DEVELOPMENTAL DEPARTMENTS

the PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.

[The Public Works Department is now split up into two separate Departments viz., Buildings and Communications Department and Irrigation and Power Department with effect from 1st May, 1960.]

PUBLIC WORKS.

THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT DEALS with (1) Roads and Buildings; (2) Irrigation; (3) Electricity; (4) Ports; (5) Public Health and (6) Parks and Gardens. All these divisions except Parks and Gardens are under the control of respective divisional offices of the Department in the Ratnagiri district where the structure of Public Works Department Organisation is as follows:-

Organisation.

For administrative purposes the Roads and Buildings Branch in the district is placed in charge of the Superintending Engineer, Bombay Circle, Bombay. The Ratnagiri Division is divided into four permanent and two temporary sub-divisions, viz. (1) Ratnagiri Sub-Division, Ratnagiri, (2) Chiplun Sub-Division, Chiplun, (3) Kankavli Sub-Division, Kankavli, (4) Sawantwadi Sub-Division, Sawantwadi, (5) Post-War Construction Division, Khed and (6) Ratnagiri Minor Irrigation Project Sub-Division, Ratnagiri.

Irrigation.

There are only a few minor irrigation works built by Public Works department in the district. They are in charge of the Revenue department and are enumerated below: -

Duties of Officers.

While each circle is in charge of a Superintending Engineer, the divisions are in charge of the Executive Engineers and the Sub-Divisions in charge of Assistant Engineers or Deputy Engineers. The Assistant Engineers belong to Maharashtra Service of Engineers (M.S.E.) Class I and Deputy Engineers to Maharashtra Service of Engineers (M.S.E.) Class II. These officers being in charge of Sub-Divisions are called Sub-Divisional Officers. The Sub-Divisions are further divided into sections, each in charge of an overseer. There are about 20 overseers in each division.

Superintending Engineer.

The Superintending Engineer is responsible for the administration and general control of public works in charge of officers of the Department within his circle. It is his duty to inspect the state of various works within his Circle and to verify that the system of management prevailing is efficient and economical. He is required to ascertain the efficiency of the subordinate officers and petty establishments and to see and report whether the staff employed in each division is actually necessary or adequate for the management. He also examines the conditions of the surveying and mathematical instruments at the headquarters of divisions. In case of office and petty establishments borne on divisional scales, he sees that these scales are not exceeded without proper authority. The Superintending Engineer is empowered to transfer and post Deputy Engineers and overseers within his Circle. In the interest of administration, however, Executive Engineers of Divisions are consulted before posting these officers to particular Sub-Divisional charges under their control. It is also the duty of the Superintending Engineer to recommend removals and transfers of Executive Engineers from their own divisions. The supervision and control of assessment of revenue from irrigation works within his circle rests with the Superintending Engineer. The Superintending Engineer is authorised to correspond directly with any of the local authorities, civil or military within his Circle.

Executive Engineers.

The Executive Engineer is responsible to the Superintending Engineer of his Circle for the execution and management of all works within his division. He has to see that proper measures are taken to preserve all buildings and works in his division and to prevent encroachment on Government lands in his Charge. He is responsible to see that the surveying and mathematical instruments in his division are properly maintained and to report on their condition to the Superintending Engineer at the end of each working season. In addition to his other duties, he is the ex-officio professional adviser to all the State Government offices situated within the limits of his charge, on all technical matters.

Sub-Divisional Officers.

Sub-Divisional Officers are responsible to the Executive Engineer in charge of the division for the management and execution of works within their sub-divisions.

Overseers.

The overseers are in charge of sections under the sub-divisional officers.

Roads.

The activities of the Public Works department in regard to roads and buildings and irrigation relate to construction, repairs and maintenance of roads, Government buildings and irrigation works financed by Government and placed in charge of the department. In Ratnagiri district as on 31st March 1958, the department maintained 541.16 miles of metalled roads and 191.01 miles of unmetalled roads.

