DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.68025#0010
MINUTES OF EVIDENCED
A good deal has already been done in Bengal in the
direction of delegating powers to the Board of Revenue,
Commissioners, and other authorities subordinate to
the Local Government. The general principle under-
* lying these proposals is that powers should be delegated
in respect of matters which are sanctioned as a matter
of routine in the office where .the power is now
exercised.
Commissioners at present have allotments from
which they can make grants for the construction of
minor’ works costing not more than Rs. 5,000. They,
also, have allotments from which they can make grants
to local bodies, for works and for other purposes of
public utility. These grants have proved most useful.
Similar grants on a smaller scale should be given to
District Officers.
The opportunities for personal contact with the
people are naturally not so great in Bengal as else-
where, owing to the Permanent Settlement, which
reduces the outdoor work and increases considerably
the work to be done in office in connection with col-
lections, partitions, mutations, revenue sales, and the
like. Most officers, moreover, are overworked, and
have not the leisure necessary for free intercourse with
the people. The only remedies I can suggest are in
the direction of increased establishments, including
Sub-Divisional Officers for headquarters sub-divisions.
Correspondence regarding discrepancies in returns and
the like might be carried on direct between the sub-
ordinate officers concerned. The importance of free
intercourse with Indians has often been pointed out.
Attention is drawn to it in the letter sent to Collectors
when new Civilians are posted to their districts. The
matter is also dealt with in the Board’s rules. Many
officers do not possess a sufficient knowledge of the
vernacular. Bengal, Bihar and Orissa each has its own
language, while numerous aboriginal languages are
spoken in Chota Nagpur. Proposals have been sub-
mitted to the Government of India with a view to
ensuring a more adequate study of the vernaculars,
but the question will always be a difficult one in
Bengal.
A considerable increase in the Provincial Service was
sanctioned last year, but it has not yet become effective.
The Civil Service is weaker in Bengal than in any
other province.
Transfers are undoubtedly frequent. This is due
partly to the weakness of the staff, which leads to
transfers whenever officers go on leave, and partly to
the large number of special appointments which have
to be filled by selection. The number of transfers
might be reduced to some extent by regulating the
dates when officers may proceed on, and return from,
leave.
I am not in favour of Advisory or Administrative
Councils to assist Divisional or District Officers, but
they should be required to consult leading Indian
gentlemen of their districts in respect of all important
measures, not only in cases where reports are required
by higher authority, but also, in respect of matters
which they can deal with on their own initiative.
There are no village communities in Bengal. The
only local institution is the chaukidari panchayat which
is an invention of our own. Attempts are being made
to develop them and to encourage people to employ
them as arbitrators, but progress must necessarily be
slow. Proposals have recently been made for giving a
few of them petty criminal powers.
14239. What is the organization of the Government
of Bengal ?—The Head of the Government of Bengal is
the Lieutenant-Governor ; he is assisted by five Secre-
' taries—three Civil Secretaries and two Public Works
Secretaries. The Civil Secretaries are, the Chief Secre-
tary, the Judicial Secretary, and the Financial and
Municipal Secretary ; one of the two Public Works
Secretaries is in charge of roads and buildings, and the
other of irrigation and railways.
14’240. Then below that is the Board of Revenue ?—
The Board of Revenue deal with all matters in con-
nection with revenue and the administration of land.
The Board consists of two members, one taking land
revenue, survey and settlements, land registration, the
■ management of ward’s estates, the collection of cesses,
and the like; and the other taking miscellaneous
revenue, including excise, opium, income tax, salt,
customs, &c. Each member js vested with the full
powers of the Board in respect of his own department.
In all revenue matters the Board is the final Court of
Appeal, or of revision in cases where an appeal is not
allowed. The Board refer to Government all matters
of general importance, as well as those requiring the
sanction of Government according to law or practice.
14241. Below the Board of Revenue are, the Heads
of Departments ?—Yes, among the Heads ’ of the
Departments subordinate to the Board are the Director
of Land Records and the Director of Agriculture ;
the other Heads of Departments are immediately below
the Local Government, such as the Inspector-General
of Police, the Director of Public Instruction, the
Inspector-General of Civil Hospitals, the Sanitary
Commissioner, the Commissioner of Excise, and so on.
14242. Then come the Commissioners of Divisions ?
—There are six Commissioners of Divisions, and below
them are 33 District Officers—Collectors in Regulation
districts and Deputy Commissioners in Non-Regulation
districts. In a very few districts there are Joint
Magistrates ; there are Assistant Collectors, Deputy
Collectors, and Sub-Deputy Collectors or Sub-Deputy
Magistrates. The Deputy Collectors constitute the
Provincial Service, and the Sub-Deputy Collectors
constitute the Subordinate Service.
