The Gazetteers Department

The Collector is the head of the district administration and in so tar as the need and exigencies of the district administration are concerned, he is expected to supervise the working of other departments also.

Revenue.

(1) 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 tar as the interests of the 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. Such land revenue is of three kinds viz., agricultural, assessment, non-agricultural assessment and 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. The assessment is revised every thirty years tahsil by tahsil. 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 report with great care and caution. The assessment is usually guaranteed against increase for a period of 30 years. Government, however, grant suspensions and remissions in bad seasons and the determination of the amount of these suspensions and remissions is in the hands of the Collector. As regards non-agricultural assessment it can be altered when agriculturally assessed land is used for non-agricultural purposes. In the same way unassessed land used for 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 Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966. 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 sale of earth, stones, usufruct of trees, revenue fines, etc.

Land Revenue collection.

The collection of land revenue rests with the Collector who has to see that the revenue dues are recovered punctually every year and with the minimum of coercion and that the collections are properly credited and accounted for in the branch of the wasul-baki-navis, both at the tahsil level and the district level.

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 Stamps Act (II of 1899), the Indian Court Fees Act (VII of 1870), the Bombay Entertainment 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. The Collector and his office have to undertake recovery of such dues whenever necessary.

In regard to the administration of the Forest Act the ultimate responsibility for the administration of the Forest department, so tar as his district is concerned, lies with the Collector and the Divisional Forest Officer is his assistant for the 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. In fact, he is the agency tnrough which the Director of Prohibition and Excise arranges to have the policy of the department carried out. The administration of the Bombay Tenancy and Agricultural Lands Act in its proper spirit rests with the Collector. He is also an appellate authority to hear appeals under the various sections of these two Acts.

Inams

(ii) Inams.—All inams have been abolished under the Land Revenue Exemption Act, 1948, and donations or cash grants for charitable purposes, grants to religious, charitable and public institutions and to the descendants of the Ruling Chiefs under the Central Provinces and Berar Revocation of Land Revenue Exemption Act, 1948, have been sanctioned.

Public Utility.

(iii) Public Utility.—The Agriculturists' Loans Act (XII of 1884) and the Land Improvement Loans Act (XIIX of 1883) regulate the grant of loans to agriculturists at cheap rates for financing their agricultural 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 could be usefully loaned for the purpose of tiding over the need. 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. After the loans are advanced to the borrowers it is the duty of the Prant Officers and the Tahsildars to see that the loans are not utilised for purposes other than for which the same were advanced.

Accounts.

(iv) Accounts.—The separation of the treasury and revenue cadres at the district level has come into force with effect from January 1, 1958. Before the separation of the treasury work from the Revenue department, the Treasury Officer was from Revenue department and he had to perform various important executive functions in that connection. After the separation, the Treasury Officer became a member of the cadre of Maharashtra State Accounts Service and functioned independently. The treasuries are under the administrative control of the Finance department. At the district headquarters the cash business has been taken over by the State Bank of India and at Umerkhed in Pusad tahsil and Arni in Darwha tahsil where there are non-banking treasuries, the cash business rests with the sub-treasuries managed by the Sub-Treasury Officers. Wani, Kelapur, Darwha and Pusad are the banking sub-treasuries and here the cash business is with the hank. Only Darwha sub-treasury is under the administrative control of the finance department. The accounts are submitted to the Accountant-General and the instructions laid down in the Accounts Code and Compilation of Treasury Rules are followed by the district treasury. Before the separation of treasuries from Revenue department the Collector and the Accountant-General carried out periodical inspections of treasuries. As a measure of administrative control the Collector inspects the district treasury and sub-treasuries once in a year before the close of the financial year. The Collector does not, however, participate in the daily routine of treasury business. For that work the Treasury Officer is his delegate and representative.

Quasi-Judicial functions in revenue matters.

