GENERAL ADMINISTRATION

COLLECTOR

FUNCTIONARIES.

The Collector is the pivot on which the district administration turns. Not only is he at the head of the Revenue department in the district, but, in so far as the needs and exigencies of the district administration are concerned, he is expected to supervise the working of the officers of other departments as well.

(i) Revenue.-The Collector is the custodian of Government property in land (including trees and water) wherever situated, and at the same time the guardian of the interests of members of the public in land in so far as the interests of Government in land have been conceded to them. All land, wherever situated, whether applied to agricultural or other purposes, is liable to payment of land revenue, except in so far as it may be expressly exempted by a special contract (vide section 45, Land Revenue Code). Such land revenue is of three kinds: (i) agricultural assessment, (ii) non agricultural assessment, and (iii) miscellaneous. The Collector's duties are in respect of (1) fixation, (2) collection, and (3) accounting of all such land revenue. The assessment is fixed on each piece of land roughly in proportion to its productivity. This assessment is revised every thirty years taluka by taluka. A revision survey and settlement is carried out by the Land Records Department before a revision is made, and the Collector is expected to review the settlement reports with great care. The assessment is usually guaranteed against increase for a period of thirty years. Government, however, grant suspensions and remissions in bad seasons and the determination of the amount of suspensions and remissions is for the Collector to decided. As regards non-agricultural assessment, section 48 of the Code provides for alteration of the agricultural assessment when agriculturally assessed land is used for a non-agricultural purpose. In the same way, unassessed land used for a non-agricultural purpose is assessed to non-agricultural rates. All this has to be done by the Collector according to the provisions of the rules under the Land Revenue Code. Miscellaneous land revenue also has to be fixed by the Collector according to the circumstances of each case, when Government land is temporarily leased. It is also realised by the sale of earth, stones, usufruct of trees, etc., in Government land.

The collection of land revenue rests with the Collector, who has to see that the revenue due is recovered punctually and with the minimum of coercion and that the collections are properly credited and accounted for.

The Collector is also responsible for the collection of fees and taxes under various other Acts, such as the Bombay Irrigation Act (VII of 1879), the Indian Stamp Act (II of 1899), the Indian Court-fees Act (VII of 1870), the Bombay Tolls on Roads and Bridges Act (III of 1875), the Bombay Entertainments Duty Act (I of 1923), and the Bombay Prohibition Act (XXV of 1949). There are also other revenue Acts which contain a provision that dues under them are recoverable as arrears of land revenue, and the Collector and his establishment have to undertake the recovery of such dues when necessary.

In regard to the administration of the Forest Act, the ultimate responsibility for the administration of the Forest department, so far as his district is concerned, lies with the Collector, and the Divisional Forest Officer is his assistant for the purpose of that administration, except in matters relating to the technique of forestry.

As regards the Prohibition Act, the Collector has to issue personal permits to liquor and drug addicts and recover the assessment fees from shops permitted to sell liquor and drugs. The Collector of Kolaba is the Chairman of the Prohibition Committee of the district. In fact, he is the agency through which the Director of Excise and Prohibition arranges to have the policy of the department carried out.

The administration of the Bombay Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act (LXVII of 1948) in its proper spirit rests with the Collector. He is also an appellate authority to hear appeals under the various sections of the Act.

(ii) Public Utility.―The Agriculturists' Loans Act (XII of 1884), and the Land Improvement Loans Act (XIX of 1887) regulate the grant of loans to agriculturists at cheap rates for financing their operations. The Collector has to estimate the needs of his district in accordance with the policy of Government for the time being and in the event of a bad season, to make further demands for as much money as can be usefully loaned for the purpose of tiding over the scarcity. He has to take necessary steps for the most advantageous distribution of the amount placed at his disposal and to see that the advances so made are recovered at the proper time.

The Collector of Kolaba is the Court of Wards for the estates taken over under the Bombay Court of Wards Act (I of 1905). He has appointed a "Manager" to superintend these estates.

(iii) Accounts.―The Collector is in charge of the treasury and is personally responsible to Government for its general administration, the due accounting of all moneys received and disbursed, the correctness of the treasury returns and the safe custody of the valuables which it contains. In matters of accounts and audit, the Collector (with the Treasury Officer under him) is responsible to the Accountant-General, whose instructions he has to obey. He does not, however, take part in the daily routine of treasury business. For that work his delegate and representative is the Treasury Officer.