In addition to funds from the general revenues of the State allocated for expenditure on roads, there are three other funds maintained for the construction, repairs and maintenance of roads viz. (1) the Central Road Fund, (2) the State Road Fund and (3) the Maharashtra State Development Fund. The Government of India is in charge of the Central Fund, and allocates amounts from the fund for communication works. Expenditure on roads in the district is incurred from all these funds.

Electrical Circle.

For carrying out electrical installation and inspection works there is the Electrical Circle under the Electrical Engineer to Government.

The jurisdiction of this officer extends over the whole of the State. Under him there are three Electrical Divisions, each in charge of an Executive Engineer having headquarters at Bombay, Poona and Nagpur respectively. The Electrical installation works in Jalgaon, Satara and Ratnagiri divisions are looked after by the Poona Electrical Division.

The Executive Engineer has to do duties relating to electrical installations in Government Buildings such as execution of original works, carrying out special repairs and maintenance of those works. He is also Electrical Inspector under the Indian Electricity Act (XI of 1910) and carries out inspection of medium pressure and high tension electrical installations, power houses, mills, cinemas, etc.

Ports Administration.

Twenty-eight minor ports and one intermediate port are grouped under Group (10) with headquarters at Ratnagiri which is an intermediate port. The Assistant Port Officer and Deputy Engineer (Civil) are in charge of these ports. Some of the ports situated in this district namely Vijayadurg, Deogad, Ratnagiri, Malvan, Vengurla, etc., are being developed by carrying out the dredging of the navigational channel and also by providing landing facilities by constructing passenger as well as cargo jetties. Facilities to passengers are also being extended by constructing waiting rooms, passenger sheds, public latrines, etc. and also by making water supply arrangements.

Public Health Circle.

For convenience of administration, the public health schemes in Ratnagiri district are entrusted to the Public Health Works Division, Kolhapur which is under the jurisdiction of the Southern Public Health Circle, Poona. This division established in 1948, has its headquarters at Kolhapur with jurisdiction over the revenue districts of Ratnagiri, Kolhapur, Sholapur, Sangli and five talukas of Satara district, viz., Man, Khatav, Jaoli, Patan and Karad. This division is further divided into five sub-divisions each in charge of a Deputy Engineer (called Sub-Divisional Officer). The five sub-divisions are: (i) Kolhapur Water Supply Sub-Division, Kolhapur, (ii) Miraj Sanitary Sub-Division, Miraj; (iii) Sangli Sanitary Sub-Division; Sangli; (iv) Sholapur Sanitary Sub-Division, Sholapur; and (v) Ratnagiri Sanitary Sub-Division, Ratnagiri. The Deputy Engineer has generally about four to five overseers under him and a standard sub-divisional staff.

The public health works in the Ratnagiri district are looked after by the sub-divisional officer, Ratnagiri Sanitary Sub-Division, Ratnagiri.

The major public health schemes in the district are prepared by the Executive Engineer, Public Health Project Division, Poona.

Public Health Schemes.

In the Ratnagiri district, the following towns are provided as on 1st April. 1958, with protected piped water supply system:-

Water works at Sawantwadi is owned and managed by Government. The works at other towns are owned and managed by the local bodies concerned.

The following public health schemes were in progress in the district on 1st April 1958:-

The following Public Health Schemes in the district were ready as on 1st April 1958 for execution and they will be taken up as soon as funds are available:-

In addition the following Schemes are under preparation which are likely to be started during the Third Five-Year Plan, if and when funds are made available:-

Besides the above Schemes, this department has undertaken investigations of public health schemes in other towns and villages in the district with a view to starting the works during the Third Five-Year Plan.

Parks and Gardens.

This organisation is in charge of the Superintendent of Parks and Gardens, Bombay, having State-wide jurisdiction in respect of the management of general and national parks and gardens in the State. It is under the control of the Public Works department in all respects except in the case of national parks. So far as National Parks are concerned, it is under the control of the Agriculture and Forest department. In Ratnagiri district there are no notable activities of this organisation and hence there is no separate set up for this organisation in the district.

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