Outsourced Postal Agents (OPA) and their Duties

1. Introduction:

a. Outsourced Postal Agents (OPAs) scheme will be applicable for Registered Post (including Parcels), Business and Express Parcel and Speed Post (domestic) articles and will replace the existing scheme of Outsourced Agents present applicable for Speed Post.

b. OPAs should be engaged where there is perceived gap in our services. Circles may undertake this exercise before engaging OPAs.

c. Such agents will be authorized to undertake pickup, booking or delivery or all or combination of any of the activities.

d. Instructions regarding modalities of the engagement of such agents have already been issued by Planning Division vide No. 40-4/2016 - Pig dated 1 1.07.2016.In order to prevent fraudulent practices by the OPAs, it will be the responsibility of the Circles/Regions/Divisions/Appointing authorities to assess credit worthiness of the OPAs.

2. Role and Responsibilities of the Outsourced Postal Agent s (OPAs):

a. Pick up:

i. OPAs will collect the articles from both retail and identified bulk customers from their respective premises and provide a preliminary receipt with barcode provided by the Department. They will collect correct value of postage (in cash) from the cus tomers and deposit the same with the link post office/processing office (BNPL Offices, BPCs, NSH, Parcel Hubs) on the same day. As far as possible articles picked up I booked up by OPAs

should be inducted in to the stream in identified processing offices/Post Offices having direct begging facilities so that articles get delivery advantage and can be accepted even after normal working hours.

ii. After handing over the consignments to the booking office, agent will collect receipt from the Booking Office in lieu of the consignments and amount given by him.

iii. Barcodes will be supplied to the OPAs in duplicate. One barcode will be affixed on the copy of Preliminary Receipt given to sender at the time of collecting the article and other will be affixed on the article. OPA shall note the article number on the other copy of the PR book to track the articles at a later stage.

iv. At the time of booking of the article, two copies of the receipt will be generated, one will be pasted on the article and other will be given back to the sender through OPA.

v. OPA shall be responsible for safety and security of the articles and its contents during his custody.

vi. Postage pre-paid (partial or full) articles and franked articles will not be accepted by the OPAs.

vii. OPAs will be supplied with numbered preliminary receipt books (PR books) and Bar codes for proper control and monitoring by the concerned controlling officer.

viii. Account office, office where OPA will hand over the collected articles, will check the articles and PR book for correct realization of postage.

ix. OPA will ensure that articles collected before cut off time are handed over to the account office along with postage realized on the same day, falling which penal action may be taken against the OPA for misappropriation of the Government money.

x. Account office while receiving the articles and postage from the OPA should sign and stamp on the last used preliminary receipt In the PR book.Further, the officer accepting the postage should also write the amount realized from OPA on the last used receipt.

b. Booking:

i. OPAs authorized for booking shall provide a booking facility at the pre-approved location.

li. In case booking agent is also authorized to provide pickup, all the consignments collected by him along with other consignments which are directly handed over by the customer at his premises will be booked by him In the module provided by the Department.

iii. Correct realization of the postage as per service tariff and other parameters will be the responsibility of the OPAs.

iv. OPA will ensure that all the consignments booked by him is affixed with proper barcode number and MPCM receipt generated. Account Office, the office to which OPA Is attached, before accepting the consignments will ensure the same.

v. Account office will also randomly check the consignments for proper realisation of the postage.

vi. Department will provide a booking module to the OPAs to book the articles In the system and make the data transmission of the booked articles. Once the system is provided and implemented, no article shall be accepted by the booking office for further transmission if booking data for same has not been uploaded. Till the time, the system Is not made available, no agent will be authorized to book the articles.

vii. Supervisor of the Account Office will be responsible for verification of Postage realized on each article and affixed viz-a-viz cross check it with the information available in the system.

viii. OPAs shall not avail any credit facility and the requisite postage shall be credited by the OPAs while handing over the consignment before the cut-off time.

ix. Postage pre-paid (partial or full) and franked articles will not be accepted/booked by the OPAs.

x. Further. OPAs would not be eligible for franking license.

xi. OPAs shall be responsible for safety and security of the articles and its contents during the period of custody.

xii. OPAs will be supplied with numbered Bar codes for proper control and monitoring by the concerned controlling officer.

xlll. While booking the articles, collected by OPAs, booking OPAs should ensure that articles are booked with the barcode number provided by collection OPA.MPCM receipts generated on booking of articles should be disposed of in following manner:

• One copy should be pas ted on article

• Other copy should be given to the collection OPA for handing over same to the sender

xiv. In case, article belongs to a customer who has visited the counter in person, MPCM receipts generated should be disposed of in following manner:

• One copy should be pasted on article

• Other copy should be given to the sender

xv. OPA will ensure that articles collected before cut off time are handed over to the account office along with postage realized on the same day, failing which penal action may be taken against the OPA for misappropriation of the Government money.

