IRCM VOL-2, Chapter 22 Lost Property & Unclaimed Consignments PDF

11/22/24, 2:05 PM CHAPTER XXtt LOST PROPERTY AND UNCLAIMED CONSIGN CHAPTER XXII LOST PROPERTY AND UNCLAIMED CONSIGNMENTS 2201. Examination of empty ca...

11/22/24, 2:05 PM CHAPTER XXtt LOST PROPERTY AND UNCLAIMED CONSIGN CHAPTER XXII LOST PROPERTY AND UNCLAIMED CONSIGNMENTS 2201. Examination of empty carriages at terminal stations.—All empty carriages of the incoming trains should be carefully checked at terminal stations by a responsible member of the station staff along with a representative of the Railway Protection Force, to see if any property has been left behind by the passengers. Any article found shall be deposited with the Station Master. 2202. Lost, unclaimed and unbooked articles found in carriages or at stations or on the line.—If articles of lost or unclaimed property, other than booked consignments, are deposited by any person, the Station Master should take over and grant receipts for such articles, an inventory being taken when necessary without undue delay, and attested by the person making over the property. 2203. Check and registration of lost properly at stations.—(a) All lost or unbooked articles found in railway vehicles or in station premises or on the track by or made over to station staff, should immediately by entered in the lost property register in Form Com| L-18. Each article should be entered separately with full particulars of its description, masks, actual weight, approximate value (if this can be ascertained), etc. In the case of boxes, bags, etc., an inventory of the contents should be taken in triplicate, in the presence of an official of the Railway Protection Force or Government Railway Police and in case there are no such officials, in the presence of two members of the station staff. After the inventory has been attested by all the officials witnessing its preparation, one copy should be pasted in the lost property register, one copy kept inside the box, bag or any other container containing the articles, and one copy should be made over to the official of the Police or Railway Protection Force, witnessing the preparation of the inventory for his record. The articles should then properly repacked to the original conditioned sealed with the station seal to avoid damage and pilferage. (b) Packages hermetically sealed or known to contain articles, such as photographic material etc. which are liable to deteriorate when exposed to atmosphere, should not be opened. (c) Each article or package deposited with the Station Master as lost property should be labeled with the serial number of its entry in the lost property register. 2204. Restoration of lost property to owners.—All lost property should, if claimed and identified to the satisfaction of the Station Master, be delivered to the owner on obtaining an application from him. Full address of the claimant must be noted in the lost property register and his signature obtained therein in token of the receipt of the articles. The Station Master himself also should make all possible efforts to restore lost property to the rightful owners, advantage being taken of any clues as to ownership found from the contents of the packages, etc. 2205. If the Station Master has any doubt about the ownership of the lost property, delivery should only be made after obtaining the orders if the Divisional Commercial Superintendent, to whom the matter should be referred to with full details. 2206. In cases where packages are found at the station, having been left behind by the rail user and are returned to the passenger without being sent to the Lost Property Office, no charge need be recovered and package should be gracefully returned to the passenger without any Commercial Charge. 2207. Disposal of lost property remaining undelivered.—(a) Except as provided in paras 2208 to 2213, all lost property articles, if not claimed or otherwise disposed of within 7 days of their deposit in the case of train terminal stations and within 48 hours of their deposit in the case of other stations, should be transferred to the lost property office under a free invoice waybill. Full particulars including the description and contents of articles, how marked, when, where and by whom found, actual weight, approximate value of the articles transferred to the lost property office should be recorded in a statement, which should be prepared in quadruplicate, by carbon process. Two copies of the statement together with the connected railway receipt should be sent https://indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/codesmanual/CommManual-II/commercialmanualIIch22_data.htm#2201 1/11 11/22/24, 2:05 PM CHAPTER XXtt LOST PROPERTY AND UNCLAIMED CONSIGN to the lost property office in a sealed cover booked under free service way-bill, one copy should be sent to the Chief Commercial Superintendent and one copy should be retained as station record. (b) The above articles when received in the lost property office will be entered in the register of unclaimed booked and unbooked articles (see para 2230) and the serial number of entry in the register quoted against each item in both the copies of the statement referred to in (a) above. One copy of the statement will, thereafter, be returned to the sending station as an acknowledgement of the articles received. The acknowledged copy of the statement should be pasted in the lost property register (see para 2203) in which the serial number of the entry in the lost property office records should be copied out in the prescribed column. 