DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.68025#0012
6
MINUTES OP evidence:
The Hon.
Mr. E. A.
Gait.
27 Dec., 1907.
post by a Deputy Collector?—That is occasionally
done, but it requires the sanction of the Government
of India.
14277. Is that necessary ?—I do not object to having
to go up for sanction to make such appointments for
a longer period than three month5, but, for anything
up to that, I think we ought not to be required to get
sanction.
14278. But why should you be required to go for a
period of more than three mouths ?—In the case of
short vacancies it does not matter so much who acts
Important cases can be left over till the permanent
incumbent returns. But in the case of long acting
appointments it is necessary to avoid the risk of
incompetent men being appointed.
14279. What knowledge has the Government of
India of the man ?—No direct knowledge.
14280. Then what is the necessity of applying to
the Government of India?—For more than three
months I think there should be sanction. I think the
facts are thus much more fully considered.
14281. Suppose the responsibility rested with you,
not with the Government of India, would you then
recognise the responsibility of taking greater care ?—
Yes, I think I should. Asa matter of fact I do not
think this Government ever would put in an officer of
the Provincial Service unless he was a really good
man. Certain Deputy Collectors are promoted to be
District Officers, but they are specially selected from
the whole of the Service.
14282. But the Government of India can have no
knowledge of the officer, whether he is replacing
somebody for three months or six months, beyond
what you give them ?—No.
14283. And if you had the responsibility of putting
in the acting officer, do you not think that you are
quite as well qualified to do it as the Government of
India ?—Yes.
14284. What reason is there why you should not
accept the responsibility ?—There is no reason except
that if reference has to be made, it ensures full con-
sideration. The practice might grow up of appointing
Deputy Collectors too freely.
14285. What harm would that be?—If it happens
to be the senior Deputy Collector in the district, he
might not be qualified to hold the office for a long
period. It would often save trouble to put in a Deputy
even though it might not be sound to do so from the
point of view of the work.
14286. You also tell us that a great number of
reports and returns which are now called for might be
abolished?—We have already, so far as our reports and
returns are concerned, overhauled them, four or five
years ago, and a very great number were abolished.
14287. I understand that the Lieutenant-Governor
would like to do away with a whole series of annual
reports—Yes. That has not been gone into in detail,
but the idea is that a District Officer would t ike much
more care over one annual report than he takes over a
series of reports.
14288. Instead of having to report upon police,
education, and so on separately, he would combine the
whole in one report?—Yes. We used to have a
General Administration Report, containing an abstract
of all these other reports, and also detailed reports on
each subject. The detailed reports on each subject
survived, but the General Administration Report has
been more or less abolished.
14289. Is there anything to prevent your doing away
with these annual reports now ?—They are prescribed
for the whole of India ; the initiative would have to
be taken by the Government of India. They are sent
in under the rules and regulations of the Government
of India, and we would have to obtain leave from the
Government of India to abolish them.
14290. Are you approaching the Government of
India on this question ?—No ; the question has only
been mooted in connection with the present Com-
mission.
14291. Then with regard to the selection of officers.
Have you got a free hand in the selection of officers
here ?—Yes, we may say that we have a free hand.
Of course, an officer might appeal to the Government
of India if he is passed over ; we do get such cases ;
the Government of India do not ordinarily interfere,
but we have to justify our action.
14292. At what stage in an officer’s career upwards
does the principle of selection begin ?—A man is only
passed over for a Collectorship if he is manifestly unfit.
At the stage of promotion from Collector to Com-
missioner a little more selection is exercised ; there
are generally two or three men at any rate who have
been passed over.
14293. If you had a free hand, would you begin
your,selection at the stage of a Collector?—I would
do so, if I could compulsorily retire a man who was
not selected. I think officers who were passed over
and kept on would be a great incubus to the Service.
14294. What you would like to do is to select at
the end of about ten or twelve years’ service, and
pension those whom it was undesirable to promote ?—
Yes ; I would give them the same pension as they
would have retired for medical reasons.
14295. More or less—a pro rata pension ?—Yes.
14296. Suppose you were able to apply that system
to your present Service, would you have to get rid of,,
or pass over, a considerable number ?—I should not
say a considerable number, but there would be two or
three that one would like to weed out.
14297. As to those exceptions, would it add largely
to your efficiency to get rid of them ?—It would ;
there are defects not only of mental capacity but of
character.
