DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.24890#0050
( 41 )
rural tracts the task was so enormous that it could not have
been effectively and economically discharged without the
agency already existing in these Provinces for the purposes of
revenue and general administration. Por fiscal and executive
purposes the North-Western Provinces and Oudh are divided
into divisions varying from about 10,000 to 17,000 square miles
in area and presided over by a Commissioner. These divisions
are again divided into districts with an average area of
about 2,000 square miles and controlled by a Collector-
Magistrate or District Officer. Every district is subdivided
into subdivisions called tahs'ils, which again are split up into
blocks or circles called “ kanungo’s circles,” and these
kanungo’s circles are again subdivided till the village or a
group of hamlets is reached. The village is under the
charge of a “ jgatwari ” or village accountant, who is a Govern-
ment official, resides permanently in his village or group, and
is personally acquainted with all its inhabitants. Over each
circle of villages is a kanungo or revenue supervisor and over
each group of circles or tahsil is a tahsild&r. One or more
“ tahsfls” are under the executive charge of a superior officer,
an Assistant or Deputy Collector.
This organization, which was taken as the basis of the
relief system, was utilized to the fullest extent. Instead of
attempting to introduce a new and special famine organiz-
ation the original framework of the district administration
was maintained and strengthened. Even the usual nomen-
clature with which the people and the officials are familiar
was retained. The original relief circles coincided with the
kamingos’ (revenue supervisors’) circles—the kaniingo became
the circle officer, and the special staff appointed to the same
duty were styled additional or assistant kanungo. Even the
officers in civil charge of relief works were known as relief
n&ib (or assistant) tahsfld&rs, and special relief officers of a
superior grade were designated relief tahsfld&rs. The existing
district staff was everywhere utilized to the fullest extent in
carrying out relief measures.
In these and other ways it was sought to work on lines
with which the officials and the people were acquainted, to
preserve official designations which in the people’s minds
imported a definite degree of responsibility, and to avoid
the difficulties which might have arisen in building up an
organization which would be unfamiliar to those who had
to work it, and might be viewed with suspicion by the people.
It was rarely found necessary to increase the patwdri ” staff
or to subdivide the territorial unit entrusted to these officials.
But the number of revenue supervisors and assistant tahsfl-
d&rs was largely increased, each class being as far as possible
recruited from the grade below, so as to secure the advantage
of local knowledge and experience while stimulating zeal by
promotion. Trained men were also drafted from districts not
11
rural tracts the task was so enormous that it could not have
been effectively and economically discharged without the
agency already existing in these Provinces for the purposes of
revenue and general administration. Por fiscal and executive
purposes the North-Western Provinces and Oudh are divided
into divisions varying from about 10,000 to 17,000 square miles
in area and presided over by a Commissioner. These divisions
are again divided into districts with an average area of
about 2,000 square miles and controlled by a Collector-
Magistrate or District Officer. Every district is subdivided
into subdivisions called tahs'ils, which again are split up into
blocks or circles called “ kanungo’s circles,” and these
kanungo’s circles are again subdivided till the village or a
group of hamlets is reached. The village is under the
charge of a “ jgatwari ” or village accountant, who is a Govern-
ment official, resides permanently in his village or group, and
is personally acquainted with all its inhabitants. Over each
circle of villages is a kanungo or revenue supervisor and over
each group of circles or tahsil is a tahsild&r. One or more
“ tahsfls” are under the executive charge of a superior officer,
an Assistant or Deputy Collector.
This organization, which was taken as the basis of the
relief system, was utilized to the fullest extent. Instead of
attempting to introduce a new and special famine organiz-
ation the original framework of the district administration
was maintained and strengthened. Even the usual nomen-
clature with which the people and the officials are familiar
was retained. The original relief circles coincided with the
kamingos’ (revenue supervisors’) circles—the kaniingo became
the circle officer, and the special staff appointed to the same
duty were styled additional or assistant kanungo. Even the
officers in civil charge of relief works were known as relief
n&ib (or assistant) tahsfld&rs, and special relief officers of a
superior grade were designated relief tahsfld&rs. The existing
district staff was everywhere utilized to the fullest extent in
carrying out relief measures.
In these and other ways it was sought to work on lines
with which the officials and the people were acquainted, to
preserve official designations which in the people’s minds
imported a definite degree of responsibility, and to avoid
the difficulties which might have arisen in building up an
organization which would be unfamiliar to those who had
to work it, and might be viewed with suspicion by the people.
It was rarely found necessary to increase the patwdri ” staff
or to subdivide the territorial unit entrusted to these officials.
But the number of revenue supervisors and assistant tahsfl-
d&rs was largely increased, each class being as far as possible
recruited from the grade below, so as to secure the advantage
of local knowledge and experience while stimulating zeal by
promotion. Trained men were also drafted from districts not
11