2208. Disposal of lost properly articles of insignificant value.—Lost property of insignificant value or of no value such as empty earthen posts, worn out old shoes and boots, unserviceable hats, dirty or incomplete packets of playing cards, rags, broken beckets, etc., remaining unclaimed at the station should not be sent to lost property office. After the expiry of one month from the date of their deposit as lost property such articles should be sold locally by Station Masters by public auction. Articles fetching no price should be thrown away. In such cases, Station Masters should personally record a certificate in the lost property register that the article was of no value. 2209. Disposal of arms, ammunition, intoxicating Liquors, etc.—(a) Lost property comprising of arms, ammunition, explosives and other dangerous goods, intoxicating liquors, opium including its preparations, hemp drugs, etc., the sale of which by unlicensed persons is prohibited by law, when left unclaimed in the possession of the railway, should be made over to the police or excise authorities for disposal under the laws affecting the articles after obtaining acknowledgement of the official concerned in the lost property register. The police and excise officials should be advised as to the charges due to be remitted to the railway after the transferred articles have been disposed off. (b) Unbooked articles such as anus, ammunitions, explosives, etc., with distinct 'Military' marks found lying unclaimed should be made over to the Defense Department on collection of the charges due. (c) The advice of such articles having been handed over to the police, excise or military authorities, as the case may be, should be sent to the Chief Commercial Superintendent and the Traffic Accounts Office. (d) When such articles are not of a dangerous, perishable or offensive character, they should be retained in the possession of the railway for the same period as that prescribed for other unclaimed articles before being made over to the police or excise authorities, etc. In other cases, the articles should be delivered to them immediately. 2210. Disposal ot jewellery, bullion and valuable articles.—(a) Jewellery, bullion and all valuable articles such as, watches, binoculars, cameras, costly fountain pens, costly spectacles and goggles, cigarette lighters, etc., found at stations or in the carriages should be carefully kept in the station safe. (b) Articles made of gold and silver, found at stations or in the carriages, are not required to be weighed at the forwarding station. If not claimed within 24 hours, the forwarding station should pack such articles carefully in a sealed cover and send them to the office of the Chief Claims Officer through a special messenger giving their full details. Such packets should be opened in the office of the Chief Claims Officer by a nominated officer not below the rank of Senior Commercial Officer, in the presence of an Accounts Office. After, the articles kept in the sealed packet, are weighed and verified, the nominated officer will get them repacked and sealed in presence of the Accounts Officer, will keep them in a safe place under lock and shall also maintain a record of such articles with weight and description. The articles made of gold should be sent to the mint officers at the appropriate time and the articles made of silver should be disposed of under public auction at the nominated lost property office meant for this purpose. https://indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/codesmanual/CommManual-II/commercialmanualIIch22_data.htm#2201 2/11 11/22/24, 2:05 PM CHAPTER XXtt LOST PROPERTY AND UNCLAIMED CONSIGN (c) Other valuable articles, if not claimed within 24 hours, the instructions of the Divisional Commercial Superintendent should be obtained for their disposal, giving full particulars and weight of the articles and also indicating when, where and by whom found. If under the instructions of the Divisional Commercial Superintendent, these articles are to be sent to the lost property office, these should be carefully packed and sealed with the station cash seal or any other special seal provided for the purpose, and then sent to the lost property office in accordance with the instructions contained in Chapter XI for the carriage of valuable articles. The instructions contained in para 2207 regarding the issue of free invoice/way bill and submission of a statement and the connected railway receipt to the lost property office, also apply in this case. 2211. Disposal of current coins and notes.