DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.68025#0085
ROYAL COMMISSION UPON DECENTRALIZATION.
79
case of all Executive Officers are to be found more in
the temperament of these officers than in the nature
and scope of the duties they are required to perform.
Some of the means by which obstacles might be re-
moved are (1) to form Advisory or Administrative
Councils constituted more or less on an elective basis ;
(2) more frequent inspection of town and village areas
outside the district headquarters. An appreciable
number of Executive Officers do not possess a sufficient
knowledge of the vernaculars in the province.
Neither any general increase in the administrative
staff, nor any general reduction in the area of district
or other charges, seems to be required.
Transfers are much too frequent. One of’ the
methods by which they could be reduced is to recast
the leave rules.
Larger powers should be given to the municipalities
and District Boards in respect of leave, pensions and
gratuities. As an example I may state that leave to
Chairman should not be made dependent on the sanc-
tion of the Government. Such a course, as a rule,
is useless. The present functions of municipalities,
District Boards, Local Boards and village unions might
be suitably extended in respect of education, and of
the three last-named bodies, in respect of sanitation as
well.
I am in favour of the creation of Administrative
Councils to advise and assist Divisional or District
Officers ; and means should be discovered to secure the
services of really representative men for them. ‘These
Councils should be mainly constituted on an elective
basis. Responsibilities could be given to these Councils
on the following subjects : supervision of police work
and checking of police oppression in the interior of a
district, sanitation, and education,
It is desirable, and possible, to give village com-
munities greater powers in the disposal of local affairs
relating to revenue in non-permanently-settled areas,
police, sanitary and educational matters. They may
also be invested with powers to deal with questions as
to easements and encroachments upon village roads.
They may also be invested with powers in respect of
local option in connection with the excise administra-
tion. I would not invest them just at present in
Bengal with powers to dispose of petty civil and
criminal cases, but would wait until the opportunity
was ripe for noting how they discharged their functions
in respect of the other matters referred to above.
16308. What is the reason that Divisional and Dis-
trict Officers are not as closely in touch with the
people in their areas as they might be and ought to
be ?—I consider that they are more or less inaccessible,
and when visiting the interior, the conversations which
are carried on are generally of a more or less formal
character. Then there is a tendency on the part of the
people themselves to avoid these officers. The people
regard them as more or less exclusive in their dealings.
16309. Would the people welcome any greater
accessibility of intercourse ?—I think so ; and a great
deal of important information might be obtained by
direct communication with the people themselves. At
present important information is always obtained
through the police, and there is a tendency on the part
of District Officers to avoid conversation with the
people on any point which is considered to be of im-
portance, such as important points of administration
■—points regarding new measures that are in contem-
plation by Government, and things of that sort. If
there is anything wrong done by the police, the
District Officer would rather not talk on the subject.
Of course, if a point arose which he regarded as too
important to be passed over, it might be different, but,
as a rule, that is my general experience.
16310. Have you yourself experienced any reluc-
tance on the part of District Officers in that respect ?
—At the beginning of my career 1 used to feel diffi-
dent, but for the last ten or twelve years I have had
nothing to complain of so far as they are concerned,
and they have always been accessible to me.
16311. And have discussed matters freely with you ?
■—On certain points ; but on many points I have come
away with the impression that if the District Officer
would talk to me freely, I could exchange views with
him, and I have had to come away sometimes
disappointed.
16312. Do you yourself start subjects and then find
him reticent upon them ?—Not as a rule. I would not
start anything unless it was a matter which concerned
my municipality ; otherwise I would wait and see if
the District Officer would himself give out a suggestion
of any sort.
16313. Is there a lack of knowledge of the verna-
cular on the part of District Officers ?—The knowledge
of European officers is insufficient to enable them to
carry on conversation in matters of administration.
As regards Deputy Magistrates, I think that they too
are of a somewhat exclusive temperament.
16314. Are not Deputy Magistrates nearly all
Indians ?—Yes.
16315. Would you put their exclusiveness down
rather to the fact that they are officials, and being
officials leads them to keep aloof from the general
population ?—I think that may be said to be so
generally.
16316. Is there a sort of feeling that their office is
so important that they must not come in contact with
the people ?—More or less, that is so.
16317. Are Deputy Magistrates wanting in know-
ledge of the vernacular ?—A Bengali Deputy
Magistrate, for instance, who has been deputed to
Bihar, does not understand the vernacular of the
country or the language that is known by the better
classes sufficiently well to carry on conversations as
regards the practical concerns of everyday life. There
are men, of coui se, who have a comprehensive know-
ledge of the language.
