The Gazetteers Department

THE BUILDINGS AND COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT at the district level is under the dual control of the State Government and the Zilla Parishad. The sphere of activities has been divided into two sectors. The works regarding major district roads and the roads of lower order, buildings required by the Animal Husbandry department and other departments at tahsil level, all constructional activities under block development schemes and all other works relating to tanks which will irrigate less than 80.93 hectares (200 acres) of land are the responsibility of the Zilla Parishad, while the works relating to National highways, State highways, buildings required by the administrative departments in State sector, construction and maintenance of electric installations in Government buildings are entrusted to the department in the State sector.

The Chief Engineer who is also the Joint Secretary to the Government is the head of the department at the State level. Under the Chief Engineer are the Superintending Engineers of Buildings and Communications Circles and the Electrical Engineer to the government. Each circle comprising five or more divisions is controlled by a Superintending Engineer. The divisions are in charge of Executive Engineers and sub-divisions are under the charge of Assistant or Deputy Engineers. The sub-divisions are further divided into sections, each in charge of an overseer.

The Yeotmal division which is at present a temporary division comes under the control of the Amravati Buildings and Communications Circle and has four sub-divisions under it, viz., (i) Yeotmal sub-division, (ii) Darwha sub-division, (iii) Umarkhed sub-division and (iv) Pandharkawada sub-division.

The Superintending Engineer is responsible for the administration and general professional control over public works in charge of the department within his circle. It is his duty to inspect the State of various works within his circle and to ensure efficient administration with maximum economy. He has to examine the condition of surveying and mathematical instruments at the headquarters of the divisions and control the allotment of funds for various constructional and maintenance works. He is required to ensure the efficiency of the subordinate officers and petty establishments and to report whether the staff actually employed in each division is necessary or adequate for the management of the said division. The Superintending Engineer is empowered to transfer and post the Deputy Engineer and overseers within his circle in the interest of administration. However, Executive Engineers of the concerned divisions are consulted before posting these officers to the sub-divisions under their control.

The Executive Engineer is responsible to the Superintending Engineer of his circle for execution and management of all works within his division. He has to see that proper measures are taken to preserve all the buildings and works in his division and to prevent encroachments on government land under his charge. He is also ex-officio professional adviser to all departments of the State in regard to matters under their control within the limits of his charge.

The Yeotmal division has 62.751 km. (39 miles) of National highway and 411.904 km. (256 miles) of State highway under its control. The main function of the division is to make improvements to these roads and also to construct bridges etc. wherever necessary. After the formation of the Zilla Parishad, the roads falling under the categories of major district roads, other district roads and village roads with a total length of 617 miles were transferred to the Parishad Executive Engineer, Yeotmal Zilla Parishad. Plans and estimates of the Zilla Parishad works are prepared by Road Project Division, Amravati. The Superintending Engineer, Buildings and Communications Circle, Amravati, is the Technical Adviser of the works branch of the Zilia Parishad.

Electrical Circle.

The Electrical Circle in charge of the Electrical Engineer to the Government, Buildings and Commuinications Department, has jurisdiction over the whole State. The functions of the Electrical Circle are (i) execution and maintenance of electrical installation work in Government buildings and (ii) carrying out advisory, administrative and executive duties pertaining to generation and use of electricity and administration of Indian Electricity Act, 1910; Indian Electricity Rules, 1956; the Bombay Electricity Duty Act, 1963 and the Bombay Lifts Act, 1939.

The Electrical Circle has been bifurcated into two wings, viz., Executive wing and Inspection wing at the divisional level. For execution of the work of this circle, there arc five Electrical Executive Divisions each in charge of a Executive Engineer with headquarters at Bombay, Thana, Pune, Nagpur and Aurangabad. Each division is divided into sub-divisions in charge of Deputy Engineers. In so far as the execution and maintenance of electric installations are concerned, Yeotmal district comes under the jurisdiction of the Deputy Engineer, Amravati Electrical Sub-Division. This sub-division is under the control of Nagpur Electrical Executive Division.

Electrical Circle.

Under the Inspection wing, there are three Electrical Inspection Divisions each in charge of a Electrical Inspector with headquarters at Bombay, Pune and Nagpur. Each inspection division is divided into three sub-divisions which are in charge of Assistant Electrical Inspectors. Yeotmal district falls under the jurisdiction of the Assistant Electrical Inspector, Wardha and Electrical Inspector, Nagpur for inspection purposes. For the work of inspection under the Indian Electricity Act, 1910, this district falls under the jurisdiction of the Electrical Inspector, Nagpur. The work of supervising the levy and assessment of the electricity duty in the district under the provisions of the Bombay Electricity Duty Act, 1963, is also done by the Electrical Inspector, Nagpur.

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