14243. Are there any village officers?—There are
practically no village officers in Bengal.
14244. There is nothing below the Sub-Deputy
Collector ?—No, except in Government estates where
there are tahsildars, &c. There are also a few
kanungoes.
14245. I understand that you are speaking here on
behalf and with the authority of the Government of
Bengal ?—That is so.
14246. Your Government thinks that there should
be some further devolution in the matter of financial
control ?—In matters of detail. We are not in favour
of any wholesale alteration in the relations which at
present exist between the Government of India and
the Local Government.
14247. There must be some control over the pro-
vincial Government, and that must be exercised by the
Government of India?—Yes. That is essential.
14248. But in matters of detail there might be
further devolution ?—There are a great many matters
of detail in which we might have more latitude. Every
petty deviation from the letter of a rule at present
requires the sanction of the Government of India.
Among other things, we might have more power in
regard to appointments than we have at present.
14249. You consider that while the central G overn-
ment ought to control matters of principle, so far as
details go, you ought to be free?—Yes, entirely. We
think that very often improvements in the details of a
scheme might occur to the Government of India ; and
that if so they should be put in the form of suggestions
to be considered .in the light of local conditions, but
that'it should be left to the Local Government to
adopt them or not as it may think fit.
14250. Subject in financial matters to the control of
the Accountant-General?—Yes, but I would not allow
the Accountant-General to insist on references to the
Government of India simply because they do not
altogether fit in with the rules. He would only do so
if he were of opinion that the order contemplated was
of such a character that the ■ Government of India
would not be likely to pass it if the case was referred
to them.
14251. Suppose you have the power practically to
over-ride the Accountant-General, how is the Govern-
ment of India going to exercise its control?—I would
not propose to have power to over-ride the Accountant-
General, but that the Local Government should have
power to put a liberal interpretation on the rules which
are laid down. For instance, there was recently a case
of an officer on fixed pay who was posted to Foreign
Service. Under the rules he could not have a rise of
pay for three years ; he was subsequently put into-a
Grraded Service ; if he had been in that G raded Service
at the time he was posted to Fo eign Service he would
have been allowed, as he obtained promotion in-the
Graded Service, to draw, in Foreign Service, the pay of
the next highest grade. It was held by the Accountant-
General that because the man was not in the
Graded Service at the time he was transferred to
The Hon.
Mr. E. A.
Gait.
A good deal has already been done in Bengal in the
direction of delegating powers to the Board of Revenue,
Commissioners, and other authorities subordinate to
the Local Government. The general principle under-
* lying these proposals is that powers should be delegated
in respect of matters which are sanctioned as a matter
of routine in the office where .the power is now
exercised.
Commissioners at present have allotments from
which they can make grants for the construction of
minor’ works costing not more than Rs. 5,000. They,
also, have allotments from which they can make grants
to local bodies, for works and for other purposes of
public utility. These grants have proved most useful.
Similar grants on a smaller scale should be given to
District Officers.
The opportunities for personal contact with the
people are naturally not so great in Bengal as else-
where, owing to the Permanent Settlement, which
reduces the outdoor work and increases considerably
the work to be done in office in connection with col-
lections, partitions, mutations, revenue sales, and the
like. Most officers, moreover, are overworked, and
have not the leisure necessary for free intercourse with
the people. The only remedies I can suggest are in
the direction of increased establishments, including
Sub-Divisional Officers for headquarters sub-divisions.
Correspondence regarding discrepancies in returns and
the like might be carried on direct between the sub-
ordinate officers concerned. The importance of free
intercourse with Indians has often been pointed out.
Attention is drawn to it in the letter sent to Collectors
when new Civilians are posted to their districts. The
matter is also dealt with in the Board’s rules. Many
officers do not possess a sufficient knowledge of the
vernacular. Bengal, Bihar and Orissa each has its own
language, while numerous aboriginal languages are
spoken in Chota Nagpur. Proposals have been sub-
mitted to the Government of India with a view to
ensuring a more adequate study of the vernaculars,
but the question will always be a difficult one in
Bengal.
A considerable increase in the Provincial Service was
sanctioned last year, but it has not yet become effective.
The Civil Service is weaker in Bengal than in any
other province.
Transfers are undoubtedly frequent. This is due
partly to the weakness of the staff, which leads to
transfers whenever officers go on leave, and partly to
the large number of special appointments which have
to be filled by selection. The number of transfers
might be reduced to some extent by regulating the
dates when officers may proceed on, and return from,
leave.
I am not in favour of Advisory or Administrative
Councils to assist Divisional or District Officers, but
they should be required to consult leading Indian
gentlemen of their districts in respect of all important
measures, not only in cases where reports are required
by higher authority, but also, in respect of matters
which they can deal with on their own initiative.
