New Delhi, Feb. 6 :    New Delhi, Feb. 6:  One of the Cabinet decisions that got lost in the welter of blockbuster pre-budget measures announced Tuesday, is the levy of a licence fee on the Rs 2,900-crore courier industry. The fee has not been spelt out clearly, but it has the potential to trigger a massive shakeout in an industry that has about 2,300 players who operate on sliver-thin margins. Industry analysts predict a 20 per cent growth in the courier industry over the next five years, but the imposition of a licence fee could ruin the sector and send all those calculations awry. The fee is aimed at bringing about regulation in a notoriously unregulated market and will be introduced through an amendment to the 104-year-old Indian Postal Act that will make it mandatory for courier companies to register with the department of posts (DoP). The amendment will form part of a Bill that is expected to contain many proposals designed to boost the DoP's revenue earnings. The Bill is likely to be introduced in the next session of Parliament. S.C. Dutta, secretary, department of posts, told The Telegraph, 'We had been trying for years to change the century-old Act to allow the postal department change with the times. The amendment announced by the government on Tuesday relates to the registration of courier companies, which as of today do not have any legal status.' 'The courier companies will have to get registered with the department of posts and pay a registration fee. The amount of the registration fee and other details will form part of the Bill that will be introduced in Parliament. This will give the courier firms legal status,' Dutta added. Reacting to the decision, O.P. Raj Garhia, chairman and managing director of Overnite Express, said, 'This is a good move and will lead to a shakeout in the courier industry where only those companies with good track record and financial standing will remain in the game.' However, leading courier companies like DHL and BlueDart gave a more guarded response. Spokespersons for both companies said they would wait for a formal announcement from the government before reacting to the move.