DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.68025#0103
ROYAL COMMISSION UPON DECENTRALIZATION.
97
matter of education ?—Certainly, because I think the
Local Governments have the best advisers with regard
to education.
16783. Is the number of transfers among your
inspectors very frequent ?—Yes, very frequent.
16784. Is that a sound state of affairs ?—No, it is
very undesirable indeed. With regard to inspectors, I
certainly think they ought to stay in a division for five
years as a minimum.
16785. Would you say, as an ideal that they should
be there a good deal longer ?—I am not quite so certain
about that ; I am certainly of opinion that it is desirable
for an inspector to get experience of all the divisions ;
it is possible that he might become a Director, and it
is not desirable that his experience should be confined
to one division merely ; and he would have a broader
view, I think, upon educational questions if he moved
about from one division to another.
16786. Can you give me roughly any idea of how
long inspectors stay in a division now ?—It varies very
greatly. I should put the average time as between one
and two years. Of course there have been exceptions,
but on the other hand there have been very frequent
transfers.
16787. How would you propose to remedy that state
of affairs ?—I think it could be very easily remedied ;
you have simply to lay down a general order that an
inspector should ordinarily stay five years in his
division.
16788. If that is desirable, why has it not been
done ?—Because the matter has been simply left to
the consideration of the moment. I suppose it is so
apparent that no one has ever thought of putting it
into standing orders, and then questions of depart-
mental convenience arise, and a man is transferred for
reasons quite apart from considerations of efficiency
in his work.
16789. Have you an adequate number of inspectors?
— We have not an adequate number of inspectors at
present, but the number is being largely added to, and
I think we shall have an adequate number in the course
of the next few years.
16790. There will be no difficulty, then, in the way
of securing that people should remain a reasonable
time in their districts ?—I do not think there will be
any difficulty.
( The witness withdrew).
Adjourned.
TWENTY-FOURTH DAY.
Calcutta, Thursday, 2nd January, 1908.
PRESENT :
C. E. H. Hobhouse, Esq., M.P., Under-Secretary of State for India, Chairman.
Sir Frederic Lely, K.C.I.E, C.S.I. W. S. Meyer, Esq., C.I.E, I.C.S.
Sir Steyning Edgerley, K.C.V.O., C.I.E., I.C.S. W. L. Hichens, Esq.
R. C. Dutt, Esq., C.I.E.
Raja Ranajit Sinha Bahadur of Nashipur was called and examined.
16791/ (Chairman.) Where do you live?—I am a
zamindar of Nashipur in the Murshidabad district.
I am chairman of the Murshidabad municipality, a
member of the District Board, and was a member of
the Bengal Legislative Council about two years ago.
The present system of renewing the provincial con-
tract after the lapse of five years according to the
requirements of the provincial Governments is based
on sound principles and needs no change.
A more complete separation than at present exists
should not be effected between imperial and provincial
finances, as the provincial Government, in case of
complete separation, may cease to take such interest
as it now takes in respect of revenue with which it
will have no concern. Local Governments need not
be given borrowing powers.
Local Governments should have powers to create
new appointments carrying a salary of Rs. 500 or less,
and they should also have powers to increase the
salaries of the ministerial staff and ungraded officers
of Government.
The Directors and Inspectors-General under the
Government of India should, as often as possible,
meet the officers in charge of the corresponding de-
partments of the Local Government, and discuss with
them important matters relating to their departments,
but in no case should the views of such Directors
and Inspectors-Generals be finally accepted by the
Government of India without consulting the Local
Governments concerned.
I would not curtail "’the right of appeal to the
Government of India or to the Local Government
now granted in respect of administrative action either
by law or by rules having the force of law, or by
33263
executive practice. There should be no appeal against
the orders of the provincial Government to the
Government of India in respect of officers drawing a
salary of Rs. 250 or less.
Small sums should be placed at the disposal of
Commissioners and Collectors to meet the require-
ments of their divisions and districts.
The influence of the Commissioner in respect of
the Education and the Excise Departments is not
sufficiently strong, and adequate weight is not given
to his views. District Officers are generally over-
worked and have very little leisure at their disposal,
and, as such, have not sufficient opportunities for per-
sonal contact with the people ; but the opportunities
which they do have are not properly utilised by many
officials. The people generally are afraid to approach
the officials for various reasons ; if the Executive
Officers be sympathetic and kind in their treatment
and take the people into their confidence, the ad-
ministration will be much improved. I think these
officers have the requisite knowledge of the ver-
naculars.
There should be a general increase in the administra-
tive staff, and there should be a reduction in the area
of some districts and sub-divisions the areas of which
are unusually large. Every district should have a
J oint-Magistrate.
The transfers of officers are not very frequent now-
a-days. The District and other Executive and Judi-
cial Officers should not generally be transferred within
three years from the date of their posting to a charge.
Municipalities should have larger powers in respect
of their finances, but I do not think that at present
the functions of municipalities and District Boards
could be suitably extended.
N
Mr. G. W.
Kuchler.
31 Dec., 1907
Raja Ranajit
Sinha
Bahadur.