—All current coins and currency notes deposited as lost property mint be accounted for as a miscellaneous receipt and remitted along with the station earnings of the day on which they are deposited as lost property. These should be entered in a separate cash transmit note for miscellaneous receipts which will accompany the cash remittance note under which the cash of the station is remitted. A full report, showing how and when the cash/currency notes came in the possession of the railway, and the particulars of remittances, i.e., number and date of the cash remittance note, should be made to the Chief Commercial Superintendent to enable a refund being arranged if and when the amount is claimed. 2212. Disposal of unbooked perishable articles.—Lost property articles of perishable nature remaining unclaimed should not be sent to the lost property office; the Railway should sell them after the expiry of 24 hours, or earlier, if they are likely to become offensive. The amount realised should be accounted for as a miscellaneous receipt and remitted to the Cashier as such. Particulars of sale together with a list of bidders must be advised to the Divisional Commercial Superintendent and Traffic Accounts Office. 2213. Disposal of unclaimed, unbooked animals and birds.—Unclaimed, un-booked animals and birds found in the railway premises should be disposed of in the same manner as booked unclaimed animals and birds vide para 1028. The procedure regarding accountal and remittance of the sale proceeds will be the same as for unclaimed and unbooked perishable articles. 2214. Articles fallen off from trains.—As soon as any article which has fallen off a passing train is found at or brought to a station the Station Master must at once see if the packages bears any marks and if so, he should send a telegram to the Station Master at both the forwarding and receiving stations as well as to the first station ahead where seals and loads are examined. The Divisional Commercial Superintendent and the Chief Commercial Superintendent should be included in this message and the articles should be sent to the correct destination. 2215. (a) In the case of articles bearing no marks, the first station ahead where seals end loads are checked should be wired to and a report submitted to the Chief Commercial Superintendent. If the checking station is able to identify the package, it should wire to the station where the package is lying atavism the destination of the package and the wagon to which it belongs. The package should be despatched to the destination station booked under a free invoice quoting particulars of the wagon to which it has been related as also its booking particulars. The intimation regarding this should also be sent to the destination station by a wire and to the Chief Commercial Superintendent by a letter. (b) If the checking station is unable to identify the package as having fallen off from any particular wagon, the instructions of the Chief Commercial Superintendent should be obtained for the disposal of the package. 2216. Transfer of goods, parcels or luggage consignments lying unconnected at stations to the lost property office.—Unconnected consignments required to be transferred to the lost property office should be sent under a free invoice or way-bill. Full particulars of these consignments should be entered in Form Com.| L-23. In the event of any package required to be transferred to lost property office showing signs of tampering from outward condition or there being good reason for doubt as to what, it contains, the inventory of the contents of such package should be taken and recorded on the back of this Form. The form should be prepared in four foils, three foils being sent to the lost property office along with the railway receipt, the fourth being retained at the station for record. The lost property office should quote the lot https://indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/codesmanual/CommManual-II/commercialmanualIIch22_data.htm#2201 3/11 11/22/24, 2:05 PM CHAPTER XXtt LOST PROPERTY AND UNCLAIMED CONSIGN number under which each article is registered in the lost property office against each item in the list, sign it in token of acknowledgement and return one copy to the Station Master concerned for record. The second copy will be forwarded to the Claims Prevention Officer and the third copy retained in the lost property office. 2217. Disposal of unclaimed booked consignments.—If a consignment has remained unclaimed at destination for 7 days, the consignee must be served with 7 days notice of removal in Form Com. S-1, by registered post acknowledgement due or by hand. and the postal receipt or acknowledgement of service of the notice must be preserved at the destination station. 2218. If the address of the sender/consignee/endorsee is not known, the destination station must obtain the same from the booking station. The booking station should furnish the address along with a copy of the Forwarding Note as soon as he is so asked. 