District Administration

7/28/2019 District Administration

1/5

1. Collector is the Chief Representative of the Government in the district. Comment. He is the most recognized face of administration Considered as the principal representative of the government at the district

level

In coordination with the state government as well as the local government Has wide ranging functions and hence can address many problems of the people Rajni Kothariinstitutionalised charisma PM MMS had observedDM remains even today the linchpin of the

administrative system in India


2/5

There exists an organic link between the collector and the state government as well as the collector

and the local administration. There three are like gears that enable proper administration. They have

to work in coordination.

What should be the governing principle of this state-collector-local relationship?

Principles of subsidiarity and decentralisation should govern their relationship

Structure of district administration

State

Collector

Local


3/5

Evolution of collector post independence Or Changing role of district

collector

Agents of change, of good governance and development administration. The collectors have a first hand experience in dealing with the hopes and aspirations, the

lives and livelihoods of the people. The state and central governments benefit immensely

from this experience After 73rd and 74th amendments

Overall regulationunder Collector

Sub-district officesof line departments

Local Bodies

Till 1960s

Land reforms, revenue collection, law and order, food and civil supplies, welfare and relief/rehabilitation

Limited needs of the people, less interaction with the government

Development programs at nascent stage

Office of collector was a strong and effective institution

1960-1980

Large number of new development projects came up

Collector was the notional head of the District Monitorin Committee for these programs

Apart from formal review, collector had limited role in these matters

1980-1992

Further increase of development programs

Collector was in most cases, given the overall supervisory charge of the programmes in the districts

Collector and his administration were expected to be omniscient and omnipotent; capable of providing solutionsto all the problems

Post 1992

Most development functions have been taken away from the Collector's domain

State governments though use this institution to exercise control over the PRIs


4/5

o Role of the collector has been transformed into that of a coordinator, facilitator anda person who is responsible for inter-sectoral coordination of various activities that

characterise the work of our grassroot administration

Significance of district admin (significance of collector)

As the role of the government gets redefined and its becoming more and more citizencentric, the cutting edge of a governments function is at the district and lower levels

India lives in its districts. District is the basic unit of administration. Provision of education and health facilities, infrastructure, improving equity DC has a role in ensuring good governance at the grassroots, in promoting innovation, in

improving service delivery, in enhancing public private partnerships and in ensuring outlays

become outcomes

Should the office of the district collector be retained in its present form? Refer report on local governance Against the office

o View that with the empowerment of the PRIs there is a need to devise anenvironment in which the institution of DC gradually loses importance and

ultimately recedes into a district land revenue functionary, responsible to the local

bodies

o This is because the belief that strong traditions linked with this institution and itsrecognition in the public minds as a prime mover of governance at the district level

may impede the growth of any other authority at that level Counter view

o Office of the DC has risen to this level of importance and utility through manynational and local crises and it should not be weakened

Balanced viewo Though PRIs have come up they do not totally remove the Collectors responsibility

in matters of local development.

o The declining importance of land revenue has not lessened the importance of theCollector in the management of land records, the maintenance of law and order and

general administration and as an effective grievance redressal authority

o Collector will continue to be responsible for a multiplicity of tasks at the district levelsuch as improving human capabilities, creating physical infrastructure, improving

economic opportunities for marginalised sections of society and facing challenges

posed by disasters

o He has new role in the role of a coordinator, facilitator and a person who isresponsible for inter-sectoral coordination of various activities that characterise the

work of our grassroots administration

o Provide overall leadership in the district in the task of nation buildingo Representative district government should be empowered while fully utilizing the

institutional strengths of the District Collector


5/5

Widespread functions without well defined roles result in lack of clarity

and diffusion of the Collectors responsibilities. In this context suggest

reforms in the office of collector.

15th report. Pg 44.

Organisational arrangement of the Collectors office, currently, is not in tune with the

requirements of the job. What changes are needed?

Pg 49. 15th report.

District Administration

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