Zaildar was an officer in charge of a Zail which was an administrative unit of group of villages during the Sikh Empire , British Indian Empire in Punjab and Dogra dynasty rule in Jammu and Kashmir (princely state) . The Settlement Officer , with the advice of the Deputy Commissioner , was responsible for appointing Zaildars from amongst the men of the tribe or the area, thus reinforcing his preexisting social authority with the official sanction as the representative of the government. Zaildars were the revenue-collecting officers also responsible for maintaining law and order. The Lambardar and Safedposh assisted the Zaildar. The Zaildar in turn assisted the Deputy Commissioner. The Zaildar was more influential than the Lambardar (village head) because a Zail included several villages.
37-551: The position was important as it extended the influence of the colonial state into the villages. It also reinforced the already dominant social status of the Zaildar with official government sanction. The Zaildar exercised authority and patronage over the villagers. Zails were established and demarcated by the District collector (also called Deputy Commissioner) during the land revenue settlement exercise. Settlement officers, with advice from
74-499: A district collector of today necessarily needs guidance. The divisional commissioners, therefore, are a necessary part of the governmental machinery. The states and union territories in India that do not have divisions and thus do not have divisional commissioners are as follows: In these areas, administrative divisions are not established, and hence the role of a divisional commissioner, who typically oversees revenue administration at
111-837: A Secretary, and other support staff like clerks, peons, and drivers. The District Collector holds a diverse range of responsibilities that are defined under various laws and regulations, including the Land Revenue Act, Revenue recovery rules, Land acquisition act , Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), the Arms Act, 1959 , The Cinematograph Act, Registration Act, peoples representation act, and other relevant acts. They are entrusted with land revenue administration, maintaining law and order, managing district administration, and implementing government policies and also they are incharge of various state and central government schemes and projects at district level. The responsibilities assigned to
148-481: A collector during the British Raj held multiple responsibilities – as collector, he was the head of the revenue organization, charged with registration, alteration, and partition of holdings; the settlement of disputes; the management of indebted estates; loans to agriculturists, and famine relief. As district magistrate, he exercised general supervision over the inferior courts and in particular, directed
185-614: A conventional collector. A recently created post with the same name performs the functions of collector of stamp revenue, registration and certain other miscellaneous functions. The Magisterial powers are exercised by a Police Commissioner, one of the earliest such posts in British India, while the Kolkata Municipal Corporation takes care of all other responsibilities. Divisional commissioner A Divisional Commissioner, also known as Commissioner of division ,
222-420: A district magistrate vary from state to state, but generally, Collectors, under the general supervision of divisional commissioners (where such a post exists), are entrusted with a wide range of duties in the jurisdiction of the district, generally involving the following: While almost all of the 741 Indian districts are headed by DMs, constitutional developments post Independence in 1947 have led to
259-485: A fixed amount or a grant equal to one per cent of the revenue of their zails from the assessment of any single village that they chose. Some of the responsibilities of the Zaildar corresponded to the responsibilities that fell under the Deputy Commissioner, such as revenue collection, mutations, local governance issues, related dispute resolution, etc. Other duties corresponded with the responsibilities that fell under
296-516: A member of the same family. Kashmir took lead in abolution of Zaildari system where it was abolished in 1950. Post the Indian independence in 1947, the system of Zails, Zaildars and Safedposh continued to exist till 1964. Then the system was abolished by CM of Punjab Partap Singh Kairon following demands from his ministers and Members of the Legislative Assembly , because of conflicts between
333-695: A reduction in power and realignment of roles for the District Magistrate. The first major change came about in the early 1960s as the Judiciary was separated from the Executive in most Indian states in line with Article 50 of the Constitution of India . This meant that DMs and SDMs could no longer try criminal cases or commit accused to Sessions Court . Their place was taken by Chief Judicial Magistrates and Sub Divisional Judicial Magistrates. The District Magistrate
370-511: A result of an increase in the scope of operations corresponding to the expansion of British territories. Each division was put under the charge of a divisional commissioner. The position was also known as Commissioner of Revenue and Circuit Division because he was the presiding officer of circuit court, it had appellate jurisdiction over sessions court. The post was created by then the Bengal government. The institution of divisional commissioner
407-674: A variety of roles in regional administration. Today, district magistrates are quite junior officers, needing the guidance and supervision of a seasoned administrator like the divisional commissioner. During the British period, a member of the Indian Civil Service was normally appointed a collector of the district in his twelfth year of service. Today a member of the IAS becomes a district collector after putting in five or six years of service. With his or her insufficient administrative experience,