2219. (a) If after the expiry of the period of notice of removal served on the sender/consignee /endorsee the consignment is not taken delivery of, it should be disposed of by auction. The consignment should be auctioned either of the destination station itself or transferred under free invoice or way bill to nearby goods shed lost property office nominated by the railway administration. (b) The following types of articles should not be transferred to lost property offices : (i) Articles such as coal, ore, road-metal, limestone etc. which owing to their nature cannot be conveniently transferred to lost property office ; (ii) Dangerous, inflammable and explosive goods; and (iii) Fragile goods. (c) Before transferring a consignment to lost property office, Station Master should obtain the orders of Divisional Commercial Superintendent in the following circumstances— (i) If the delivery of the consignment is under dispute, or (ii) If any claim for compensation is pending or (iii) If the estimated value of a consignment exceeds Rs. 3,000; or. (iv) If it is considered necessary to transfer the types of articles mentioned in para (b) above to the lost property office." 2220. When unclaimed booked consignments are transferred to the lost property office, the freight, demurrage, wharfage charges etc. outstanding at the station, from where these consignments are booked to the lost property office, as also the cost of postage involved in serving the notice, etc., should be entered separately as "Paid-on charges on the in-invoice /way- bill, the particulars of the original in-voice waybill or luggage ticket being also shown. Credit for these charges should be taken by the re-booking station in its balance sheet for the month in which the rebooking invoice way-bill is issued, sending a copy of the rebooking invoice | way bill along with the balance sheet in support of the credit entry. Note.—The cost of postage stamps which will le included in the 'Paid-on' charges and for which credit will be claimed should also be taken to account on the debit side of the balance sheet as special debit. 2221. Full particulars of the booked consignments transferred to lost property office should be entered in Form Com/L-22 which should be prepared in triplicate, by carbon process. Two copies of this form should be sent to the lost property office along with the rebooking railway receipt and the third copy retained as station record. After filling in the lot numbers under which each consignment has been registered by it, lost property office will submit one of the two copies of the statement to the Chief Commercial Superintendent. https://indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/codesmanual/CommManual-II/commercialmanualIIch22_data.htm#2201 4/11 11/22/24, 2:05 PM CHAPTER XXtt LOST PROPERTY AND UNCLAIMED CONSIGN 2222. The actual weight found at the time of transfer of the consignment to the lost property office should be shown on the free invoice or waybill, as the case may be. In the event of any package required to be transferred to the lost property office showing signs of tampering from outward condition or there being good reason for doubt as to what it contains, the inventory of the contents of such packages should be taken and recorded on the back of the Form Cum./L-22. 2223. In the case of joint stations dealing with traffic of two or more railways, the consignment should be sent to the lost property office of the railway in whose books the consignment was accounted for on its receipt and in whose balance sheet, special credit will be taken for freight, demurrage wharfage and other charges. 2224. Booked perishable articles remaining unclaimed at the station or not taken delivery of will be sold in the same way as lost property articles of perishable nature vide para 2212. A full report, with a copy of invoice or way-bill of all such consignments, should be made to the Chief Commercial Superintendent. 2225. Unclaimed railway materials and stores.— When railway materials and stores remain undelivered, a full report together with a copy of the invoice or way-bill should be sent to the Divisional Commercial Superintendent without delay for his instructions as regards their disposal. 2226. Unclaimed consignments of fragile goods.— Goods liable to breakage/damage in transit should not be sent the lost property office without prior orders from the Chief Commercial Superintendent. 2227. Unclaimed consignments of jewellery, bullion and other valuable articles.—If the owner does not claim such consignment within 24 hours of its receipt at the destination, the Station Master should obtain instructions from the sender. In the mean time the articles should be taken special care of and kept locked in a safe place or should be specially watched. Simultaneously, a special report should also be sent to the Divisional/Chief Commercial Superintendent for his orders. 2228. Receipt of articles in lost property office.— The staff of the lost property office should examine all packages at the time of taking them over from the station where the lost property office is located. Packages of which the outward appearance is defective and which show signs of pilferage, should be weighed and suitable remarks passed against the relevant entry in the list of packages made over to the lost property office. These lists will be prepared by the staff at the station serving the lost property office in the same manner as in the case of packages made over to an out agent vide para 2610. An inventory of the contents of such packages should also be taken in the presence of the Station Master and responsible official of the Railway Protection Force who should attest the inventory. 