ANLIN UZHIAM Vs. DEPARTMENT OF POSTS

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THE petitioners in the above writ petitions claim that they are publishing the newspaper in the book form and they are entitled for renewal of registration under Section 9 of the Post Office Act, 1898 (hereinafter referred to as 'the Act'). In all these cases, the petitioners have already registered their Newspaper/periodicals under the said provision. In most of the cases, the registration had been renewed for more than 20 years, and for the first time, the impugned orders came to be passed rejecting the petitioners' request for renewal.

(2.) THE impugned orders are passed rejecting the petitioners request for renewal for the year 2000, mainly on the basis of the letter dated 19.8.1998 sent by the Ministry of Communication, Department of Posts. In the said communication sent to all Regional Postmasters-General, it is stated that when the registration to be renewed are to be granted regionally, it may be open to the Postmaster-General to come to the conclusion that the magazine cannot be regarded as a newspaper for the purpose of Section 9 of the said Act. Further guidelines are given for the Postmaster-General concerned to deal with the publication for the purpose of Section 9 of the said Act.

(3.) THE Central Government is empowered to make Rules providing for registration of newspaper for transmission by inland post as registered newspaper under Section 9 of the Post Office Act, 1898 which reads as follows :-