DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.68025#0204
198
APPENDIX :
APPENDIX I.
Memorandum showing the organisation of the Government of Bengal.
Filed by the Hon. Mr. E. A. Gait, Chief Secretary.
Bengal Government.—The Head of the Government
of Bengal is the Lieutenant-Governor. He is assisted
in the discharge of his duties by five Secretaries, who
are in charge of the following Departments :—
(1) Chief Secretary ... Political (including Police),
Appointment and Revenue Departments.
(2) Judicial Secretary ... Judicial and General
(including Education) Departments.
(3) Financial Secretary ... Financial and Municipal
Departments.
(4) Public Works Secretary ... Roads and Buildings.
(5) Public Works Secretary ... Irrigation, Marine
and Railways.
The two Public Works Secretaries also have
administrative duties as Chief Engineers. There is
an Under-Secretary in each Department.
Cases of a routine nature are disposed of by the
Under-Secretaries in the different departments. Other
relatively unimportant cases where the proper course
is clear, are disposed of by the Secretaries. It is,
however, a rule of business that all communications
to and from the Government of India, all circulars and
other instructions of a general nature, and all cases in
which it is proposed to pass orders contrary to the
recommendations of a Commissioner of a Division or
the Head of a Department must be submitted for the
orders of the Lieutenant-Governor.
The Bengal Government has a Legislative Council
constituted under a proclamation, dated the 18th
January, 1862, by the Governor-General in Council,
which extended to this province the provisions of the
India Councils Act, 1861. The number of Members
of Council was originally twelve, but it has been
raised to twenty under the India Councils Act, 1892.
By regulations made under the Act, it has been
provided that, of the twenty members, not more than
ten shall be officials. Of the non-official members
seven are nominated by the Lieutenant-Governor on
the recommendation of certain local bodies and
associations, and three at his own discretion.
The Board of Revenue.—The control of all matters
connected with the collection of revenue and the
administration of the land is vested in the Board of
Revenue, which was constituted by Regulation III
of 1822. There are two members, one of whom deals
with land revenue, survey and settlements, land
registration, the management of wards’ estates, the
collection of cesses, &c.; and the other with mis-
cellaneous revenue, including excise, opium, income-
tax, salt, customs and the like. Each member is
vested with the full powers of the Board in respect of
his own department. In all revenue matters, the
Board constitutes 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 its sanction
according to law or practice. New circular orders of
any importance are submitted for the approval
of Government before they are issued.
Heads of Departments.—It may be stated generally
that it is the duty of the Head of a Department by
inspection and otherwise to see that the work of his
department is properly and efficiently carried out. It
is also his duty to initiate reforms, but all important
changes and general circulars require the previous
approval of Government. The following are the
Heads of the Department in Bengal with a brief note
on the powers and duties of each :—
The Inspector General of Police is the Head of the
Police Department outside Calcutta. Under him are
three Deputy-Inspectors-General for the three ranges
into which the province is divided for police purposes.
A fourth Deputy-Inspector-General is in charge of
the Railway Police and the Criminal Investigation
Department.
The Commissioner of Police is the Head of the
Police in the city of Calcutta, and is independent of
the Inspector-General of Police.
The Director of Public Instruction is the chief
controlling officer of the Education Department.
Below him are the divisional inspectors of schools,
one for each division. There is a Deputy Inspector
for each district, who is assisted by a sub-inspector in
each sub-division.
The Inspector-General of Civil Hospitals is in charge
of the Medical Department. Under him are the Civil
Surgeons in the different districts and the officers in
charge of the big medical institutions in Calcutta.
The Sanitary Commissioner, with two Deputy
Sanitary Commissioners, is responsible for advising
Government and local bodies in all matters concerning
sanitation. Their functions are purely advisory.
The Commissioner of Excise is in immediate charge
of excise matters and, in that capacity issues orders
direct to Collectors. If, however, he differs from the
Commissioner of a division, he is required to refer
the matter to the Board of Revenue.