There are no village communities in Bengal. The
only local institution is the chaukidari panchayat which
is an invention of our own. Attempts are being made
to develop them and to encourage people to employ
them as arbitrators, but progress must necessarily be
slow. Proposals have recently been made for giving a
few of them petty criminal powers.
14239. What is the organization of the Government
of Bengal ?—The Head of the Government of Bengal is
the Lieutenant-Governor ; he is assisted by five Secre-
' taries—three Civil Secretaries and two Public Works
Secretaries. The Civil Secretaries are, the Chief Secre-
tary, the Judicial Secretary, and the Financial and
Municipal Secretary ; one of the two Public Works
Secretaries is in charge of roads and buildings, and the
other of irrigation and railways.
14’240. Then below that is the Board of Revenue ?—
The Board of Revenue deal with all matters in con-
nection with revenue and the administration of land.
The Board consists of two members, one taking land
revenue, survey and settlements, land registration, the
■ management of ward’s estates, the collection of cesses,
and the like; and the other taking miscellaneous
revenue, including excise, opium, income tax, salt,
customs, &c. Each member js vested with the full
powers of the Board in respect of his own department.
In all revenue matters the Board is the final Court of
Appeal, or of revision in cases where an appeal is not
allowed. The Board refer to Government all matters
of general importance, as well as those requiring the
sanction of Government according to law or practice.
14241. Below the Board of Revenue are, the Heads
of Departments ?—Yes, among the Heads ’ of the
Departments subordinate to the Board are the Director
of Land Records and the Director of Agriculture ;
the other Heads of Departments are immediately below
the Local Government, such as the Inspector-General
of Police, the Director of Public Instruction, the
Inspector-General of Civil Hospitals, the Sanitary
Commissioner, the Commissioner of Excise, and so on.
14242. Then come the Commissioners of Divisions ?
—There are six Commissioners of Divisions, and below
them are 33 District Officers—Collectors in Regulation
districts and Deputy Commissioners in Non-Regulation
districts. In a very few districts there are Joint
Magistrates ; there are Assistant Collectors, Deputy
Collectors, and Sub-Deputy Collectors or Sub-Deputy
Magistrates. The Deputy Collectors constitute the
Provincial Service, and the Sub-Deputy Collectors
constitute the Subordinate Service.
14243. Are there any village officers?—There are
practically no village officers in Bengal.
14244. There is nothing below the Sub-Deputy
Collector ?—No, except in Government estates where
there are tahsildars, &c. There are also a few
kanungoes.
14245. I understand that you are speaking here on
behalf and with the authority of the Government of
Bengal ?—That is so.
14246. Your Government thinks that there should
be some further devolution in the matter of financial
control ?—In matters of detail. We are not in favour
of any wholesale alteration in the relations which at
present exist between the Government of India and
the Local Government.
14247. There must be some control over the pro-
vincial Government, and that must be exercised by the
Government of India?—Yes. That is essential.
14248. But in matters of detail there might be
further devolution ?—There are a great many matters
of detail in which we might have more latitude. Every
petty deviation from the letter of a rule at present
requires the sanction of the Government of India.
Among other things, we might have more power in
regard to appointments than we have at present.
14249. You consider that while the central G overn-
ment ought to control matters of principle, so far as
details go, you ought to be free?—Yes, entirely. We
think that very often improvements in the details of a
scheme might occur to the Government of India ; and
that if so they should be put in the form of suggestions
to be considered .in the light of local conditions, but
that'it should be left to the Local Government to
adopt them or not as it may think fit.
14250. Subject in financial matters to the control of
the Accountant-General?—Yes, but I would not allow
the Accountant-General to insist on references to the
Government of India simply because they do not
altogether fit in with the rules. He would only do so
if he were of opinion that the order contemplated was
of such a character that the ■ Government of India
would not be likely to pass it if the case was referred
to them.
14251. Suppose you have the power practically to
over-ride the Accountant-General, how is the Govern-
ment of India going to exercise its control?—I would
not propose to have power to over-ride the Accountant-
General, but that the Local Government should have
power to put a liberal interpretation on the rules which
are laid down. For instance, there was recently a case
of an officer on fixed pay who was posted to Foreign
Service. Under the rules he could not have a rise of
pay for three years ; he was subsequently put into-a
Grraded Service ; if he had been in that G raded Service
at the time he was posted to Fo eign Service he would
have been allowed, as he obtained promotion in-the
Graded Service, to draw, in Foreign Service, the pay of
the next highest grade. It was held by the Accountant-
General that because the man was not in the
Graded Service at the time he was transferred to
The Hon.
Mr. E. A.
Gait.