(iv) Quasi-judicial functions in revenue matters.―Among the quasi-judicial functions of the Collector on the revenue side, apart from hearing appeals from the decisions of the Prant Officer under the Land Revenue Code and various other Acts, may be mentioned: (i) the revisional powers exercised under section 23 of the Bombay Mamlatdars' Courts Act (II of 1906) in respect of Mamlatdars' orders under the Act (this power is delegated to an Assistant or Deputy Collector), (ii) appellate. powers under sections 53 and 67 of the Bombay Irrigation Act (VII of 1879), (iii) the work which the Collector does in connection with the execution of civil courts' decrees, and (iv) proceedings and awards under section 11 of the Land Acquisition Act (I of 1894).

(v) Local Self-Government.―In all cases in which the power of passing orders in matters affecting local bodies rests with the Divisional Commissioner or the State Government, either the proposals are made by the Collector or they are received by the Divisional Commissioner with the Collector's remarks. The Collector is entrusted with holding the triennial elections and by-elections of the local bodies including panchayats. The various Acts governing local bodies give authority to the Collector as the chief representative of Government to supervise the actions of local bodies and to give advice.

(vi) Officers of other Departments.―The Officers of other departments stationed at the district headquarters can be divided into two groups, viz.. (A) (1) the District Judge, (2) the District Superintendent of Police. (3) the Divisional Forest Officer, (4) the Executive Engineer, and (5) the Civil Surgeon and (B) (1) the District Inspector of Prohibition, (2) the Administrative Officer, District School Board. (3) the District Agricultural Officer, and (4) the Inspector of Sanitation and Vaccination.

(A) (1) The District Judge has a separate and independent sphere of work, and as Sessions Judge he exercises appellate powers over the decisions of all judicial magistrates in the district. The Bombay Separation of Judicial and Executive Functions Act (XXIII of 1951) was enacted to meet a long standing and widespread public: desire for the separation of judicial functions from executive officers. It has separated the magistracy into "judicial magistrates", who arc subordinates to the Sessions Judge, and "executive magistrates" who are subordinates to the District Magistrates. It has withdrawn from the executive magistrates practically all powers of trial of criminal cases, and only in certain cases the Sessions Judge has to hear appeals from the decisions of executive magistrates. Before the enactment of this legislation, the Sessions Judge used to exercise appellate powers over the decisions in criminal cases of the District Magistrate and other First Class Magistrates.

(2) The District Superintendent of Police and the Police force of the district are under the control of the District Magistrate in so far as their functions regarding the maintenance of law and order are concerned. As regards discipline, training and other administrative matters they are under the control of. the Range Deputy Inspector-General of Police.

(3) The Divisional Forest Officer is regarded as the Collector's assistant in regard to forest administration.

(4) The Executive Engineer stands a little apart. Since his work is technical, he is not directly subordinate to the Collector though in a sense he plays a part subsidiary to the general administration of the district, of which the Collector is the head, and he is excepted to help the Collector whenever required to do so. The Collector can ask him to investigate the utility of minor irrigation works likely to be agriculturally useful in the district. According to Section 11 of the Famine Relief Code, the Executive Engineer arranges, in consultation with the Collector, for the inclusion, in the programme of expansion of public works, of the plans for the special and current repairs to roads and other useful work suitable as scarcity works. The programme of famine relief works is also prepared quinquennially by the Executive Engineer in consultation with the Collector When the time for actual execution of any work comes, the Collector can requisition the services of the Executive Engineer for making immediate arrangements for procuring the necessary establishment, tools, plant, building materials, etc. (Famine Relief Code, Section 81).

(5) The Civil Surgeon has also a separate and independent sphere of his own, but must place his professional and technical advice and assistance at the disposal of the general district administration whenever required.

(B) The officers in this group are all of subordinate status. Their services in their particular sphere can he requisitioned by the Collector, either directly in case of necessity, if the matter is urgent, or through their official superiors. The District Inspector of Prohibition and Excise is subordinate to the Collector except in technical matters.