2229. An inventory of the contents of other packages should be taken in the lost property office and compared with the inventory taken by the station booking the consignment. If the contents do not tally with the inventory already taken by the station sending the consignment the matter should be reported to the Chief Commercial Superintendent. 2230. Each consignment received in the lost property office should be entered in the combined register of unclaimed booked and unbooked articles transferred to the lost property office in Form Com./L-17, a label bearing the serial number of the entry in the register being attached to each article. All the columns in the register should be carefully filled in. When the articles are sold by auction, The particulars of sale should be recorded therein. When the consignments are delivered at the lost property office to the owner or the party authorised by the Chief Commercial Superintendent or when they are rebooked to other stations, suitable remarks should be passed in the register. 2231. Accounts of invoices and way-bills.—(a) All invoices issued to the lost property office should be accounted for by it in a register to be maintained for this purpose in the pro forma appearing at. Appendix XXII/A. When the machine prepared abstracts are received from the Traffic Accounts Office these should be compared with the entries in the above register and dealt within the same manner as laid down in paras 2020 to 2033. https://indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/codesmanual/CommManual-II/commercialmanualIIch22_data.htm#2201 5/11 11/22/24, 2:05 PM CHAPTER XXtt LOST PROPERTY AND UNCLAIMED CONSIGN (b) All the way-bills issued to the lost property office will be accounted for in a similar register, which will be posted in duplicate, by carbon process. At the end of the month one copy of the register will be submitted to the Traffic Accounts Office in lieu of inward abstracts and the other copy retained as a station record. 2232. Disposal of unclaimed goods in the lost property office.—(a) All endeavours should be made to hand over the packages remaining unclaimed in the lost property office to railway departments on joint valuation by the representatives of the lost property office and the department concerned. It should be ensured that the value of the goods is correctly assessed at such joint valuations. In case the goods are not acceptable to railway departments, arrangements may be made to dispose of the same by public auction. (b) Excisable, controlled of prohibited articles, if received in the lost property office, should be made over to the authorities concerned as per extant orders, after obtaining their acknowledgement. The details of such consignments made over to the authorities concerned should immediately be advised to the Chief Commercial Superintendent and the Traffic Accounts Office for arranging recovery of the amount due to the railway. 2233. Periodical sale of articles in the lost property office.—(a) The sale of lost, or unclaimed articles by public auction will be held in the lost property office at frequent intervals, on the dates to be notified by Chief Commercial Superintendent by advertisement and by public notice. (b) Such sales will be held of all unclaimed or lost property which has remained in the possession of the railway for three months or such other shorter period as notified by the railway administration concerned, except in the case of unclaimed food grains which will be auctioned when they have remained in the possess on of the railway for over two months. (c) At least 7 days notice of each auction will be given by an advertisement in a local newspaper. If there is no local newspaper, the intended auction should be advertised (i) by pasting of notices at or near the goods shed, where there is no separate goods shed, on the station platform and in second class waiting hall; and (ii) by a notice published in any newspaper printed in the state and circulating in the district in which the station at which the sale is to take place is situated. (d) The exact date, time and place of the proposed auction, the nature of goods intended to be sold, and other particulars necessary to enable the public to identify the commodities intended to be put up for auction, should be indicated in the advertisement or in the public notice. Where a doubt exists as to the exact nature of a consignment lying in the lost property office, the assistance of the Controller of Stores or other technical officers may be obtained so that the articles could be carefully specified in the advertisement/public notice. 2234. On the date of auction sale, the contents of each consignment should be separated and auctioned in separate lots unless the official supervising the auction considers that collection of items of one and the same nature in one lot is likely to fetch better price. 2235. Auction sales.