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#1732872947018444-518: Is an Indian Administrative Service officer who serves as the administrator of a division of a state in India . The post is referred to as regional commissioner in Karnataka and as revenue divisional commissioner in Odisha . Office-bearers are generally either of the ranks of secretary to the state government, or principal secretary to state government. The role of a divisional commissioner's office
481-408: Is to act as the administrative head of all the state government offices situated in the division. A divisional commissioner is given the direct responsibility of administering the land revenue collection, canal revenue collection and law & order maintenance of a division. The divisional commissioner also presides over Local government institutions in the division. Officers are transferred to and from
518-570: The Criminal Procedure Code suspended and the DM functioning as the District and Sessions Judge as well. Here the post was known as Deputy Commissioner, due to these provinces having a Chief Commissioner who took the place of the usual Governor and High Court and exercised both executive and judicial functions. Post Independence, the different names have continued even though the role and powers of
555-410: The district collector or deputy commissioner , is a career civil servant who serves as the executive head of a district 's administration in India. The specific name depends on the state or union territory . Each of these posts has distinct responsibilities, and an officer can assume all of these roles at once. The district magistrate is primarily responsible for maintaining law and order , while
592-761: The DM are almost the same throughout India. [Chhattisgarh]], etc. They are posted by the state government , from among the pool of Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and State Civil Services (SCS) officers, who either are on Level 11, Level 12 or Level 13 of the Pay Matrix, in the state. The members of the IAS are either directly recruited by the Union Public Service Commission , promoted from State Civil Service (SCS) or nominated from Non-State Civil Service (Non-SCS). The direct recruits are posted as Collectors after five to six years of service. SCS officers are also posted as Collectors when they attain at least
629-489: The District collector and subject to the final approval of the state's Financial Commissioner, appointed a Zaildar to each Zail either on a hereditary basis, for one person's life or for a fixed tenure. The Zaildars were equivalent to the Chaudharis of earlier times and were hand-picked by the higher authorities, who based their decision on issues such as caste or tribe, local influence, extent of landholding, services rendered to
666-471: The Selection Grade (Level 13 Grade Pay) in their service. A District Magistrate and Collector is transferred to and from the post by the state government. The District Collector/District Magistrate is provided with Personal Security Officers, including armed guards, to ensure their safety and protection. The District Collector/District Magistrate has personal staff, including a Personal Assistant (PA),
703-460: The Settlement officer, such as revenue settlement, reassessments, preparation of maps, etc. In addition to these life inams , or grants, there were some Safedposhi grants of a semi-hereditary nature enjoyed by some of the leading agricultural families. They were semi-hereditary because one of the conditions of the grant was that on the death of an incumbent, his successor should, if possible, be
740-509: The colonial legacy, corruption, promoting uniformity, devolving power to local bodies, ensuring separation of power, mitigating power concentration, addressing status quoist tendencies, and advancing grass-root democracy. There have also been many instances where at lower levels, district magistrates have pressurized victims or their family members, especially if they belong to the marginalized community Kolkata in West Bengal does not have
777-468: The district collector focuses on land revenue administration, and the deputy commissioner is in charge of overseeing developmental activities and coordinates government departments. Additionally, they also serve as election officers, registrar, marriage officer, licensing authority, and managing disaster responses, among other things. While the specific scope of duties may vary from state to state, they are generally similar. The district magistrate comes under
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#1732872947018814-582: The district collector remained largely unchanged, except for the separation of most judicial powers to judicial officers of the district. Later, with the promulgation of the National Extension Services and Community Development Programme by the Nehru government in 1952, the district collector was entrusted with the additional responsibility of implementing the Government of India 's development programs in
851-609: The district. The different names of the office are a legacy of the varying administration systems in British India . While the powers exercised by the officer were mostly the same throughout the country, the preferred name often reflected his primary role in the particular province. In the Bengal Presidency , the post was called District Magistrate and Collector whereas in the Bombay Presidency and Central Provinces , it
888-586: The elected MLAs and the Zaildars. Police and Tehsil officers had been giving more weight to the opinions of Zaildars and this had undermined the MLAs. For the purpose, an amendment was carried out in Section 28 of The Punjab Land Revenue Act, 1887 through Section 3 of Punjab Act 27 of 1964. After Kashmir and India, Pakistan abolished Zaildari system in 1967. District collector The district magistrate , also known as
