DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.68025#0081
ROYAL COMMISSION UPON DECENTRALIZATION.
75
16200. Is there any other reason than the mere fact
that the populations are not homogeneous, which
would urge you to divide them into smaller districts ?
—I think there are many arguments, one from the
political point of view ; if you are going to have some
extension of Local Self-Government, you must have
smaller areas. Any elected legislative body in Bengal
cannot represent any particular portion of it or the
interests of any particular portion of it.
1G201. (Mr. Meyer.} How many sub-divisions do
you usually have in a district ?—I do not know what
the average would be ; some districts have none ; a big
district will have three or four.
16202. Do you include the headquarters sub-division
or do you mean only the outlying sub-divisions ?—
Including the headquarters sub-division.
16203. On an average are there three—the head-
quarters sub-division, and two outlying sub-divisions ?
—Yes.
16204. Are the outlying sub-divisions in the charge
of either a Deputy Collector or a Civilian ?—-Yes.
He is mainly concerned with magisterial work.
16205. Does he take original first-class cases and
appeals in second and third-class cases from Magis-
trates ?—He does not hear appeals.
16206. Does he take second and third-class cases
himself ?—In many sub-divisions there is only one
officer who does the work with the help of some
Benches. He sometimes has a Sub-Deputy Collector.
16207. In that case does not the Sub-Deputy
Collector take third-class work ?—Yes.
16208. Does the Sub-Divisional Officer control the
Local Board if there is one ?—He may or may not ;
in my present district they have nothing to do with it;
where there is a second officer the sub-treasury is in
his charge.
16209. Then a Sub-Divisional Officer mainly tries
first-class cases ; has he enough work to do ?—They
are overworked in these sub-divisions, purely by magis-
terial work. Of course they do a good deal of touring,
and they are supposed to inspect everything, but
principally they act as Magistrates.
16210. Is not the headquarters division the apex of
the district, and supposed to be directly under the
Collector ?—It is supposed to be.
16211. Then you have, or are supposed to have, a
Joint-Magistrate at headquarters ?—Yes.
16212. Then you have Deputy Collectors?—There
is a fixed standard staff for each district; in a big
district there may be six Deputy Collectors at head-
quarters.
16213. What work do they do ?—One is in charge of
the treasury, then there are men mainly employed on
criminal work, and there are all the Collectorate Depart-
ments and the Certificate Department of which they
are in charge. Income-tax is generally under a special
officer.
16214. Have not steps been taken to start a separate
superintendent of excise ?—I do not think that will be
proceeded with.
16215. I understood that there had been reports
from Bengal suggesting that the work of Deputy
Collector of Excise was not satisfactory and that
regular establishments were wanted ?—It was discussed
at the last Commissioners’ conference, and did not meet
with favour.
16216. Then you think the old system will be re-
tained?—That was the strong opinion at the Com-
missioners’ conference.
16217. In Madras, everything is territorial, with the
districts divided into sub-divisions and each Sub-
Divisional Officer responsible for the territorial work
in the sub-division, the Collector being the controlling
authority. Do you not think it would expedite the
work if the same kind of thing were done in Bengal ?
—It is so in some departments. Certificates are sent
for the Sub-Divisional Officers to dispose of.
16218. At present whenever any person in a district
is in trouble about income-tax, excise or land-revenue,
instead of being able to go to a local officer, he has to
go right up to headquarters. Is that a satisfactory
arrangement from the point of view of the people ?—
With regard to exercise he would probably put in a
33263
petition before a Sub-Divisional Officer ; as to income-
tax he would not, but there is no objection to his filing
his petition before a Sub-Divisional Officer as to
income-tax.
16219. Is it not more desirable, from the point of
view of the people, that you should scatter these offices
and have more local representatives of the Government
scattered over a district ?—It would be better in the
more backward districts.
16220. Why do you object to it in the other dis-
tricts ?—I do not know the other districts so well.
You do not get departmental efficiency by making sub-
jects like excise and income tax over to a number of
scattered officers.
16221. Do you get a certain revenue from your
estates under Government management ?—That is not
done from the headquarters. It depends entirely on
the circumstances of the estate ; an estate may be
large enough to support a separate manager or it may
not. A Government estate lying in a sub-division
would be managed by the Sub-Divisional Officer.
16222. Who deals with stamps ?—In most cases the
Collector himself, generally through a Deputy Col-
lector.
16223. Have you no Regulation or Act in Bengal
allowing the Collector of a district to delegate his
powers as Collector to subordinate authorities ?—No,
there is certainly no general power. If any Act says a
thing has to be done by a Collector, it has to be done
by him unless the Act itself contains power to delegate,
as most of them do.