The following are some of the other officers of the district who have more or less intimate contact with the Collector in matters relating to their departments and have to carry out his general instructions:―

(1) The District Industries Officer, (2) the Assistant Director of Backward Class Welfare. (3) the Medical Officer of Health, (4) the Assistant Registrar of Co-operative Societies, (4) the Compost Development Officer (through the District Development Board), (6) the Divisional Veterinary Officer, (7) the District Inspector of Land Records, (8) the District Officer, Industrial Cooperatives and Village Industries, (9) the District Co-operative Officer, and (10) the Assistant Marketing Inspector.

(vii) As District Magistrate.―The Collector's duties as District Magistrate are mostly executive. He is at the head of all other executive magistrates in the district. As District Magistrate, besides the ordinary powers of a Sub-Divisional Magistrate, he has the following powers among others: ―

(1) power to hear appeals from order requiring security for keeping the peace or good behaviour (section. 406, Criminal Procedure Code);

(2) power to call for records from any subordinate executive magistrate (section 435);

(3) power to issue commission for examination of witness (sections 503 and 506); and

(4) power to hear appeals from or revise orders passed by subordinate executive magistrates under section 514―procedure on forfeiture of bond (section 515).

When authorised by the State Government, the District Magistrate may invest any magistrate subordinate to him with―

(1) power to make orders prohibiting repetitions of nuisances (section 143);

(2) power to make orders calculated to prevent apprehended danger to public peace (section 144); and

(3) power to hold inquests (section 174).

The executive management of sub-jails in the district is subject to his orders.

Besides being in control of the police in the district, the District Magistrate has extensive powers under the Criminal Procedure Code, the Bombay Police Act (XXII of 1951) and other Acts, for the maintenance of law and order. It is his duty to examine the records of police stations and outposts, in order that he may gain an insight into the state of crime in the limits of the police station and satisfy himself that cases are being promptly disposed of.

In his executive capacity, the District Magistrate is concerned with the issue of licences and permits under the Arms Act (II of 1878), the Petroleum Act (VIII of 1899), the Explosives Act (IV of 1884), and the Poisons Act (I of 1904). He has also to supervise the general administration of these Acts, to inspect factories and magazines, and to perform various other supervisionary functions.

(viii) As District Registrar.―As District Registrar the Collector controls the administration of the Registration Department within his district.

(ix) Sanitation and Public Health.―The duties of the Collector in the matter of sanitation are: (a) to see that ordinary and special sanitary measures are initiated in cases of outbreaks of epidemic diseases; (b) to watch and stimulate the efficiency of the daily sanitary administration of municipalities and other sanitary authorities; and (c) to advise and encourage local bodies to improve the permanent sanitary conditions of the areas under them so far as the funds at their disposal will allow. He can freely requisition the advice and technical assistance of the District Health Officer, Kolaba, Pen, in this regard.

(x) District Development Board.―Prior to 1952 there was a District Rural Development Board. The District or Divisional Officers of various departments concerned with rural development, members of the State Legislature and 'other representatives of rural areas constituted the District Rural Development Board. It functioned from 1939 to October 23, 1952. The Collector was its ex-officio Chairman.

With a view to co-ordinating the activities of the various non-statutory boards and committees in the district, the former District Rural Development Board was reconstituted in September 1952 as District Development Board by amalgamating all existing non-statutory boards and committees with it. The constitution of the, District Development Board is as below: -

(a) There are 57 members on the Board―

20 District or Divisional Officers;

8 Members of the Legislative Assembly;

1 Member of Parliament;

1 President, District Local Board;

1 Sanchalak, Sarvodaya Centre;

1 Representative of the State Co-operative Bank;

25 Other non-officials.

(b) The Collector is the ex-officio Chairman of the District Development Board;

(c) The Vice-Chairman of the District Development Board is the Chairman of all the Sub-Committees except District Police Advisory Sub-Committee of which the Collector is the Chairman;

(d) A Joint Secretary and the District Project Officer in District Deputy Collector's grade has been appointed and he is assisted by a small staff for carrying out the administration of the Board;

(e) The below mentioned twelve subcommittees are functioning under the District Development Board:--

SUB-COMMITTEE OF THE DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT BOARD, KOLABA.