—The following instructions should be observed in the conduct of sales:— (1) Conditions of the auction sale should be announced before starting the auction. (2) It should be a condition of all auction sales that the railway reserves the right to withdraw any article from sale for which an acceptable offer is not made. (3) No article of value should be sold without a predetermined reserve price being fixed for. (4) It should be seen that no pool exists among the bidders to keep the prices at their minimum. in case a pool is found to exist, suitable action should be taken to break the pool. (5) Ordinarily the highest bidder on the fall of the hammer must be considered as the purchaser, unless the bid is lower than any reserve price that has been fixed or the sale is subject to the approval of a higher authority. https://indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/codesmanual/CommManual-II/commercialmanualIIch22_data.htm#2201 6/11 11/22/24, 2:05 PM CHAPTER XXtt LOST PROPERTY AND UNCLAIMED CONSIGN (6) No railway servant is permitted, either in person or through an agent, in his own name or in that of another, jointly or singly to purchase or bid for any property exposed for sale at the lost property office. (7) Unless otherwise specially arranged, sale- proceeds must be collected in cash on the spot and remitted to the Chief Cashier on the same day the auction is held. (8) In disposing of goods, care should be taken to observe scrupulously any ban or restriction imposed by the local authorities of the State/Central Government on the sale of the commodity as well as any regulations regarding control prices, etc. (9) The Superintendent of the lost property office and the Inspector of Station Accounts or any other authorized official of the Accounts Department must be present at the auction to ensure that the auction is properly conducted and sale proceeds are properly recorded. 2236. Removed of auctioned articles.—Auctioned articles should be removed from the lost property office within the period allowed for removal. If not removed within the prescribed time, wharfage charges due should be collected and shown in the sale register, Form Com./S-2. 2237. Sale register.—Full particulars of the articles sold together with the name of the buyers, amount of sale, amount recovered and balance of the sale amount due, if any, should be posted in the sale register; in Form Com./ S-2. This register should be posted in ink immediately after each sale is finalized, in respect of each article put to auction. At the end of each day's auction, the total amount collected during the day should be expressed both in words and figures over the signature of all the officials supervising the auction in token of the correctness of the particulars entered therein. The particulars of the cash remittance note under which the total amount collected during the day, is remitted to the cash office should also be recorded in the sale register. 2238. Statement of consignments sold.—The lost property office will prepare an auction sale statement in Form Com. /A-I Rev. in respect of all lost unclaimed articles and unclaimed booked parcels or goods sold by public auction. If the amount of the sale proceeds exceeds the outstanding freight, demurrage, wharfage, storage and postage charges, the difference should be accounted for on the debit side of the balance sheet. If, however, it falls short of the freight, demurrage, wharfage, storage and postage charges, the difference should be taken credit for in the balance sheet. The statements should be prepared in duplicate, by carbon process, separately for coaching and goods traffic, one copy being submitted to the Traffic Accounts Office along with the balance sheet and the other retained as record at the lost property office. 2239. Auction of consignments at stations.—When it is decided by the Chief Commercial Superintendent to sell at stations the undelivered or unclaimed consignments including those of coal and minerals, which owing to their nature cannot conveniently be transferred to the lost property office, the instructions contained in paras 2233 to 2235 above should be borne in mind. A notice of sale of such consignments must be published in the newspaper generally in circulation in the area or by posting notices at or near the parcels/goods shed or other station premises. For consignments of perishable nature, it will be sufficient to paste notice of the sale at or near the parcels/goods shed or other station premises but in the case of large consignments, the sale should also be advertised in the market, if one is within easy reach of the station. 2240. Lost and unclaimed articles and unclaimed booked consignments claimed and delivered to owners in the lost property office.—When consignments transferred to the lost property office are claimed by owners and delivery is effected in the lost property office, the following charges should be recovered from the owners:— (i) original freight charges, if any; (ii) wharfage and demurrage charges as also postage charges accrued at the rebooking, station prior to the transfer of the consignment to the lost property office; (iii) freight charges from the rebooking station to the lost property office; and https://indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/codesmanual/CommManual-II/commercialmanualIIch22_data.htm#2201 7/11 11/22/24, 2:05 PM CHAPTER XXtt LOST PROPERTY AND UNCLAIMED CONSIGN (iv) storage charges accrued and postage charges, if any, incurred at the lost property office. 