16224. You have a certain number of Sub-Deputy
Collectors at headquarters ; without bringing in the
question of increasing the staff, could you not utilise
the existing staff by putting them in outlying portions,
and grouping them into sub-divisions ?—Yes, it could
be done, but I would rather put a Deputy Collector
than a Sub-Deputy Collector in independent charge.
16225. Several witnesses have suggested that the
Collector requires, in addition to all this multitudinous
staff, a personal assistant ; do you share that idea ?—
No, the present Deputy Collectors are practically per-
sonal assistants in the different departments. I would
like to have a competent officer in my present district
to be my personal assistant.
16226. If you had such an officer at the headquarters
sub-division who could take your place when you went
on tour, would you want anything more ?—Yes, I
have that at present; I have a Joint-Magistrate.
16227. Have you got full power of appointing your
own clerks ?—Yes, but the appointment of sharistadar
goes to the Commissioner.
16228. Does he make it or simply approve it ? I do
not know what happens in practice ; in practice pro-
bably the Commissioner seldom interferes.
16229. What pay does the sharistadar get ?—Some-
where between Rs. 100 and Rs. 150.
16230. What are your relations with the District
Superintendent of Police ? He is your assistant, I
understand, in all matters affecting the order of the
district ?—Yes.
16231. As regards the organization of the police
force is he under you ; have you anything to say as
regards the appointment and promotion of police con-
stables and head-constables ?—I have nothing to do
with constables and head-constables, but recommenda-
tions for promotion to sub-inspectorships go through
me to the Deputy Inspector-General of Police.
16232. And you simply write what you suggest
should be done ?—Yes ; if I had been long enough in
the district to know that a man was incompetent, I
should say he was, and he would not be promoted
against that opinion.
16233. Do you have anything to do with appeals or
dismissals ?—Yes ; punishments of sub-inspectors have
to be confirmed by the District Magistrate.
16234. A punishment like a fine for instance?—A
punishment like a fine or awarding a black mark ;
I fancy all minor punishments have to be approved.
16235. Could you suspend a sub-inspector or would
that have to go to a higher authority ?—I could sus-
pend a sub-inspector.
16236. Putting it shortly, then, you have a great
deal to say with regard to the discipline of the police
K 2
Mr. C. II.
Bompat.
30 Dec., 1907.
75
16200. Is there any other reason than the mere fact
that the populations are not homogeneous, which
would urge you to divide them into smaller districts ?
—I think there are many arguments, one from the
political point of view ; if you are going to have some
extension of Local Self-Government, you must have
smaller areas. Any elected legislative body in Bengal
cannot represent any particular portion of it or the
interests of any particular portion of it.
1G201. (Mr. Meyer.} How many sub-divisions do
you usually have in a district ?—I do not know what
the average would be ; some districts have none ; a big
district will have three or four.
16202. Do you include the headquarters sub-division
or do you mean only the outlying sub-divisions ?—
Including the headquarters sub-division.
16203. On an average are there three—the head-
quarters sub-division, and two outlying sub-divisions ?
—Yes.
16204. Are the outlying sub-divisions in the charge
of either a Deputy Collector or a Civilian ?—-Yes.
He is mainly concerned with magisterial work.
16205. Does he take original first-class cases and
appeals in second and third-class cases from Magis-
trates ?—He does not hear appeals.
16206. Does he take second and third-class cases
himself ?—In many sub-divisions there is only one
officer who does the work with the help of some
Benches. He sometimes has a Sub-Deputy Collector.
16207. In that case does not the Sub-Deputy
Collector take third-class work ?—Yes.
16208. Does the Sub-Divisional Officer control the
Local Board if there is one ?—He may or may not ;
in my present district they have nothing to do with it;
where there is a second officer the sub-treasury is in
his charge.
16209. Then a Sub-Divisional Officer mainly tries
first-class cases ; has he enough work to do ?—They
are overworked in these sub-divisions, purely by magis-
terial work. Of course they do a good deal of touring,
and they are supposed to inspect everything, but
principally they act as Magistrates.
16210. Is not the headquarters division the apex of
the district, and supposed to be directly under the
Collector ?—It is supposed to be.
16211. Then you have, or are supposed to have, a
Joint-Magistrate at headquarters ?—Yes.
16212. Then you have Deputy Collectors?—There
is a fixed standard staff for each district; in a big
district there may be six Deputy Collectors at head-
quarters.
16213. What work do they do ?—One is in charge of
the treasury, then there are men mainly employed on
criminal work, and there are all the Collectorate Depart-
ments and the Certificate Department of which they
are in charge. Income-tax is generally under a special
officer.