The functions and duties of the District Development Board are (1) to advise and help Government in the execution of policies, mainly in respect of the matter concerning all the subcommittees, (2) to supervise and co-ordinate the work of its various sub-committees and the Taluka Development Boards,; (3) to elect suitable agencies for the distribution of iron and steel materials and cement, to allot the materials and to supervise the scheme and (4) to execute such other schemes as may be entrusted by Government by specific instructions and orders.

National Extension Service Block.―The Collector as Chairman is to implement and to supervise the National Extension Service programme through the blocks opened in the district.

(xi) District Soldiers', Sailors' and Airmen's Board.―The Collector is also the President of the District Soldiers', Sailors' and Airmen's Board. The Vice-President of the Board is a Senior Ex Service Officer nominated by the Collector as President of the Board. The members of the Board are as under: -

Official members.―(1) The District Superintendent of Police; (2) The Regional Director of Resettlement and Employment, Bombay, or his nominee; (3) A representative of the Indian Navy; (4) The President, District Local Board; (5) The Civil Surgeon; (6) The Educational Inspector; (7) The Prant Officers; (8) The Administrator, Services Post War Reconstruction Fund and other allied funds; (9) The Assistant Recruiting Officer, Colaba, Bombay.

Non-official members.―Six non-official members are nominated by the Collector as President of the Board. The term of their appointment is for a period of three years.

Secretary.―An ex-service officer serves as paid Secretary.

The duties of the Board are: (a) to promote and maintain a feeling of good-will between the civil and military classes, (b) generally to watch over the welfare of ex-servicemen and their family dependents and to guard the interest of serving soldiers, etc., and (c) to implement in detail the work and the policy of the State Soldiers', Sailors' and Airmen's Board. The Board supervises over the Military Boys' Hostel at Mahad.

Prant Officers.

The Prant Officers.―Under the Collector are the Prant Officers who are either Assistant Collectors (Indian Administrative Service Officers) or District Deputy Collectors (Members of the Maharashtra Civil Service). There are in all three such prants or subdivisions in the district. Each Prant is in charge of an Assistant Collector or a Deputy Collector. The Headquarters of the Alibag Prant is at Alibag and those of the other Prants are at Panvel and Mahad. The Treasury Officer is also of Deputy Collector's grade.

The Prant Officers form the connecting link between the Mamlatdars or Mahalkaris and the Collector. A Prant Officer exercises all the powers conferred on the Controller by the Land Revenue Code and by any other law in force or by executive orders, in regard to the talukas and mahals in his charge, except such powers as the Collector may specially reserve to himself. His principal functions in regard to his sub-division are-

(i) Revenue―(1) Inspection and supervision of the work of Mamlatdars, Circle Officers, Circle Inspectors and Village Officers, including the inspection of taluka kacheris.

(2) Appointments, transfers, etc., of stipendiary village officers and the appointment of hereditary village officers.

(3) Safeguarding Government interest in land by constant inspection, dealing with encroachments, breaches of the conditions on which land is held on restricted tenure, etc.

(4) Grant of waste land and disposal of alluvial land.

(5) Levy of non-agricultural assessment and passing orders regarding miscellaneous land revenue.

(6) Hearing of appeals against Mamlatdars' decisions in assistance suits and watching the execution of assistance decrees.

(7) Hearing of appeals against Mamlatdars' and Mahalkaris' decisions in cases under the Bombay Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act.

(8) Crop and boundary mark inspection and the checking of annewaris (estimates of crop yields for purposes of suspensions and remissions of revenue) and the Record-of-Rights.

(9) Supervision over the realisation of Government revenue.

(10) Sucessions to watans and other properties.

(11) Land acquisition.

(ii) Magisterial.―The Prant Officer is the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of his charge and as such exercises the powers specified in Part IV of Schedule III of the Criminal Procedure Code. These include the ordinary powers of a Taluka Magistrate and also the power to require security to keep the peace (section 107); power to require security for good behaviour (sections 108, 109 and 110); power to make orders calculated to prevent apprehended danger to public peace (section 144); power to record statements and confessions during a police investigation (section 164); and power to hold inquests (section 174). The Sub-Divisional Magistrate, when empowered by the State Government, has power also to call for and forward to the District Magistrate records and proceedings of subordinate executive magistrates.