16318. Is the knowledge of the language greater or
less now than it used to be both on the part of Deputy
Magistrates and Collectors ?—I have not noticed
whether it has improved or otherwise.
16319. You are in favour of giving larger powers
to municipalities and District Boards ?—Yes. I
quality that as regards leave, pensions and gratuities.
Government looks upon these bodies with a certain
amount of suspicion, and thinks the powers of leave
and pension and gratuities, which a District Board
might grant to their servants, would be abused.
Therefore anything with regard to these matters has
to- be sent up for sanction to the higher authorities,
with the result generally that there is a dislocation of
business for a time.
16320. As Chairman of a municipality, do you apply
to Government for leave ?—Yes ; of course I did not
have to apply to come here, because I should not be
away for a very long time ; but sometimes when a
man applies for sanction for leave, he does not obtain
it for nearly a month. Such a provision is unnecessary
and undesirable.
16321. Might the Local Government leave all these
matters to the Commissioners, and perhaps to Col-
lectors, to settle on the spot ?—Yes.
16322. Generally speaking, might greater powers be
given to municipalities ?—In my experience I have
had nothing to complain of ; but I do not know about
other municipalities. I have read about complaints as
to interference and so on. If I wanted to apply funds
for sanitation or roads and other things, I have found
that my plans have never been interfered with in
any way.
16323. If they had power to depart from the
budget, would municipalities take money which was
meant for education and use it for roads, or that they
might take money which was meant for sanitation and
apply it to increasing emoluments or things of that
sort ?—Of course there might be some danger of that ;
but what they would do from a practical point of
view, it is difficult to say.
16324. Having been a very long time the Head of a
municipality, do you think such a thing might occur ?
I have never done it. If I want to transfer money
from one major head to another, I have to apply to
the Commissioner.
16325. But if you had that power, would some
Councillor probably make that suggestion to you?—
I would not do it myself. Of course it is possible.
16326. And if that were done, would it not be a very
improper use of the money ?—I think so.
16327. With regard to village communities, you
represent that in certain respects an attempt might be
made to create an interest in local self-government
among them. Would you allow them to interfere
Baku
Jogendra
Nath
Mukherjee.
31 Dee., 1907.
79
case of all Executive Officers are to be found more in
the temperament of these officers than in the nature
and scope of the duties they are required to perform.
Some of the means by which obstacles might be re-
moved are (1) to form Advisory or Administrative
Councils constituted more or less on an elective basis ;
(2) more frequent inspection of town and village areas
outside the district headquarters. An appreciable
number of Executive Officers do not possess a sufficient
knowledge of the vernaculars in the province.
Neither any general increase in the administrative
staff, nor any general reduction in the area of district
or other charges, seems to be required.
Transfers are much too frequent. One of’ the
methods by which they could be reduced is to recast
the leave rules.
Larger powers should be given to the municipalities
and District Boards in respect of leave, pensions and
gratuities. As an example I may state that leave to
Chairman should not be made dependent on the sanc-
tion of the Government. Such a course, as a rule,
is useless. The present functions of municipalities,
District Boards, Local Boards and village unions might
be suitably extended in respect of education, and of
the three last-named bodies, in respect of sanitation as
well.
I am in favour of the creation of Administrative
Councils to advise and assist Divisional or District
Officers ; and means should be discovered to secure the
services of really representative men for them. ‘These
Councils should be mainly constituted on an elective
basis. Responsibilities could be given to these Councils
on the following subjects : supervision of police work
and checking of police oppression in the interior of a
district, sanitation, and education,
It is desirable, and possible, to give village com-
munities greater powers in the disposal of local affairs
relating to revenue in non-permanently-settled areas,
police, sanitary and educational matters. They may
also be invested with powers to deal with questions as
to easements and encroachments upon village roads.
They may also be invested with powers in respect of
local option in connection with the excise administra-
tion. I would not invest them just at present in
Bengal with powers to dispose of petty civil and
criminal cases, but would wait until the opportunity
was ripe for noting how they discharged their functions
in respect of the other matters referred to above.
16308. What is the reason that Divisional and Dis-
trict Officers are not as closely in touch with the
people in their areas as they might be and ought to
be ?—I consider that they are more or less inaccessible,
and when visiting the interior, the conversations which
are carried on are generally of a more or less formal
character. Then there is a tendency on the part of the
people themselves to avoid these officers. The people
regard them as more or less exclusive in their dealings.