2 Jan., 1908.
97
matter of education ?—Certainly, because I think the
Local Governments have the best advisers with regard
to education.
16783. Is the number of transfers among your
inspectors very frequent ?—Yes, very frequent.
16784. Is that a sound state of affairs ?—No, it is
very undesirable indeed. With regard to inspectors, I
certainly think they ought to stay in a division for five
years as a minimum.
16785. Would you say, as an ideal that they should
be there a good deal longer ?—I am not quite so certain
about that ; I am certainly of opinion that it is desirable
for an inspector to get experience of all the divisions ;
it is possible that he might become a Director, and it
is not desirable that his experience should be confined
to one division merely ; and he would have a broader
view, I think, upon educational questions if he moved
about from one division to another.
16786. Can you give me roughly any idea of how
long inspectors stay in a division now ?—It varies very
greatly. I should put the average time as between one
and two years. Of course there have been exceptions,
but on the other hand there have been very frequent
transfers.
16787. How would you propose to remedy that state
of affairs ?—I think it could be very easily remedied ;
you have simply to lay down a general order that an
inspector should ordinarily stay five years in his
division.
16788. If that is desirable, why has it not been
done ?—Because the matter has been simply left to
the consideration of the moment. I suppose it is so
apparent that no one has ever thought of putting it
into standing orders, and then questions of depart-
mental convenience arise, and a man is transferred for
reasons quite apart from considerations of efficiency
in his work.
16789. Have you an adequate number of inspectors?
— We have not an adequate number of inspectors at
present, but the number is being largely added to, and
I think we shall have an adequate number in the course
of the next few years.
16790. There will be no difficulty, then, in the way
of securing that people should remain a reasonable
time in their districts ?—I do not think there will be
any difficulty.
( The witness withdrew).
Adjourned.
TWENTY-FOURTH DAY.
Calcutta, Thursday, 2nd January, 1908.
PRESENT :
C. E. H. Hobhouse, Esq., M.P., Under-Secretary of State for India, Chairman.
Sir Frederic Lely, K.C.I.E, C.S.I. W. S. Meyer, Esq., C.I.E, I.C.S.
Sir Steyning Edgerley, K.C.V.O., C.I.E., I.C.S. W. L. Hichens, Esq.
R. C. Dutt, Esq., C.I.E.
Raja Ranajit Sinha Bahadur of Nashipur was called and examined.
16791/ (Chairman.) Where do you live?—I am a
zamindar of Nashipur in the Murshidabad district.
I am chairman of the Murshidabad municipality, a
member of the District Board, and was a member of
the Bengal Legislative Council about two years ago.
The present system of renewing the provincial con-
tract after the lapse of five years according to the
requirements of the provincial Governments is based
on sound principles and needs no change.
A more complete separation than at present exists
should not be effected between imperial and provincial
finances, as the provincial Government, in case of
complete separation, may cease to take such interest
as it now takes in respect of revenue with which it
will have no concern. Local Governments need not
be given borrowing powers.
Local Governments should have powers to create
new appointments carrying a salary of Rs. 500 or less,
and they should also have powers to increase the
salaries of the ministerial staff and ungraded officers
of Government.
The Directors and Inspectors-General under the
Government of India should, as often as possible,
meet the officers in charge of the corresponding de-
partments of the Local Government, and discuss with
them important matters relating to their departments,
but in no case should the views of such Directors
and Inspectors-Generals be finally accepted by the
Government of India without consulting the Local
Governments concerned.
I would not curtail "’the right of appeal to the
Government of India or to the Local Government
now granted in respect of administrative action either
by law or by rules having the force of law, or by
33263
executive practice. There should be no appeal against
the orders of the provincial Government to the
Government of India in respect of officers drawing a
salary of Rs. 250 or less.
Small sums should be placed at the disposal of
Commissioners and Collectors to meet the require-
ments of their divisions and districts.
The influence of the Commissioner in respect of
the Education and the Excise Departments is not
sufficiently strong, and adequate weight is not given
to his views. District Officers are generally over-
worked and have very little leisure at their disposal,
and, as such, have not sufficient opportunities for per-
sonal contact with the people ; but the opportunities
which they do have are not properly utilised by many
officials. The people generally are afraid to approach
the officials for various reasons ; if the Executive
Officers be sympathetic and kind in their treatment
and take the people into their confidence, the ad-
ministration will be much improved. I think these
officers have the requisite knowledge of the ver-
naculars.
There should be a general increase in the administra-
tive staff, and there should be a reduction in the area
of some districts and sub-divisions the areas of which
are unusually large. Every district should have a
J oint-Magistrate.
The transfers of officers are not very frequent now-
a-days. The District and other Executive and Judi-
cial Officers should not generally be transferred within
three years from the date of their posting to a charge.
Municipalities should have larger powers in respect
of their finances, but I do not think that at present
the functions of municipalities and District Boards
could be suitably extended.
N
Mr. G. W.
Kuchler.
31 Dec., 1907
Raja Ranajit
Sinha
Bahadur.
2 Jan., 1908.