As Sub-Divisional Magistrate the Prant Officer is required to inspect Police Sub-Inspectors' Offices in the same way as the District Magistrate is required to do.

(iii) Other Duties.―Among the other duties of the Prant Officer may be mentioned―

(1) Keeping the Collector informed of what is taking place in his sub-division not only from the revenue point of view but also in matters connected with law and order.

(2) Forest Settlement Work.

(3) Grant of tagai loans.

(4) The Prant Officer has over-all charge of directing and supervising development activities of the National Development Blocks opened in the talukas in his charge.

Each Prant Officer is assisted in his work by a shirastedar who is of the grade of an aval karkun.

Mamlatdars and Mahalkaris.

The Mamlatdars and Mahalkaris.―The Mamlatdar is the officer in executive charge of a taluka and the Mahalkari has executive charge of a mahal. There is a sub-treasury in every taluka or mahal, and it is in charge of the Mamlatdar or Mahalkari. There is practically no difference in kind between the functions and duties of a Mamlatdar and those of a Mahalkari. Each taluka or mahal has on the average two or three Aval Karkuns, 8 or 10 clerks, 50 talathis, one Circle Officer and three Circle Inspectors. The duties of Mamlatdars and Mahalkaris fall under various heads. [In the following paragraphs whatever is said of the Mamlatdar applies also to the Mahalkari.]

(i) Revenue.―The Mamlatdar's revenue duties are to prepare the ground work for the Prant Officer and the Collector to pass their orders upon. His report is called in almost all revenue matters. When these orders are passed he has to execute them.

In regard to the annual demand and collection of land revenue he has to get ready all village and taluka forms necessary for what is called the making of the jamabandi of the taluka by the Collector or Prant Officer. The jamabandi is an audit of the previous year's accounts. The demand for fixed agricultural revenue is settled, but there are remissions and suspensions to be calculated upon that fixed demand in lean years. Remissions and suspensions are given in accordance with the crop annewaris with the determination of which the Mamlatdar is most intimately concerned. To the demand of fixed revenue is added the amount of non-agricultural assessment and fluctuating land revenue such as that arising from the sale of trees, stone or sand, fixed when individuals apply for them.

The brunt of the work of collection of revenue lies on the Mamlatdar. He can issue notices under section 152, Land Revenue Code, inflict fines for delay in payment under section 148, Land Revenue Code, distrain and sell moveable property and issue notices of forfeiture of the land, though he has to take the Prant. Officer's or the Collector's orders for actual forfeiture.

He has to collect, in addition to land revenue, tagai loans, pot hissa measurement fees, boundary marks advances and irrigation revenue, the dues of other departments like Sales Tax, Income Tax and Forest when there is default in their payment, at the request of these departments to recover the dues as an arrear of land revenue.

It is also his duty to see that there is no breach of any of the conditions under which inams are held and, whenever there is any such breach, to bring it to the notice of the Collector through the Prant Officer.

He has to make enquiries and get ready the material on which the Prant Officer has to pass his own orders under the Bombay Hereditary Offices Act (III of 1874). He can himself pass orders as to the appointment, remuneration, period of service, suspension and fining of inferior village servants, the grant of leave of absence to them and the like.

Applications for grant of tagai are generally received by the Mamlatdar, who has to get enquiries made by the Circle Officer and Circle Inspector, see the sites for the improvement of which tagai is sought, ascertain whether the security offered is sufficient, determine what instalments for repayment would be suitable, etc. He can himself grant tagai up to Rs. 1,000 and Rs. 200 under the Land Improvement Loans Act and Agricultural Loans Act, respectively. A Mamlatdar who has been specially empowered can grant tagai up to Rs. 2,500 and Rs. 500 under the Land Improvement Loans Act and the Agricultural Loans Act, respectively. In other cases he has to obtain orders from the Prant Officer or the Collector.

The Mamlatdar's duties regarding tagai do not end with the giving of it; he has to see that it is properly utilised, inspect the works undertaken by its means, watch the payment, and make recoveries from defaulters. The Mamlatdar is primarily responsible for the administration of the Bombay Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act (LXVII of 1948) within the areas of his charge. Some of his powers under the Act have been delegated to the Aval Karkuns.