2241. The procedure to be followed by the lost property office while delivering the consignments to the rightful Downer will be the same as laid down for stations. Claimant should produce a letter of authority from the Chief Commercial Superintendent as also the original railway receipt, which should be collected and filed at the lost property office. 2242. Particulars of all lost unclaimed articles and unclaimed booked consignments delivered in the lost property office should be entered by that office in a statement of lost unclaimed articles and unclaimed booked consignments delivered at the lost property office in the proforma appearing at Appendix XXII/ B. These statements should be prepared in duplicate, by carbon process, separately for coaching and goods traffic, one copy of each being submitted to the Traffic Accounts Office along with the balance sheet and the other retained as record at the lost property office. The charges mentioned in para 2240 (iii) and (iv) should be accounted for on the debit side of the balance sheet. 2243. Consignments claimed by owners and re-booked from lost property office to outstations.—Lost unclaimed articles and unclaimed booked consignments claimed by owners at outstations may, if desired by them, be rebooked under to pay invoices or waybills. The following charges should be shown as 'paid-on' charges on the rebooking invoice or way-bill: — (i) original freight charge, if any ; (ii) wharfage, demurrage and postage charges, if any, incurred at the rebooking station prior to the transfer of the consignment to the lost property office; (iii) freight charges from the rebooking station to the lost property office; and (iv) storage charges accrued and packing and postage charges, if any, incurred at the lost property office. 2244. Procedure to be followed in rebooking consignments from the lost property office is the same as laid own for stations. 2245- Particulars of all consignments rebooked from the lost property office should be entered in a statement of consignments rebooked in the pro forma appearing at Appendix XXII/C. This statement should be prepared in duplicate, by carbon process, separately for coaching and goods traffic, one copy of each being submitted to the Traffic Accounts Office along with the balance sheet and the other retained at the lost property office. 2246. The charges mentioned in items (iii) and (iv) of para 2243 should be accounted for by the lost property office on the debit side of the balance sheet. The outstanding thus caused as also on account of items (i) and (ii) of para 2243 should be cleared by taking special credit in the balance sheet under head 'Paid on'. Copies of way-bills/invoice3 should invariably be sent to the Traffic Accounts Office duly attached to the balance sheet in support of the credit entry. 2247. Remittance of cash.—The procedure for the remittance of cash realized at the lost property office will be the same us bid down for stations. 2248. Lost property office balance sheet.—The lost property office balance sheet should be prepared separately for coaching and goods traffic and submitted to the Traffic Accounts Office along with the relevant statements and other documents on the dates notified by the railway administration. 2249. The principle underlying the preparation of the lost property office balance sheet is the same as for the balance sheet of an ordinary station, i.e., the lost property office is debitable for all sums for which it has to account for and creditable with all sums it pays to the cash office or for which it submits duly attested vouchers. https://indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/codesmanual/CommManual-II/commercialmanualIIch22_data.htm#2201 8/11 11/22/24, 2:05 PM CHAPTER XXtt LOST PROPERTY AND UNCLAIMED CONSIGN 2250. The debit entries of a lost property office balance sheet comprise of— (i). debit balance, if any, from previous month's balance sheet; (ii) original to pay freight, undercharges, demurrage, wharfage, storage or postage charges accrued at the rebooking station in respect of the consignments transferred to lost property office; (iii) difference between freight, demurrage, wharfage, storage and postage charges accrued at the rebooking station and the sale proceeds of consignments sold in the lost property office in cases where the latter exceeds the former; (iv) freight from the rebooking station to the lost property office, and the packing the postage charges, if any, incurred at the lost property office in connection with the consignments delivered at or rebooked from the lost property office; (v) storage charges accrued at the lost property office for consignments delivered, rebooked or auctioned; and (vi) other miscellaneous items. 2251. The credit entries of a lost property office balance sheet comprise of— (i) total amount of cash or vouchers remitted to the cashier ; (ii) difference between freight, undercharges, if any, demurrage, wharfage, or postage charges accrued at the rebooking station and the sale proceeds of consignments sold in the lost property office where the latter falls short of the former; (iii) commission charges deducted by auctioneer in accordance with his agreement with the railway administration, auctioneer's receipt (stamped where the amount exceeds Rs. 20), duly countersigned by the Superintendent of the lost property office, being sent with the balance sheet ; (iv) 'paid-on' charges in connection with the consignments rebooked to outstations; (v) certified overcharge sheets ; (vi) special credits, if any, ; and (vii) balance if any, to be carried forward to next month's accounts. 