'Censor Clerk' [‎4r] (9/36)

Powers Acts at present in force in certain provinces, it is
the postal authorities and not the police who effect censor
ship u/s 25 and 27-B of the P.O. Act. The function of the
police officers, present in sorting offices in connec tion wi th
interceptions under these two sections of the Act, is confined
to the giving of advice and information and it is important
that these functions should not "be exceeded.
The case is, however, as a general rule, different when
interceptions under the orders of the Local Government u/s
26(1) of the P.O. Act are being made for such orders generally
empower the police themselves to undertake the censorship.
7. The need for secrecy in interception cannot be too
strongly stressed and in order to maintain this, the fact
that censorhsip is being undertaken should be icnown to the
smallest number of persons possible and only to those directly
concerned. The Police Officer concerned should take postmasters
into his confidence in this matter and impress upon them the need
for safe-guarding the secrecy of the interception. (ieorecy
being the first requisite, it is not always possible for cen
sorship to be undertaken at the post office itself but to
obviate delay the place of censorship must be within very easy
reach of the post office concerned. iivery case of censorship,
therefore, must be treated separately and the selection of the
place where the actual work of censorship takes place decided
in the light of local conditions. Ho hard and fast rule can
be laid down.
In rare instances, to maintain secrecy, arrangements can
be made to take the letters to be censored, from the postal
peon A low-ranking infantryman, orderly or assistant (South Asian context). when on his rounds.
I
3. It is desirable that, wherever possible, letters should
be delivered by the postmaster to the censorship officer before
the delivery mark has been stamped on them for once the mark
of /