(ii) Quasi-Judicial.―The quasi-judicial duties which the Mamlatdar performs include: (1) enquiries and orders under the Mamlatdars' Courts Act (II of 1906); (2) the execution of Civil Court decrees; (3) the disposal of applications from superior holders for assistance in recovering land revenue from inferior holders; and (4) enquiry in respect of disputed cases in connection with the Record of Rights in each village. The last two arc summary enquiries under the Land Revenue Code.

(iii) Magisterial.―Every Mamlatdar is ex-officio the Taluka Magistrate of his taluka. As Taluka Magistrate, First Class, he has the following among other powers under the Criminal Procedure Code:-

(1) Power to command any unlawful assembly to disperse (section 127).

(2) Power to use civil force to disperse unlawful assembly (section 128).

(3) Power to require Military Force to be used to disperse unlawful assembly (section 130).

(4) Power to apply to District Magistrate to issue commission for examination of witness (section 506).

(5) Power to recover penalty on forfeited bond (section 514) and to require fresh security (section 514-A).

(6) Power to make order as to disposal of property regarding which an offence is committed (section 517).

(7) Power to sell property of a suspected character (section 525).

If authorised by the State Government or the District Magistrate, the Taluka Magistrate may exercise the following among other powers: -

(1) Power to make orders prohibiting repetitions of nuisances (section 143).

(2) Power to make orders calculated to prevent apprehended danger to public peace (section 144).

(3) Power to hold inquests (section 174).

The Mamlatdar is also in charge of the management of the sub-jail. He has to keep the District Magistrate and the Sub-Divisional Magistrate informed of all criminal activities in his charge and take steps incidental to the maintenance of law and order in his charge. In a case of serious disturbance of the public peace the Mamlatdar carries great responsibility, for, as the senior executive magistrate on the spot, he must issue orders and carry on till his superiors arrive.

(iv) Treasury and Accounts.―As a sub-treasury officer the Mamlatdar is in charge of the taluka treasury, which is called "sub-treasury" in relation to the district treasury. Into this treasury all moneys due to Government in the taluka-land revenue, forest, excise, public works and other receipts are paid and from it nearly the whole of the money expended for Government in the taluka is secured. The sub-post offices in the taluka receive their cash for postal transactions from the sub-treasury and remit their receipts to it. The sub-treasury officer pays departmental officers on cash orders or demand drafts issued by treasury officers and on cheques, except where certain departments are allowed to present bills direct at the sub-treasury. The sub-treasury officer also issues Government bank drafts.

When the Mamlatdar is away from his headquarters the Treasury Head Karkun is ex-officio in charge of the sub-treasury and the account business and is held personally responsible for it. During the Mamlatdar's presence he is authorised to sign receipts irrespective of the amount.

The taluka sub-treasury is also the local depot for stamps-general, Court-fee and postal of all denominations and for the stock of opium held there for sale to permit-holders.

A currency chest is maintained at almost all sub-treasuries in which surplus cash balances are deposited. From it withdrawals are made to replenish sub-treasurv balances. Sub treasures are treated as agencies of the Reserve Bank for remittance of funds.

The Mamlatdar has to verify the balances in the sub-treasury, including those of stamps and opium, on the closing day of each month, which for the convenience of the District Treasury is fixed on the 25th of all months, except February when it is the 23rd, and March when it is the 31st, the latter being the closing day of the financial year. The report of the verification, together with the monthly returns of receipts under different heads, has to be submitted by the Mamlatdar to the Treasury Officer at Alibag. The Sub-Treasuries are annually inspected either by the Collector or by the Prant Officer.

(v) Other Administrative Duties.―The Mamlatdar is the pivot of administration in his taluka. He is responsible to the Collector and the Pram Officer whom he must obey and keep constantly informed of all political happenings, outbreaks of epidemics and other matters affecting the well-being of the people, such as any mal-administration in any department or any hitch in the working of the administrative machine.

