New Delhi: The Post Office Act, 2023, comes into force with effect from June 18, 2024, and repeals the Indian Post Office Act of 1898 vide Notification no. S.O. 2352€ dated June 17, 2024.
The Act does away with provisions such as the exclusive privilege of collecting, processing and delivering letters, “to enhance the ease of doing business and ease of living”. No penal provisions have been prescribed in the Act. This provides a framework for prescribing standards for addressing the items, address identifiers and usage of postcodes.
The Act aims to create a simple legislative framework for the delivery of citizen-centric services, banking services and benefits of Government schemes at the last mile.
It may be mentioned that the Post Office Bill, 2023 was introduced in Rajya Sabha on August 10, 2023, and was passed in the Upper House on December 4, 2023. The Bill was then considered by Lok Sabha on December 13, 2023, and passed by the Lower House of Parliament on December 18, 2023.
The Post Office Act, 2023 received the assent of the President of India on December 24, 2023, and was published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 1, dated December 24, 2023, by the Ministry of Law & Justice (Legislative Department) for general information.
– global bihari bureau
