GENERAL ADMINISTRATION

PATIL

The Maharashtra Revenue Patils (Abolition of Office) Act, 1962, has been made applicable to this district from January 1963. According to the provisions of this Act all the posts of hereditary revenue and police patils have been abolished from that date and stipendiary police patils have been appointed. The patil 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 as follows:-

Revenue : The Patil has to collect the revenue due to Government from the rayat in conjunction with the talathi (village accountant); to detect encroachments on Government land and protect trees and other property of Government; to execute the orders received from the taluka office in connection with recovery of revenue and other matters; to get the talathi to maintain properly the Record-of-Rights and village accounts and to get him to submit the periodical returns punctually; and to render assistance to high officials visiting the village for inspection work and other purposes.

Quasi-judicial: 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. He has to utilise the village establishment in a manner 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. 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 any unnatural or sudden death occurs, or any corpse is found, the police patil is bound to assemble an inquest. The report of the inquest has then to be forwarded by him to the police officer.

Administrative: 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 out-break of any epidemic disease to the taluka office. He is expected to render every assistance to travellers, provided payment is duly tendered.

The strength of the police patils in the district in the year 1971 was 952.

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