14298. Tne Lieutenant-Governor has inaugurated a
system by which Commissioners have allotted a certain
sum of money which they can dispose of more or less
as they think fit ?—They have two grants—one for
minor works, as they are called, works costing not
more than a certain sum, and the other for distribution
to local bodies or for other public purposes.
14299. With regard to the Minor Works grant what
is the sum total which is put at the disposal of the
Commissioner ?—The total for the province is
Rs. 60,000 at present, but it is going to be increased.
14300. That is, roughly, Rs. 10,000 to each Com-
missioner. Within that sum he can spend on any
minor works without reference ?—Yes, unless it is an
addition to a residential house ; that requires sanction
if it exceeds the permissible limit of expenditure.
14301. What is the sum at his disposal for the pur-
pose of giving other grant ?—The same amount—•
Rs. 10,000 on the average.
14302. What is your definition of a minor work ?—
A work costing not more than Rs. 2,500. If any work
costs more than Rs. 2,500, it has, under the Public
Works Code, to be sanctioned by the Government.
14303. Has the price of materials gone up very
much ?—It has undoubtedly gone up. 1 am not in a
position to give figures, but building is very much
more expensive than it was ten or twelve years ago.
14304. Therefore the kind of work which the Local
Government or the particular officer can sanction now
for Rs. 2,500 is of a much smaller character than he
could do, say, ten years ago ?—That is so.
14305. Both on account of the fall in the value of
the rupee and also on account of the increased cost of
labour and materials ?—Yes.
14306. How long has this system been at work ?—
Since 1904.
14307. You have had no reason to grumble at the
result ?—I think the result has been highly satisfactory.
14308. Has not the Government here a system of
conferences of Commissioners?—Every year, in Sep-
tember or October, there is a conference, and all
questions of importance, which at the same time are
not urgent, are kept over and discussed at the con-
ference.
14309. Who presides at the conference ?—The
senior member of the Board of Revenue ; the other
member attends, also the Heads of Departments, and
the Secretaries to the Government.
14310. How long does th;, conference last?—It
varies ; the first two or three conferences were longer
than they are now ; the first lasted for nearly three
weeks, sitting on alternate days and towards the end
daily.
MINUTES OP evidence:
The Hon.
Mr. E. A.
Gait.
27 Dec., 1907.
post by a Deputy Collector?—That is occasionally
done, but it requires the sanction of the Government
of India.
14277. Is that necessary ?—I do not object to having
to go up for sanction to make such appointments for
a longer period than three month5, but, for anything
up to that, I think we ought not to be required to get
sanction.
14278. But why should you be required to go for a
period of more than three mouths ?—In the case of
short vacancies it does not matter so much who acts
Important cases can be left over till the permanent
incumbent returns. But in the case of long acting
appointments it is necessary to avoid the risk of
incompetent men being appointed.
14279. What knowledge has the Government of
India of the man ?—No direct knowledge.
14280. Then what is the necessity of applying to
the Government of India?—For more than three
months I think there should be sanction. I think the
facts are thus much more fully considered.
14281. Suppose the responsibility rested with you,
not with the Government of India, would you then
recognise the responsibility of taking greater care ?—
Yes, I think I should. Asa matter of fact I do not
think this Government ever would put in an officer of
the Provincial Service unless he was a really good
man. Certain Deputy Collectors are promoted to be
District Officers, but they are specially selected from
the whole of the Service.
14282. But the Government of India can have no
knowledge of the officer, whether he is replacing
somebody for three months or six months, beyond
what you give them ?—No.
14283. And if you had the responsibility of putting
in the acting officer, do you not think that you are
quite as well qualified to do it as the Government of
India ?—Yes.
14284. What reason is there why you should not
accept the responsibility ?—There is no reason except
that if reference has to be made, it ensures full con-
sideration. The practice might grow up of appointing
Deputy Collectors too freely.
14285. What harm would that be?—If it happens
to be the senior Deputy Collector in the district, he
might not be qualified to hold the office for a long
period. It would often save trouble to put in a Deputy
even though it might not be sound to do so from the
point of view of the work.
14286. You also tell us that a great number of
reports and returns which are now called for might be
abolished?—We have already, so far as our reports and
returns are concerned, overhauled them, four or five
years ago, and a very great number were abolished.