Among these functions of the Collector on the revenue side apart from hearing appeals, from the decisions of the Sub-Divisional, Officers under the Maharashtra Land Revenue Code, 1966, and various other Acts may be mentioned: (1) the revisional powers exercised under Section 23 of the Bombay Mamlatdar's Courts Act (If of 1906) in respect of Tahsildars' orders under the Act, (This power is delegated to the Deputy Collector); (ii) appellate powers under Sections 53 and 57 of the Bombay Irrigation Act (VII of 1879); (iii) the work which the Collector does in connection with the execution of civil court decrees; and (iv) proceedings and awards under Section 11 of the Land Acquisition Act (I of 1894).

Local Self-Government.

With the passing of the Bombay Village Panchayats Act, vital changes were effected in the village panchayat administration. It is now looked after by village panchayats constituted for the villages. The Collector is empowered to hold elections and byeelections to the municipalities and the village panchayats. The various Acts governing local bodies have conrerred upon the Collector as the chief representative of Government authority in the district to supervise the actions of the local bodies and to give them advice.

Officers of other departments.

The officers of other departments mentioned below are stationed at the district headquarters: (1) Superintendent of Police, (2) District Commandant, Home Guards, (3) District Statistical, Officer, (4) District and Sessions Judge, (5) Executive Engineer, Buildings and Communications, (6) Executive Engineer, Irrigation Division, (7) Chief Executive Officer, Zilla Parishad, (8) Executive Engineer, Maharashtra State Electricity Board, (9) Civil Surgeon, (10) District Employment Officer, (11) District Deputy Registrar, Co-operative Societies, (12) Treasury Officer, (13) Divisional Soil Conservation Officer, (14) Divisional Forest Officer, and (15) Superintendent of Prohibition and Excise.

Their services in their particular spheres can he requisitioned by the Collector either directly or through their official superiors. These officers have more or less intimate contacts with the Collector in matters relating to their departments and have to carry out his general instructions.

The Collector's duties as District Magistrate are mostly executive. He is at the head of all other Executive Magistrates in the district. He exercises the powers under the Criminal, Procedure Code and the Indian Penal Code.

District Magistrate.

When authorised by the State Government the District Magistrate may invest any magistrate subordinate to him with the necessary powers, besides, being in control of the police in the district, the District Magistrate has extensive powers under the Criminal Procedure Code and 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 in order that he may gain insight into the state of crimes in the limits of the police stations 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 and functions laid down thereunder.

Sanitation and Public Health.

The duties of the Collector in the matter of sanitation arc: (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 municipal committees 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.

District Soldiers', and Airmen's Board.

The Collector in his capacity as President of the District Soldiers', Sailors' and Airmen's Board exercises over all control of the Board with the assistance of a paid Secretary duly appointed from the retired military officer's cadre. He maintains liaison between the ex-servicemen and their dependents, with the help of the staff sanctioned for the Board by the Government. The constitution of the Board is as under: —

The District Soldiers', Sailors' and Airmen's Board is composed of 21 members (12 official members and 9 non-official members), a vice-president and a president. The Collector is the ex-officio President of the Board while a retired military officer acts as the vice-president. This Board meets periodically and tackles problems confronting the ex-servicemen and their dependents.

Control of essential articles.

There are 1.163 fair price shops in the district for distribution of rice, wheat, sugar and other commodities. 24 fair price shops are provided for Yeotmal town. The periodical inspections are carried out through the Supply Inspectors to have a check against irregularities and malpractices.

The Collector's office at Yeotmal is divided into the following sections: —

(1) Local Fund, (2) Finance, (3) Treasury, (4) Criminal, (5) Revenue, (6) Grow More Food, (7) Flood, (8) Tenancy, (9) Land Records. (10) Excise and Prohibition.. (11) Forms and Stationery, (12) Tax, (13) Library, (14) Records-Revenue and Judicial, (15) Food and Civil Supplies, (16) Rehabilitation, (17) Elections, (18) District Village Panchayats, (19) Small Savings, (20) Census. (21) Mining, (22) Vigilance, (23) War, (24) Scarcity, and (25) District Selection Board.

Deputy Collectors at headquarters are kept in charge of these branches or sections.

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