Functions of the Collector: The collector is the highest authority in the District Administration and he looks after both the development and the regulatory areas of administration. Broadly, the functions of the collector are:
Head of Revenue Administration,
Head of Police Administration,
Head of District Administration, and
An agent of the Government.
Revenue: After Independence the importance of Development Administration has gone up while that of revenue administration has gone down but the functions related to revenue still remain with the collector. He is the Principal Revenue Officer and Head of the Revenue Administration in the district. He is also responsible to takkavi loans and dues belonging to other departments. Appellate jurisdiction in revenue cases lies with him. He is also responsible for maintenance of land records and collections of statistics at the village level.
As the head of Revenue Administration, he conducts and controls relief operations in an emergency situations like floods or famine in the district. During any emergency situation, it is only on the basis of District Collector’s assessment that the government decides the quantum of relief to be granted to ameliorate the sufferings of the people.
Besides Revenue Administration other important functions of the collector include magisterial duties. As the Collector is in-charge of law and order administration in the district, he has control and supervisory role over the Police Administration. The Superintendent of Police helps him in discharge of his police functions in the district. In many other important areas like conduct of elections, census operations and supervision of local government institutions, etc. The collector plays a central role. It is the duty of the collector to ensure the availability of essential commodities in the district and proper functioning of the Public Distribution System. Being the head of the District Administration the collector is responsible for the implementation of Government policies at the district level. He also coordinates between different departments and agencies of the government. In fact, his responsibilities are so wide that there is hardly any area of District Administration in which he is not involved.
Collector and Panchayati Raj Institutions: As India adopted the path of planning in post-Independence period, the district level Development Administration became very important part of the collector’s functions. Balwant Rai Mehta Committee recommended that Collector should be the Chairman of the Zilla Parishad, but it has not been accepted by all the State Governments. As some States accepted it, and some other didn’t accept it. Hence, the rationship between the collector and the PRI differ from State to State.
In Uttar Pradesh and Bihar the Collector is entitled to attend the meetings of the Panchayat Samiti and its standing committees but has no right to vote. While in Tamil Nadu he is the Chairman of District Development Council, in Maharashtra and West Bengal he is kept out of the Zilla Parishad. In Andhra Pradesh he is not only the member of Zilla Parishad but also the Chairman of all the standing committees in whom executive authority is vested. Under the Act the State Governments had the power to decide about the relationship of the PRIs and the Collector.
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Functions of the Collector: The collector is the highest authority in the District Administration and he looks after both the development and the regulatory areas of administration. Broadly, the functions of the collector are:
Revenue: After Independence the importance of Development Administration has gone up while that of revenue administration has gone down but the functions related to revenue still remain with the collector. He is the Principal Revenue Officer and Head of the Revenue Administration in the district. He is also responsible to takkavi loans and dues belonging to other departments. Appellate jurisdiction in revenue cases lies with him. He is also responsible for maintenance of land records and collections of statistics at the village level.
As the head of Revenue Administration, he conducts and controls relief operations in an emergency situations like floods or famine in the district. During any emergency situation, it is only on the basis of District Collector’s assessment that the government decides the quantum of relief to be granted to ameliorate the sufferings of the people.
Besides Revenue Administration other important functions of the collector include magisterial duties. As the Collector is in-charge of law and order administration in the district, he has control and supervisory role over the Police Administration. The Superintendent of Police helps him in discharge of his police functions in the district. In many other important areas like conduct of elections, census operations and supervision of local government institutions, etc. The collector plays a central role. It is the duty of the collector to ensure the availability of essential commodities in the district and proper functioning of the Public Distribution System. Being the head of the District Administration the collector is responsible for the implementation of Government policies at the district level. He also coordinates between different departments and agencies of the government. In fact, his responsibilities are so wide that there is hardly any area of District Administration in which he is not involved.
Collector and Panchayati Raj Institutions: As India adopted the path of planning in post-Independence period, the district level Development Administration became very important part of the collector’s functions. Balwant Rai Mehta Committee recommended that Collector should be the Chairman of the Zilla Parishad, but it has not been accepted by all the State Governments. As some States accepted it, and some other didn’t accept it. Hence, the rationship between the collector and the PRI differ from State to State.
In Uttar Pradesh and Bihar the Collector is entitled to attend the meetings of the Panchayat Samiti and its standing committees but has no right to vote. While in Tamil Nadu he is the Chairman of District Development Council, in Maharashtra and West Bengal he is kept out of the Zilla Parishad. In Andhra Pradesh he is not only the member of Zilla Parishad but also the Chairman of all the standing committees in whom executive authority is vested. Under the Act the State Governments had the power to decide about the relationship of the PRIs and the Collector.