The Inspector-General of Prisons exercises general
control over, and supervision of, all prisons situated in
the province.
The Director of Land Records is in charge of all
large settlements throughout the province. Petty
settlements are dealt with by the District Officers
themselves.
Director of Agriculture.-—This is a new appointment.
It is the duty of the Director to encourage agriculture
by giving advice, disseminating information and
supplying seed for new crops. Various agricultural
farms are under his control.
The Inspector-General of Registration is in charge of
the Registration Department. He is assisted by two
Inspectors of Registration.
The Conservator of Forests is the head of the Forest
Department. The management of all reserved
forests is carried out by him with a staff of Deputy
and Assistant Conservators and other subordinates.
In respect of protected forests, his functions are more
of an advisory nature. The direct control over these
forests vests in the District Officer.
Commissioners of Divisions.—For administrative
purposes, Bengal is divided into six divisions, each of
which is superintended by a Commissioner. The
largest of these divisions is that of Patna with a
population of 15J millions.
The work of Commissioners is both administrative
and judicial. In almost all matters especially in the
Revenue Department, they exercise a general super-
intendence and control over the proceedings of District
Officers. They exercise this control, partly by means
of returns and the necessity which exists of obtaining
their sanction in various matters, and partly by
periodic inspections and local tours. Where they
have not authority to dispose of matters themselves,
they refer them for the orders of higher authority.
All reports called for by Government or the Board
are obtained through them, and in submitting the
District Officers’ reports, it is their duty to sift, check,
and collate them, to amplify, where necessary and to
furnish their own views.
The judicial work of Commissioners consists in
hearing appeals from the decisions of subordinate
officers in. cases relating to settlements, partitions,
certificate sales, and other cases of a revenue nature,
in the exercise of powers vested in them by law.
They also hear appeals of an executive nature, e.g.,
from ministerial and police officers against dismissal
or other punishments. In certain divisions, they have
to perform political, civil and criminal work.
APPENDIX :
APPENDIX I.
Memorandum showing the organisation of the Government of Bengal.
Filed by the Hon. Mr. E. A. Gait, Chief Secretary.
Bengal Government.—The Head of the Government
of Bengal is the Lieutenant-Governor. He is assisted
in the discharge of his duties by five Secretaries, who
are in charge of the following Departments :—
(1) Chief Secretary ... Political (including Police),
Appointment and Revenue Departments.
(2) Judicial Secretary ... Judicial and General
(including Education) Departments.
(3) Financial Secretary ... Financial and Municipal
Departments.
(4) Public Works Secretary ... Roads and Buildings.
(5) Public Works Secretary ... Irrigation, Marine
and Railways.
The two Public Works Secretaries also have
administrative duties as Chief Engineers. There is
an Under-Secretary in each Department.
Cases of a routine nature are disposed of by the
Under-Secretaries in the different departments. Other
relatively unimportant cases where the proper course
is clear, are disposed of by the Secretaries. It is,
however, a rule of business that all communications
to and from the Government of India, all circulars and
other instructions of a general nature, and all cases in
which it is proposed to pass orders contrary to the
recommendations of a Commissioner of a Division or
the Head of a Department must be submitted for the
orders of the Lieutenant-Governor.
The Bengal Government has a Legislative Council
constituted under a proclamation, dated the 18th
January, 1862, by the Governor-General in Council,
which extended to this province the provisions of the
India Councils Act, 1861. The number of Members
of Council was originally twelve, but it has been
raised to twenty under the India Councils Act, 1892.
By regulations made under the Act, it has been
provided that, of the twenty members, not more than
ten shall be officials. Of the non-official members
seven are nominated by the Lieutenant-Governor on
the recommendation of certain local bodies and
associations, and three at his own discretion.