2252. Working of the lost property office.—In all matters affecting commercial and accounts procedure, the lost property office, should, except as otherwise stated above, be treated like a station. 2253. Inspection of lost property office.—The lost property office will be inspected by the officials of the Commercial, Accounts and Audit Departments in the same manner as laid down for stations vide Chapter XXIX. 2254. Lieu for freight or any other sum due : Under Section 83 of the Railways Act, 1989 (1) If the consignor, the consignee or the endorsee fails to pay on demand any freight or other charges due from him in respect of any consignment, the railway administration may detain such consignment or part thereof or, if such consignment is delivered, it may detain any other consignment of such person which is in, or thereafter comes into, its possession. (2) The railway administration may, if the consignment detained under sub-section (1) is— (a) perishable in nature, sell at once; or (b) not perishable in nature, sell, by public auction, such consignment or part thereof, as may be https://indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/codesmanual/CommManual-II/commercialmanualIIch22_data.htm#2201 9/11 11/22/24, 2:05 PM CHAPTER XXtt LOST PROPERTY AND UNCLAIMED CONSIGN necessary to realise a sum equal to the freight or other charges : Provided that where a railway administration for reasons to be recorded in writing is of the opinion that it is not expedient to hold the auction, such consignment or part thereof may be sold in such manner as may be prescribed. (3) The railway administration shall give a notice of not less than seven days of the public auction under clause (b) of sub-section (2) in one or more local newspapers or where there are no such newspapers in such manner as may be prescribed. (4) The railway administration may, out of sale proceeds received under sub-section (2), retain a sum equal to the freight and other charges including expenses for the sale due to it and the surplus of such proceeds and the part of the consignment, if any, shall be rendered to the person entitled thereto." Where it is not considered expedient to hold public auction, the consignment may be disposed of by inviting offers. The offers for the purchase of consignments vide clause (2) above may be invited— (a) from the regular dealers of such goods as are in the consignment, or (b) from such departments of the Central Government or State Governments as appear likely to purchase such goods, or (c) from the Government Undertakings. The highest of the offers of price may be accepted by the Divisional Commercial Superintendent and the goods may be sold to the highest officer. Where only one offer is received, the Divisional Commercial Superintendent may, keeping in view the condition and quality of the goods and the prevailing market rate, accept that offer if he considers such offer to be a fair price for the goods and the goods may be sold to that offerer. Where it is not possible to give notice in newspapers, the notice for public auction shall be displayed at a conspicuous place (a) at the goods shed, (b) at the parcel office, (c) at the lost property office if any, or, (d) at the premises where such auction is to be held. 2255. Unclaimed consignment : Under Section 84 of the Railways Act, 1989 (1) If any person fails to take delivery of— (a) any consignment; or (b) the consignment released from detention made under sub-section (1) of section 83; or (c) any remaining part of the consignment under sub-section (2) of section 83, such consignment shall be treated as unclaimed. (2) The railway administration may.— (a) in the case of an unclaimed consignment which is perishable in nature, sell such consignment in the manner provided in clause (a) of sub-section (2) of section 83; or (b) in the case of an unclaimed consignment which is not perishable in nature, cause a notice to https://indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/codesmanual/CommManual-II/commercialmanualIIch22_data.htm#2201 10/11 11/22/24, 2:05 PM CHAPTER XXtt LOST PROPERTY AND UNCLAIMED CONSIGN be served upon the consignee if his name and address are known, and upon the consignor if the name and address of the consignee are not known, requiring him to remove the goods within a period of seven days from the receipt thereof and if such notice cannot be served or there is a failure to comply with the requisition in the notice, sell such consignment in the manner provided in clause (b) of sub-section (2) of section 83. (3) The railway administration shall, out of the sale proceeds received under sub-section (2), retain a sum equal to the freight and other charges including expenses or the sale due to it and the surplus, if any, of such sale proceeds shall be rendered to the person entitled thereto." https://indianrailways.gov.in/railwayboard/uploads/codesmanual/CommManual-II/commercialmanualIIch22_data.htm#2201 11/11