The Post Office Bill 2023 was passed by the Rajya Sabha on December 4, 2023. Here are some crucial things you need to know about the bill.
The bill was introduced during the Monsoon Session of Parliament. It aims to provide a simple legislative framework for post offices, facilitating their evolution into a network for citizen-centric services.
The contentious provision in the bill allows the central government, through notification, to empower officers to intercept, open, or detain items for reasons related to national security, public order, emergency, or contravention of prevailing laws.
The bill is different from the existing Indian Post Office Act of 1898. The new Post Office Bill, under clause 9, removes the need for a written order for interception.
The proposed legislation empowers the director general of postal services to frame regulations for providing services and fix charges.
The bill exempts the government and officers from liability related to the loss, misdelivery, delay, or damage to postal articles.
However, the bill introduces the provision that the central government may prescribe liability about services by India Post under the rules.