The Board of Revenue.—The control of all matters
connected with the collection of revenue and the
administration of the land is vested in the Board of
Revenue, which was constituted by Regulation III
of 1822. There are two members, one of whom deals
with land revenue, survey and settlements, land
registration, the management of wards’ estates, the
collection of cesses, &c.; and the other with mis-
cellaneous revenue, including excise, opium, income-
tax, salt, customs and the like. Each member is
vested with the full powers of the Board in respect of
his own department. In all revenue matters, the
Board constitutes 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 its sanction
according to law or practice. New circular orders of
any importance are submitted for the approval
of Government before they are issued.
Heads of Departments.—It may be stated generally
that it is the duty of the Head of a Department by
inspection and otherwise to see that the work of his
department is properly and efficiently carried out. It
is also his duty to initiate reforms, but all important
changes and general circulars require the previous
approval of Government. The following are the
Heads of the Department in Bengal with a brief note
on the powers and duties of each :—
The Inspector General of Police is the Head of the
Police Department outside Calcutta. Under him are
three Deputy-Inspectors-General for the three ranges
into which the province is divided for police purposes.
A fourth Deputy-Inspector-General is in charge of
the Railway Police and the Criminal Investigation
Department.
The Commissioner of Police is the Head of the
Police in the city of Calcutta, and is independent of
the Inspector-General of Police.
The Director of Public Instruction is the chief
controlling officer of the Education Department.
Below him are the divisional inspectors of schools,
one for each division. There is a Deputy Inspector
for each district, who is assisted by a sub-inspector in
each sub-division.
The Inspector-General of Civil Hospitals is in charge
of the Medical Department. Under him are the Civil
Surgeons in the different districts and the officers in
charge of the big medical institutions in Calcutta.
The Sanitary Commissioner, with two Deputy
Sanitary Commissioners, is responsible for advising
Government and local bodies in all matters concerning
sanitation. Their functions are purely advisory.
The Commissioner of Excise is in immediate charge
of excise matters and, in that capacity issues orders
direct to Collectors. If, however, he differs from the
Commissioner of a division, he is required to refer
the matter to the Board of Revenue.
The Inspector-General of Prisons exercises general
control over, and supervision of, all prisons situated in
the province.
The Director of Land Records is in charge of all
large settlements throughout the province. Petty
settlements are dealt with by the District Officers
themselves.
Director of Agriculture.-—This is a new appointment.
It is the duty of the Director to encourage agriculture
by giving advice, disseminating information and
supplying seed for new crops. Various agricultural
farms are under his control.
The Inspector-General of Registration is in charge of
the Registration Department. He is assisted by two
Inspectors of Registration.
The Conservator of Forests is the head of the Forest
Department. The management of all reserved
forests is carried out by him with a staff of Deputy
and Assistant Conservators and other subordinates.
In respect of protected forests, his functions are more
of an advisory nature. The direct control over these
forests vests in the District Officer.
Commissioners of Divisions.—For administrative
purposes, Bengal is divided into six divisions, each of
which is superintended by a Commissioner. The
largest of these divisions is that of Patna with a
population of 15J millions.
The work of Commissioners is both administrative
and judicial. In almost all matters especially in the
Revenue Department, they exercise a general super-
intendence and control over the proceedings of District
Officers. They exercise this control, partly by means
of returns and the necessity which exists of obtaining
their sanction in various matters, and partly by
periodic inspections and local tours. Where they
have not authority to dispose of matters themselves,
they refer them for the orders of higher authority.
All reports called for by Government or the Board
are obtained through them, and in submitting the
District Officers’ reports, it is their duty to sift, check,
and collate them, to amplify, where necessary and to
furnish their own views.
The judicial work of Commissioners consists in
hearing appeals from the decisions of subordinate
officers in. cases relating to settlements, partitions,
certificate sales, and other cases of a revenue nature,
in the exercise of powers vested in them by law.
They also hear appeals of an executive nature, e.g.,
from ministerial and police officers against dismissal
or other punishments. In certain divisions, they have
to perform political, civil and criminal work.