He must help and guide officers of all departments in the execution of their respective duties in so far as his taluka is concerned. In fact, he is at the service of them all and forms the connecting link between the officers and the public whom they are all meant to serve. This is particularly so in case of departments which do not have a local taluka officer of their own. The Mamlatdar is also responsible for the cattle census, which really comes under the purview of the Agriculture Department. The Co-operative Department expects the Mamlatdar to propagate cooperative principles in his taluka. He has to execute the awards and decrees of societies in the taluka, unless there is a special recovery officer appointed for the purpose. He has to take prompt action for the control of epidemics and to render to the Assistant Director of Public Health and his assistants every help in preventing outbreaks of epidemic diseases and suppressing them when they occur.

Under executive orders the Mamlatdar has to provide the Military detachment with the necessary provisions and conveyance when any detachment marches through the taluka.

The Mamlatdar's position in relation to other taluka officers, e.g., the Sub-Inspector of police, the Sub-Registrar, the Range Forest Officer, the Sub-Assistant Surgeon and the Prohibition Officer is not definable. Though they are not subordinate to him they are grouped round him and are expected to help and co-operate with him in their spheres.

Though the Mamlatdar is not expected to work directly for local self-governing bodies, he is usually the principal source of the Collector's information about them. He is responsible for the administration of his taluka just as the Collector is responsible for the district.

He is ex-officio Chairman of the Taluka Development Board, which acts as the agency of the District Development Board in the taluka in all matters pertaining to agricultural and rural development and especially in regard to the "Grow More Food" campaign. The other members of the Board are the Agricultural Assistant stationed at the taluka headquarters, the Forest Range Officer, the Assistant District Co-operative Officer stationed at the taluka headquarters and the Veterinary Assistant. The Collector nominates as members, with the approval of Government, three non-officials known to take an active interest in the "Grow More Food" campaign in the taluka.

In relation to the public well-being, the Mamlatdar is the local representative of Government and performs generally the same functions as the Collector but on a lower plane.

Circle officers and Circle Inspectors.

Circle officers and Circle Inspectors.-In order to assist the Mamlatdar in exercising proper supervision over the village officers and village servants and to make local enquiries of every kind promptly, Circle Officers in the grade of Aval Karkuns and Circle Inspectors in the grade of Karkuns are appointed. The Circle Officer certifies entries in the Record of Rights and thus relieves the Mamlatdar of a good deal of routine work. There are some 30 to 50 villages in charge of a Circle Officer or Circle Inspector These Officers form a link between the Mamlatdar and the village officers. There are generally one Circle Officer and three Circle Inspectors in each taluka. Their duties relate to-

(1) boundary marks inspection, inspection of crops including the estimating of the annewari, the inspection of tagai works and detection of illegal occupation of Government land;

(2) preparation of agricultural and other statistical returns, viz., crop statistics, cattle census, and water-supply;

(3) supervision of the village officers in the preparation and maintenance of the Record of Rights, the mutation register and the tenancy register;

(4) examination of land revenue receipts and supervision of the revenue collection; and

(5) such other miscellaneous work as the Mamlatdar may, from time to time, entrust them with, e.g., enquiry into alleged encroachments, etc.

Patil.

Patil (or village headman).―The Patil or village headman is the principal official in a village.

The duties of the patil fall under the following heads.-(i) revenue'; (ii) quasi-magisterial; and (iii) administrative. His revenue duties are-

(i) to collect the revenue due to Government from the rayats in conjunction with the talathi (village accountant).

(ii) to detect encroachments on Government land and protect trees and other property of Government;

(iii) to execute the orders received from the taluka office in connection with recovery of revenue and other matters:

(iv) to assist the talathi in maintaining properly the Record of Rights and village accounts and to get him to submit the periodical returns punctually; and

(v) to render assistance to high officials visiting the village for inspection work and other purposes.