c. Delivery:

i. OPAs shall collect the articles for delivery from the identified office/ link Post Office before the cut off time for delivery in Identified area I delivery jurisdiction.

ii. Supervisor of the office will ensure that only permitted class of the articles are handed over to the OPA. While handing over the article of the delivery to the OPA, concerned office should ensure transmission of the data to the OPAs. CEPT Mysore will make necessary software provisions. It should be further ensured that all the articles of eligible category, considering the workload of the delivery office, is given to OPA to deliver judiciously with a view to have higher delivery percentage and ensuring door delivery of all the articles.

iii. OPA shall make calls to the customers before attempting for the delivery and will arrange delivery of the articles as per customer convenience.

iv. OPA shall deliver all the articles on same day of collection of the articles from Identified office/ Link Post Office. Any consignment which could not be delivered for any reason will be delivered by OPA next day. However, OPA is required to give the returns to the linked post office before the cut off time. However, OPA will provide the detailed remarks with respect to the articles which he would be keeping In custody to effect delivery after cut off time or on next day.

v. Supervisor of the delivery branch will verify the genuineness of the remarks before taking any further action.

vi. OPA will upload the delivery data either through the mobile app or through other means on web as the case may be.

vii. OPA will remit the CoD amount or any other fee to be collected from the addressee for the delivered articles while submitting the returns.

viii. OPA shall be paid only for those articles which have been delivered by him or returned after proper attempt & with valid remarks and data Is uploaded in the system. Till the time system for data exchange Is not provided, later part will not be applicable.

ix. OPA shall be responsible for safety and security of the article and its contents during his custody.

x. Quality of service offered by the OPAs shall be reviewed every fortnight and action to be taken accordingly to maintain the high quality of service. Further, delivery arrangements should be made in a manner so as to cope up with any exigencies or sudden flow of the articles.

d. OPAs shall also accept the complaints from customers served by them. In case it is found that there has been service level failure on the part of the OPA for which complaint has been made and in such a case compensation payable by the Department shall be recovered from the OPA.

3. Commission: Commission payable to OPAs will be as under:

PICK UP COMMISSIONS
Upto 500 gm	Rs.3 /·
500 gm to 5 kg	Rs. 14/·
More than 5 kg	Rs. 35/·
Booking Commission (In Rs.) (Per Article)
Upto 500 gm	Rs.3 /-
500 gm to 5 kg	Rs. 5/·
More than 5 kg	Rs. 7/-
Delivery Commission (in Rs.) (Per Article)
Upto 500 gm	Rs.5/-
500 gm to 5 kg	Rs. 14/-
More than  5 kg	Rs. 35/-
In case of Delivery of COD Articles, commission for collection of cash at a flat  rate of0.25% of cash collected

4. Accounting Procedures and Payment to OPAs: The payment to Agents will be made by debiting directly from revenue receipt Head of account for which detailed Account Head and SOP will be provided by DDG (PAF).

5. Local Policy Decisions and Monitoring:

a. The Circle/Regional Heads are authorized under the scheme to make finer details to operationalise the scheme as per localconditions and requirements.

b. The monitoring of activities of the OPAs will be through the Business Development Vertical/structure working in the Circles, Regions and Postal/RM5 Divisions which includes interalia reporting/monitoring of the OPAs to/by the ASPs/IPs/HSG-I/HSG-11 /LSG in the Divisional Office. Every Division will identify one such supervising staff for the purpose of monitoring and guiding the OPAs. The Divisional Heads will report to APMG/AD (BD) in the Regional/ Circle Office. Similarly, every Region will identify one APMG/AD along with 11'/0A to monitor/ liaison with Circle Office and Divisional Office. The officer so identified in Region will report to Circle Office vertical in addition to Regional PMG/DPS. The officer so identified in regional office in turn will report to CPMGs through PMG (Mails&BD)/DPS(Malls/BD)/DPS(HQ).The monitoring will be done as per the vertical structure as follows:

Divisional Head (Postal)

6. Numbered Preliminary receipt Book & Pre-printed Barcode Stickers: Numbered Preliminary receipt Book & Pre-printed Barcode Stickers shall be provided by the concerned Link Post Office to OPAs using Point of Sale Software/ latest software approved for OPA by the Department of Posts.

7. Divisional Heads will make surprise visit to the OPAs and will check relevant records to ensure that all the activities are being carried out in a proper manner and no Irregularity Is involved. Further Divisional Head will make quarterly inspection of such OPAs and account offices. Relevant records relating to all the transactions done through OPAs shall be preserved for a period of I8 months. In case of any pending complaints, vigilance case etc. record should be preserved for a period or 6 months after settlement of the case.