16309. Would the people welcome any greater
accessibility of intercourse ?—I think so ; and a great
deal of important information might be obtained by
direct communication with the people themselves. At
present important information is always obtained
through the police, and there is a tendency on the part
of District Officers to avoid conversation with the
people on any point which is considered to be of im-
portance, such as important points of administration
■—points regarding new measures that are in contem-
plation by Government, and things of that sort. If
there is anything wrong done by the police, the
District Officer would rather not talk on the subject.
Of course, if a point arose which he regarded as too
important to be passed over, it might be different, but,
as a rule, that is my general experience.
16310. Have you yourself experienced any reluc-
tance on the part of District Officers in that respect ?
—At the beginning of my career 1 used to feel diffi-
dent, but for the last ten or twelve years I have had
nothing to complain of so far as they are concerned,
and they have always been accessible to me.
16311. And have discussed matters freely with you ?
■—On certain points ; but on many points I have come
away with the impression that if the District Officer
would talk to me freely, I could exchange views with
him, and I have had to come away sometimes
disappointed.
16312. Do you yourself start subjects and then find
him reticent upon them ?—Not as a rule. I would not
start anything unless it was a matter which concerned
my municipality ; otherwise I would wait and see if
the District Officer would himself give out a suggestion
of any sort.
16313. Is there a lack of knowledge of the verna-
cular on the part of District Officers ?—The knowledge
of European officers is insufficient to enable them to
carry on conversation in matters of administration.
As regards Deputy Magistrates, I think that they too
are of a somewhat exclusive temperament.
16314. Are not Deputy Magistrates nearly all
Indians ?—Yes.
16315. Would you put their exclusiveness down
rather to the fact that they are officials, and being
officials leads them to keep aloof from the general
population ?—I think that may be said to be so
generally.
16316. Is there a sort of feeling that their office is
so important that they must not come in contact with
the people ?—More or less, that is so.
16317. Are Deputy Magistrates wanting in know-
ledge of the vernacular ?—A Bengali Deputy
Magistrate, for instance, who has been deputed to
Bihar, does not understand the vernacular of the
country or the language that is known by the better
classes sufficiently well to carry on conversations as
regards the practical concerns of everyday life. There
are men, of coui se, who have a comprehensive know-
ledge of the language.
16318. Is the knowledge of the language greater or
less now than it used to be both on the part of Deputy
Magistrates and Collectors ?—I have not noticed
whether it has improved or otherwise.
16319. You are in favour of giving larger powers
to municipalities and District Boards ?—Yes. I
quality that as regards leave, pensions and gratuities.
Government looks upon these bodies with a certain
amount of suspicion, and thinks the powers of leave
and pension and gratuities, which a District Board
might grant to their servants, would be abused.
Therefore anything with regard to these matters has
to- be sent up for sanction to the higher authorities,
with the result generally that there is a dislocation of
business for a time.
16320. As Chairman of a municipality, do you apply
to Government for leave ?—Yes ; of course I did not
have to apply to come here, because I should not be
away for a very long time ; but sometimes when a
man applies for sanction for leave, he does not obtain
it for nearly a month. Such a provision is unnecessary
and undesirable.
16321. Might the Local Government leave all these
matters to the Commissioners, and perhaps to Col-
lectors, to settle on the spot ?—Yes.
16322. Generally speaking, might greater powers be
given to municipalities ?—In my experience I have
had nothing to complain of ; but I do not know about
other municipalities. I have read about complaints as
to interference and so on. If I wanted to apply funds
for sanitation or roads and other things, I have found
that my plans have never been interfered with in
any way.
16323. If they had power to depart from the
budget, would municipalities take money which was
meant for education and use it for roads, or that they
might take money which was meant for sanitation and
apply it to increasing emoluments or things of that
sort ?—Of course there might be some danger of that ;
but what they would do from a practical point of
view, it is difficult to say.
16324. Having been a very long time the Head of a
municipality, do you think such a thing might occur ?
I have never done it. If I want to transfer money
from one major head to another, I have to apply to
the Commissioner.
16325. But if you had that power, would some
Councillor probably make that suggestion to you?—
I would not do it myself. Of course it is possible.
16326. And if that were done, would it not be a very
improper use of the money ?—I think so.
16327. With regard to village communities, you
represent that in certain respects an attempt might be
made to create an interest in local self-government
among them. Would you allow them to interfere
Baku
Jogendra
Nath
Mukherjee.
31 Dee., 1907.