16214. Have not steps been taken to start a separate
superintendent of excise ?—I do not think that will be
proceeded with.
16215. I understood that there had been reports
from Bengal suggesting that the work of Deputy
Collector of Excise was not satisfactory and that
regular establishments were wanted ?—It was discussed
at the last Commissioners’ conference, and did not meet
with favour.
16216. Then you think the old system will be re-
tained?—That was the strong opinion at the Com-
missioners’ conference.
16217. In Madras, everything is territorial, with the
districts divided into sub-divisions and each Sub-
Divisional Officer responsible for the territorial work
in the sub-division, the Collector being the controlling
authority. Do you not think it would expedite the
work if the same kind of thing were done in Bengal ?
—It is so in some departments. Certificates are sent
for the Sub-Divisional Officers to dispose of.
16218. At present whenever any person in a district
is in trouble about income-tax, excise or land-revenue,
instead of being able to go to a local officer, he has to
go right up to headquarters. Is that a satisfactory
arrangement from the point of view of the people ?—
With regard to exercise he would probably put in a
33263
petition before a Sub-Divisional Officer ; as to income-
tax he would not, but there is no objection to his filing
his petition before a Sub-Divisional Officer as to
income-tax.
16219. Is it not more desirable, from the point of
view of the people, that you should scatter these offices
and have more local representatives of the Government
scattered over a district ?—It would be better in the
more backward districts.
16220. Why do you object to it in the other dis-
tricts ?—I do not know the other districts so well.
You do not get departmental efficiency by making sub-
jects like excise and income tax over to a number of
scattered officers.
16221. Do you get a certain revenue from your
estates under Government management ?—That is not
done from the headquarters. It depends entirely on
the circumstances of the estate ; an estate may be
large enough to support a separate manager or it may
not. A Government estate lying in a sub-division
would be managed by the Sub-Divisional Officer.
16222. Who deals with stamps ?—In most cases the
Collector himself, generally through a Deputy Col-
lector.
16223. Have you no Regulation or Act in Bengal
allowing the Collector of a district to delegate his
powers as Collector to subordinate authorities ?—No,
there is certainly no general power. If any Act says a
thing has to be done by a Collector, it has to be done
by him unless the Act itself contains power to delegate,
as most of them do.
16224. You have a certain number of Sub-Deputy
Collectors at headquarters ; without bringing in the
question of increasing the staff, could you not utilise
the existing staff by putting them in outlying portions,
and grouping them into sub-divisions ?—Yes, it could
be done, but I would rather put a Deputy Collector
than a Sub-Deputy Collector in independent charge.
16225. Several witnesses have suggested that the
Collector requires, in addition to all this multitudinous
staff, a personal assistant ; do you share that idea ?—
No, the present Deputy Collectors are practically per-
sonal assistants in the different departments. I would
like to have a competent officer in my present district
to be my personal assistant.
16226. If you had such an officer at the headquarters
sub-division who could take your place when you went
on tour, would you want anything more ?—Yes, I
have that at present; I have a Joint-Magistrate.
16227. Have you got full power of appointing your
own clerks ?—Yes, but the appointment of sharistadar
goes to the Commissioner.
16228. Does he make it or simply approve it ? I do
not know what happens in practice ; in practice pro-
bably the Commissioner seldom interferes.
16229. What pay does the sharistadar get ?—Some-
where between Rs. 100 and Rs. 150.
16230. What are your relations with the District
Superintendent of Police ? He is your assistant, I
understand, in all matters affecting the order of the
district ?—Yes.
16231. As regards the organization of the police
force is he under you ; have you anything to say as
regards the appointment and promotion of police con-
stables and head-constables ?—I have nothing to do
with constables and head-constables, but recommenda-
tions for promotion to sub-inspectorships go through
me to the Deputy Inspector-General of Police.
16232. And you simply write what you suggest
should be done ?—Yes ; if I had been long enough in
the district to know that a man was incompetent, I
should say he was, and he would not be promoted
against that opinion.
16233. Do you have anything to do with appeals or
dismissals ?—Yes ; punishments of sub-inspectors have
to be confirmed by the District Magistrate.
16234. A punishment like a fine for instance?—A
punishment like a fine or awarding a black mark ;
I fancy all minor punishments have to be approved.
16235. Could you suspend a sub-inspector or would
that have to go to a higher authority ?—I could sus-
pend a sub-inspector.
16236. Putting it shortly, then, you have a great
deal to say with regard to the discipline of the police
K 2
Mr. C. II.
Bompat.
30 Dec., 1907.