925-573: The general supervision of divisional commissioner . Warren Hastings introduced the office of the District Collector in the Judicial Plan of 1772. By the Judicial Plan of 1774, the office of the Collector cum District Magistrate was temporarily renamed Diwan or Amil. The term Collector was brought back under the Judicial Plan of 1787. The name, Collector, derived from the holder being the head of
962-560: The number of zaildars can be made under the orders of the Financial Commissioner, provided the percentage of the land revenue assigned for their emoluments is not exceeded ... No attempt should be made to fix the limits of zails, but the tribal organization and other important families of the tract should be explained in such detail as is necessary to enable Government to judge whether the agency should be introduced. Any proposals to appoint inamdars [also called safedposh] may be made in
999-479: The police work. The office was meant to achieve the "peculiar purpose" of collecting revenue and of keeping the peace. The superintendent of police (SP), inspector general of jails, the surgeon general, the divisional forest officer (DFO) and the Executive Engineer PWD (EE) had to inform the collector of every activity in their departments. Until the later part of the nineteenth century, no native
1036-482: The post by the state government. This post exists in many states of India. Divisional commissioners are responsible for general administration of the division and planned development of the districts under his control and also act as appeal adalat for revenue cases. The division as an administrative level came into being in 1829 by the East India Company to facilitate the administration of far flung districts as
1073-495: The revenue organization (tax collection) for the district. With the passage of the Government of India Act 1858 , by the British Parliament . Sir George Campbell , lieutenant-governor of Bengal from 1871 to 1874, intended "to render the heads of districts no longer the drudges of many departments and masters of none, but in fact the general controlling authority over all departments in each district." The office of
1110-603: The same report. The opinions both of the Settlement Officer and of the Deputy Commissioner should be given. The report should be submitted to Government through the Commissioner and the Financial Commissioner, each of whom should record his views on the proposal made in it." Zaildars were essentially revenue ministers and representatives of the British Empire who received remuneration for their duties, life grants of either
1147-458: The state by him or his family, and personal character and ability. A Zaildar once appointed could only be removed from office for misconduct or neglect; removal on account of old age or disability was a harsh punishment and in such cases he could continue to operate through a representative. "The introduction of the zaildari agency into any district must be approved by the local Government [Deputy Commissioner]. Any subsequent increase or decrease in
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1184-492: The time of constitutional reforms of 1919, 1935, and 1947. After independence, the state governments merely tinkered with traditional revenue set-up and the states of Maharashtra , Rajasthan , and Gujarat abolished the posts of divisional commissioners but later revived them except in Gujarat . The roles and powers of commissioners vary from state to state but there is a general precedent. The divisional commissioner performs
1221-498: Was created by Lord William Bentinck . The appointment of commissioners in the subsequently acquired provinces of Punjab , Burma , Oudh and the Central Provinces followed in due course. The commissioner had intermediary role between district collector and board of revenue. The Royal Commission for Decentralisation, 1907 recommended its retention. The issue, however, continued to crop up again and again, particularly at
1258-457: Was eligible to become a district collector. But with the introduction of open competitive examinations for the Indian Civil Service , the office was opened to natives. Romesh Chandra Dutt , Sripad Babaji Thakur, Anandaram Baruah , Krishna Govinda Gupta and Brajendranath De were the first five Indian ICS officers to become Collectors. The district continued to be the unit of administration after India gained independence in 1947. The role of
1295-574: Was known simply as the District Collector even though he was also the District Magistrate. In the Madras Presidency , it was often known simply as Collector. Law and order was an important subject in the United Provinces and the post continues to be known as the District Magistrate in present-day Uttar Pradesh . In non-regulation provinces like Punjab , Burma , Assam and Oudh , a simpler form of administration prevailed with many elements of
1332-659: Was not created till 1978 in Delhi , 2008 in Mizoram , 2016 in Arunachal Pradesh and 2020 in Meghalaya . South Garo Hills District in Meghalaya, the last remaining district of India with the District Magistrate also exercising judicial powers, finally got a separate District and Sessions Court on 17 December 2020. The need to restructure the roles of the District Collector is for removing
1369-836: Was now the main Executive Magistrate of the district - charged with taking preventive measures for maintenance of law and order. Indirectly, this led to a loss of direct control over the police which now depended on the District Judge and the Judicial Magistrates. This change was institutionalised by the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973. In the Union Territories and the North Eastern states, Collectors continued to exercise judicial power for much longer. A separate district judiciary
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