DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION HEAD (OR) DISTRICT COLLECTOR

 DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION HEAD (OR) DISTRICT COLLECTOR

The District collector occupies a Pivotal position in the District administration. He acts as the Head of the District administration. The office of District collector was constituted in India at first in 1772 by the East India Company. The office of the collector was compared to the French PREFECT system. The collector was described as a Little NEPOLEAN.

Powers and functions of the District collector:

1. The Collector as District Revenue officer: The Collector acts as the Chief District Revenue officer. He, in that capacity, serves as the Chief guide to the farmers in the district by fulfilling several Obligations. His Revenue functions include various activities such as Collection of Land Revenue, Sanction of Agricultural Loans to farmers, Rescuing the farmers in times of Natural calamities by assessing the loss Incurred by them, Rendering instructions to the State and Union government authorities in the Rescuing Estimates, Maintenance of Public Land Records and preparing the Statistical Data regarding the production of Food grains etc.

2. The District collector as District Magistrate: The Collector acts as the District Magistrate. He will have supervision over the activities of the District Police Personnel. He sees that Law and order conditions in the District are Normal. The District Superintendent of Police and other Police officers Owe Responsibility to the collector in the District level. The Collector can inspect the Police stations in the District. Supervision over Sub-ordinate courts, provision of Basic amenities to the Prisoners, Solving labour problems, Granting consonant Travelling of Weapons, Issuing No objection certificates for Petrol bunks, Cinema theatres etc.

3. The District collector as Chief Co-ordinator: The District collector acts as the Chief Coordinator of various government Departments in the district. He acts as the Chief counsel and Coordinator of the departments such as Agriculture, Irrigation, Education, Health and Forest and Labour affairs etc. The heads of these departments shall oblige and Implement the suggestions and guidelines of the collector in the district. Even though these heads formulate their policies independently; they are answerable to the district collector in discharging their obligations.

4. The District collector as District Electoral officer: The Collector acts as the Chief Electoral officer. He serves as the main Agent of the Election Commission of India for conducting elections to the various Representatives bodies in the District. He makes arrangements for conducting the Elections in Fair and Impartial manner. These include preparation of Electoral list and its Modification, hearing public grievances on Voter list, Registration of New voters, issue of Voter Ids, appointing Returning officers and Assistance of Returning officers etc. He looks into the matter that all Sections-people, Parties, Candidates and others follow the Directives of the Election commission.

5. The District collector as the Chief Census officer: The Collector acts as the Chief Census officer in the District. He, on behalf of the Union and State governments, takes steps for holding Census operations in the district for every 10 years. He also sees that the Statistical data regarding such as Cattle, Trees and Domesticated Animals in the district is compiled properly. He also compiles such other information as required by the higher authorities in regard to the construction of Houses for the poor, Family welfare, Women empowerment etc.

6. The District collector as Permanent Invitee of Local Bodies: The District collector is a permanent invitee to the meetings of Panchayat raj and urban local bodies in the district. He acts as a main link between the Union, State governments and district local bodies on various matters. He participates in the Normal/Emergency meetings of Zilla parishad and Mandal parishads in the district. He sends Confidential Reports to the State government on the nature of functioning of these bodies. He conducts the meeting meant for considering the No-confidence motion against the Zilla parishads Chairman. He recommends the setting up of New Rural/Urban local bodies in the district.