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.