such cases where the mail is franked on a particular day and cannot be presented on the same day due to any reason it may be accepted by the Designated Office the very next day. In cases where the next day is a weekend or there are successive holidays the mail shall be accepted on the following working day. However in both the above cases the Statement of Mailing will be printed afresh on the actual date of presentation of mail. And the same will be handed over to the post office alongwith Statement of Mailing if printed on the date of franking. Franking of advance date is not allowed and such mail will not be accepted.
(h) Articles should be presented for acceptance in pre-sorted bundles pincodewise, where the licensee is enjoying prescribed rebate for pincode sorting. In case of Commercial Licensee, the bundles should also be separate for each authorised client in addition to pre-sorted bundles.
(i) The official accepting the franked mail shall paste the second copy of Statement of Mailing on Post Office Record Book. He will then put his initials and date stamp on the Statement of Mailing pasted in the Record Book maintained by Franking Machine User and Designated Office in such a way that no entry in Statement of Mailing is disfigured.
(j) The official accepting franked articles will maintain the Record Book of DPO/DMO/ DFPO so that they are available for inspection at a later date. A Supervisor will ensure that it is maintained as prescribed.
(k) The Franking Machine User Record Book should be maintained properly and checked by the inspecting officer randomly during inspection/visits.
(l) Cut-out label with frank impression(s) on them for pre-payment of postage can be used on all postal articles provided that one frank impression should be taken on one label. In case a second frank is required a new label may be used that may be pasted beneath the first one which is pasted on the right hand upper corner of the envelope.
(m) In cases where all pages in the Franking Machine User Record Book get filled up and a new Record Book has to be started, the user shall bring the old Register to the Authorised Officer who shall make an entry on the Record Book to the effect that a new Record Book has been started as the old one is full. The Authorised Officer shall also make an entry of the funds registers on the new Record Book by hand with reference to Statement of Mailing. The entries shall be made by the Authorised Officer and attested by the Supervisor. A similar entry shall be made to this effect in the Record Book of Designated Office. The Franking Machine User shall paste a copy of Certificate of License on the new Record Book.
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Under no circumstances shall the old Record Book be destroyed or misplaced. The Franking Machine User shall have to bring the old Record Book pertaining to his refunds claim.
In cases where the PO Record Book of Designated Office is full and a new one has to be used, the Authorised Officer shall get the old Record Book closed with suitable remarks (i.e fresh record book started w.e.f.____) below last statement of mailing pasted in the Record Book under intimation and signature of Supervisor. A copy of Certificate of License shall be pasted on the new Record Book of Designated Office and the old one shall be retained for future references. The Authorised Officer shall make an entry of the last reading of the funds registers in the old Designated Office/ Franking Machine User Record Book on the new Record Book by hand when it is to be used for the first time and attested by the Supervisor.
(n) In case of an extremely rare possibility of some problem with the Postal Security Device when it has stopped franking and is not printing reports it will have to be replaced and not repaired. The matter should be immediately reported by the DPO/DMO/DFMO to the licensing authority for cancellation of license. However a new license may be issued with reference to the new License Identifier to the Licensee without going through the process of detailed verification as prescribed at the time of issue of new license. The unutilized amount will be refunded to the Licensee by the competent authority.
(o) Remarks to be recorded in franking machine record book by the postal assistant and to be authenticated by the Supervisor in the cases of suspension of licence identifier, entry of new licence identifier, activation of licence identifier and cancellation of licence etc. have been illustrated in Annexure from ‘M’ to ‘P’. A sample format of a FMU record book indicating various situations is given in Annexure ‘Q’.
(p) When SOM is presented by the FMU to the PA/Supervisor, he must compare it with the previous day’s SOM. Whenever, he notices any credit of funds in the Reg. Cred. column, he must verify the same with relevant MIS report on India Post website and authenticate it by putting his initials. In case of discrepancy, he must report the matter to the licensing authority who will look into the matter on urgent basis
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