There are quasi-magisterial functions appertaining to the police patil. In a majority of villages the same person is both the police and the revenue patil. In some villages there are separate patils for revenue and police work. The police patil is responsible for the writing up of the birth and death register and for the care of unclaimed property found in the village. Several duties have been imposed on the police patil by the Bombay Village Police Act (VII of 1867). The village police is under his charge, and he has authority to require all village servants to aid him in performing the duties entrusted to him. He has to make use of the village establishment so as to afford the utmost possible security against robbery, breach of the peace and acts injurious to the public and to the village community. It is the police patil's duty to furnish the taluka magistrate with any returns or information called for and keep him constantly informed as to the state of crime and health and general condition of the community in his village. He has to afford police officers every assistance in his power when called upon by them for assistance. Further, he has to obey and execute all orders and warrants issued to him by an executive magistrate or a police officer; collect and communicate to the district police intelligence affecting the public peace; prevent within the limits of his village the commission of offences and public nuisances; and detect and bring offenders therein to justice. If a crime is committed within the limits of the village and the perpetrator of the crime escapes or is not known, he has to forward immediate information to the police officer in charge of the police station within the limits of which his village is situated, and himself proceed to investigate the matter and obtain all procurable evidence and forward it to the police officer. If any unnatural or sudden death occurs, or any corpse is found, the police patil is bound to assemble an inquest, to be composed of two or more intelligent persons belonging to the village or the neighbourhood. The report of the inquest has then to be forwarded by him to the police officer. He has also to apprehend any person in the village who he has reasons to believe has committed any serious offence and send him, together with all articles to be useful in evidence, to the police officer.

As regards the Patil's administrative duties, he is expected to look to the sanitation and public health of the village. He must also report promptly the outbreak of any epidemic disease to the taluka office. He is expected to render every assistance to travellers, provided payment is duly tendered. Many of the patils are hereditary officers holding watan lands and having fixed terms of: service; a few are stipendiary nominees of Government.

Talathi.

The Talathi (village accountant).―The office of village accountant used generally to be held by hereditary kulkarnis who were allowed, subject to certain conditions, to commute the right of service attached to the Kulkarni watan. But very few people took advantage of the commutation of watan. By the enactment of the Bombay Paragana and Kulkarni Watans Abolition Act, all the Kulkarni watans along with the right of service were abolished with effect from May 1, 1961 and talathis were appointed in place of these kulkarnis. However, the Bombay Paragana and Kulkarni Watans Abolition Act is not yet made applicable to the former princely State areas which have been merged in the district. In the merged areas, the hereditary kulkarnis are still performing the services of village accountants. If the villages are small, one talathi is appointed for two or more villages, which are called his charge or saza. The talathi receives monthly salary, in a time scale of pay. His main duties are: (1) to maintain the village accounts relating to demand, collection and arrears of land revenue, etc., the Record of Rights and all other village forms prescribed by Government; (2) to inspect crops and boundary marks and to prepare agricultural statistics; and (3) to help the patil in the collection of land revenue, write the combined day and receipt books and other accounts and do other clerical work, including that of the police patil when the latter is illiterate. The talathi is Assistant Gram Sevak in those places where community development projects or national extension service blocks have been opened.

Village servants.

Village servants.―Under Government Resolution, Revenue Department, No. PKA-1059-VI-L, dated 7-5-1959, the system of Inferior Village Servants has been replaced by the system of stipendiary Kotwals with effect from August 1, 1959, i.e., from the date on which the Bombay Inferior Village Watans Abolition Act, 1958, has come into force in Kolaba district. The duties of Kotwals are as under: -

1. to accompany Government remittance to Sub-Treasury;

2. to call villagers to the Chawadi for paying Government dues;

3. to carry village daftar;

4. to keep a watch on Government money and office record;

5. to carry Government tapal;

6. to accompany village officers and touring officers;

7. to report births and deaths to village officer;

8. to carry distrained moveable property to village Chawadi;

9. to assist the police patil in serving the summonses;

10. to accompany the police patil and police;

11. to publish Government orders in the village by bear of drum;

12. to bring impounded cattle to the Kacheri for auction when necessary

13. to assist the vaccinators in collecting children for vaccination;

14. to help in disposal of unclaimed property and dead bodies,

15. to help the police patil in case of accidental deaths and outbreaks of epidemics and epizootics;

16. to report movement of criminals;

17. to keep guard on prisoners in police patil's custody;

18. to set up camp offices in the village;

19. to keep the village Chawadi clean and light the lamps there; and

20. to assist the village officers generally in the performance of their public duties;

The kotwals are to be paid their monthly remuneration at the following; rates:―

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