14287. I understand that the Lieutenant-Governor
would like to do away with a whole series of annual
reports—Yes. That has not been gone into in detail,
but the idea is that a District Officer would t ike much
more care over one annual report than he takes over a
series of reports.
14288. Instead of having to report upon police,
education, and so on separately, he would combine the
whole in one report?—Yes. We used to have a
General Administration Report, containing an abstract
of all these other reports, and also detailed reports on
each subject. The detailed reports on each subject
survived, but the General Administration Report has
been more or less abolished.
14289. Is there anything to prevent your doing away
with these annual reports now ?—They are prescribed
for the whole of India ; the initiative would have to
be taken by the Government of India. They are sent
in under the rules and regulations of the Government
of India, and we would have to obtain leave from the
Government of India to abolish them.
14290. Are you approaching the Government of
India on this question ?—No ; the question has only
been mooted in connection with the present Com-
mission.
14291. Then with regard to the selection of officers.
Have you got a free hand in the selection of officers
here ?—Yes, we may say that we have a free hand.
Of course, an officer might appeal to the Government
of India if he is passed over ; we do get such cases ;
the Government of India do not ordinarily interfere,
but we have to justify our action.
14292. At what stage in an officer’s career upwards
does the principle of selection begin ?—A man is only
passed over for a Collectorship if he is manifestly unfit.
At the stage of promotion from Collector to Com-
missioner a little more selection is exercised ; there
are generally two or three men at any rate who have
been passed over.
14293. If you had a free hand, would you begin
your,selection at the stage of a Collector?—I would
do so, if I could compulsorily retire a man who was
not selected. I think officers who were passed over
and kept on would be a great incubus to the Service.
14294. What you would like to do is to select at
the end of about ten or twelve years’ service, and
pension those whom it was undesirable to promote ?—
Yes ; I would give them the same pension as they
would have retired for medical reasons.
14295. More or less—a pro rata pension ?—Yes.
14296. Suppose you were able to apply that system
to your present Service, would you have to get rid of,,
or pass over, a considerable number ?—I should not
say a considerable number, but there would be two or
three that one would like to weed out.
14297. As to those exceptions, would it add largely
to your efficiency to get rid of them ?—It would ;
there are defects not only of mental capacity but of
character.
14298. Tne Lieutenant-Governor has inaugurated a
system by which Commissioners have allotted a certain
sum of money which they can dispose of more or less
as they think fit ?—They have two grants—one for
minor works, as they are called, works costing not
more than a certain sum, and the other for distribution
to local bodies or for other public purposes.
14299. With regard to the Minor Works grant what
is the sum total which is put at the disposal of the
Commissioner ?—The total for the province is
Rs. 60,000 at present, but it is going to be increased.
14300. That is, roughly, Rs. 10,000 to each Com-
missioner. Within that sum he can spend on any
minor works without reference ?—Yes, unless it is an
addition to a residential house ; that requires sanction
if it exceeds the permissible limit of expenditure.
14301. What is the sum at his disposal for the pur-
pose of giving other grant ?—The same amount—•
Rs. 10,000 on the average.
14302. What is your definition of a minor work ?—
A work costing not more than Rs. 2,500. If any work
costs more than Rs. 2,500, it has, under the Public
Works Code, to be sanctioned by the Government.
14303. Has the price of materials gone up very
much ?—It has undoubtedly gone up. 1 am not in a
position to give figures, but building is very much
more expensive than it was ten or twelve years ago.
14304. Therefore the kind of work which the Local
Government or the particular officer can sanction now
for Rs. 2,500 is of a much smaller character than he
could do, say, ten years ago ?—That is so.
14305. Both on account of the fall in the value of
the rupee and also on account of the increased cost of
labour and materials ?—Yes.
14306. How long has this system been at work ?—
Since 1904.
14307. You have had no reason to grumble at the
result ?—I think the result has been highly satisfactory.
14308. Has not the Government here a system of
conferences of Commissioners?—Every year, in Sep-
tember or October, there is a conference, and all
questions of importance, which at the same time are
not urgent, are kept over and discussed at the con-
ference.
14309. Who presides at the conference ?—The
senior member of the Board of Revenue ; the other
member attends, also the Heads of Departments, and
the Secretaries to the Government.
14310. How long does th;, conference last?—It
varies ; the first two or three conferences were longer
than they are now ; the first lasted for nearly three
weeks, sitting on alternate days and towards the end
daily.