Postage
Full Text
Postage, where chargeable on a notice, summons or letter issued under this Code and forwarded by post, and the fee for registering the same, shall be paid within a time to be fixed before the communication is made:
Provided that the State Government may remit such postage, or fee, or both, or may prescribe a scale of court-fees to be levied in lieu thereof.
Plain English Summary
Section 143 requires that postage charges and registration fees for summonses, notices, or judicial letters forwarded by post must be paid by the litigant within a time fixed by the court prior to dispatch, subject to the State Government's power to remit fees or levy consolidated court-fees in lieu thereof.
Key Legal Elements
- Prepayment of Postage: Postage and registration charges on summonses, notices, and letters must be paid prior to dispatch.
- Court-Fixed Deadline: Payment must occur within the specific time frame scheduled by the court.
- State Government Power to Remit: State Government may remit postage/registration fees entirely.
- Consolidated Court Fees Alternative: State Government may prescribe an equivalent scale of court fees in lieu of postal charges.
Practical Note
Process Fee, Talbana, and Dismissal for Non-Payment (Order IX Rule 2 Interplay): 1. Payment of Talbana & Postal Charges: Litigants must deposit the prescribed process fee and postal charges (talbana) within the deadline fixed by the court (commonly 7 days under Order VII Rule 9 / Order IX Rule 2). 2. Penalty for Default: If the plaintiff fails to pay the postage and process fees, causing summons not to be served, the court is empowered under Order IX Rule 2 to dismiss the suit. 3. State Consolidation: Most states have integrated postage into consolidated process fees under their respective Court Fees and Process Fees Rules.
हिंदी पाठ
डाक-महसूल (Postage), जहां वह इस संहिता के अधीन जारी की गई और डाक द्वारा भेजी गई किसी सूचना, समन या पत्र पर प्रभार्य हो, और उसे रजिस्ट्रीकृत कराने की फीस, वह पत्र-व्यवहार किए जाने से पूर्व नियत किए जाने वाले समय के भीतर दी जाएगी:
परन्तु राज्य सरकार ऐसे डाक-महसूल या फीस अथवा दोनों को माफ कर सकेगी, या उनके बदले में उद्गृहीत की जाने वाली न्यायालय-फीस (Court Fees) का मापमान विहित कर सकेगी।