DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.68026#0199
ROYAL COMMISSION UPON DECENTRALIZATION.
193
revenues of India, and it has been held that the
administration of such funds should be entirely in the
hands of the Government of India.
6. It will also be noticed that in the matter of
Protective Works the Local Governments may sanction
works chargeable to Open Capital within certain
limits, but have no powers whatever to sanction
original projects. The Government of India is vitally
interested in schemes classed under 35—Protective.
They are met from a moiety of the Famine Insurance-
Grant, which is for the present limited to 150 lakhs per
annum for both protective irrigation works and
railways. This grant being very limited, and liable
to material reduction in the event of famine declaring
itself, it is essential that the power of disposing of it
should be vested in a central authority, which is in a
position to deal impartially with the claims of the
several provinces for allotments from the grant.
Table of powers in respect of irrigation works.
Local. Government or
Administration.
49—Productive.
35—Protective.
43—Imperial Minor
Works.
Schemes.
Open
Capital.
Schemes.
Open
Capital.
Schemes.
Open
Capital.
Governments of Madras and
Bombay.
Governmentsof Bengal, United
Provinces, Punjab, Burma,
and Eastern Bengal and
Assam.
Local Administrations
Nil.
Rs. 10,000 if unremu-
nerative ; Rs. 25,000
if remunerative.
Nil.
Rs.
2,50,000*
62,500*
25,000*
Rs.
2,50,000*
62,500*
25,000*
Rs.
2,50,000*
62.500*
62,500*
* Including charges for establishment and tools and plant.
7. As regards Electricity, all applications for licenses
coming under Section 40 of the Indian Electricity Act
require the orders of the Government of India, and
there is at present under consideration the report of a
Committee, which has, among other things, recom-
mended that the administration of the Act should be
vested entirely in the Government of India. The
Local Governments and Administrations, who have
been consulted on this point, have, with only two
exceptions, approved of the proposal to imperialise the
administration of the Act ; and it is possible that the
Act when amended will provide for this change. To
assist the Government of India in disposing of all
matters connected with electricity and the administra-
tion of the Act, they have an expert adviser, in the
person of the Electrical Adviser, whose duties are out-
lined in paragraph 14 of this Memorandum.
8. The principal Gazetted Officers of the Public
Works Department Secretariat are :—
A Secretary with
A Deputy Secretary who is also Accountant
General in charge of the Accounts Branch,
A Deputy Secretary in charge of the Establish-
ments Branch,
and
An Under Secretary in charge of the Civil Works
Branch.
The duties and functions of a Secretary to the
Government of India are defined in the Rules of
Business. In the case of the Public Works Depart-
ment the Secretary, who is a- member- of the Indian
Public Works Department, is also the professional
adviser to the Government in all matters connected
with the business of the department.
9. The Deputy Secretaries and the Under Secretary
have placed upon them the complete responsibility to
the Secretary for- all business done in their respective
branches, and they are responsible that all orders
issued are in conformity with the instructions of the
Government of India.
10. The Officers immediately subordinate to this
Department are-
(i) The Accountant General, Public Works
Department, who is assisted by a Deputy
Accountant General for Inspection and by
two Assistant Accountants General.
(ii) The Inspector General of Irrigation.
(iii) The Consulting Architect and
(iv) The Electrical Adviser.
11. Accountant General.—The Accountant General
is Head of the Accounts Branch of the Public
Works Department and is responsible for the
financial regularity of the whole of the revenue
and expenditure of Railways, Irrigation, other Public
Works, Military Works and Telegraphs. To secure
33383
this result, it is his duty to see that an efficient
local audit is maintained at the headquarters of
Local Governments and Administrations by his
Examiners of Accounts, in the exercise of their
functions as independent auditors on behalf of the
Government of India and the Secretary of State.
The Accountant General also controls, and is respon-
sible for, the discipline of a staff of 88 officers and 575
accountants. He scrutinizes proposals for the revisions
of scales of the Superior and Subordinate Accounts
Establishments including the clerical establishments
of Examiners’ offices, advises the Government of India
on appointments, promotions, postings, etc., of the
Superior Accounts Establishments, and controls those
of accountants on the General and Railway Lists.
Although railways are no longer administered by
the Public Works Department, yet the Accountant
General is freely consulted by the Department of
Commerce and Industry on important matters con-
nected with railway accounts; and the Railway
Accounts Officer is responsible to the Accountant
General for the efficient discharge of his duties.
The Deputy Accountant General for Inspection is
employed chiefly in making periodical inspections of
the offices of all Examiners of Public Works and
Railway Accounts including the audit offices of Com-
pany-worked lines. There are in all some 37 separate
offices under inspection.
12. Inspector General of Irrigation.—Formerly the-
Secretary in the Department held the dual office of
Secretary and Inspector General of Irrigation, but
owing to the vast number of important irrigation
projects which had been sanctioned or proposed in
consequence of the report of the Irrigation Commis-
sion, the Secretary of State sanctioned the appoint-
ment as an experimental measure of a whole-time
Inspector General for a period of three years from
February 1906. The Inspector General is required to
spend the cold weather on tour, inspecting the various
projects and conferring with Local Governments on
the subject. He is also required while on tour to
take the opportunity of discussing with Local Govern-
ments the possible development of those waterways in
India which, in the interests of commerce, it is considered
desirable to maintain or improve. During the hot
weather and the rains, the Inspector General is
employed in scrutinizing the designs and estimates
prepared by provincial Governments for irrigation
schemes, and in advising on the professional, revenue,
and financial aspects of irrigation projects which are
submitted to the Government of India.
13. Consulting Architect.—The Office of Consulting
Architect was sanctioned for a period of five years
from November 1902. The term of office has expired,
and the question of retaining it as a permanency now-
forms the subject of correspondence between the
2 B
193
revenues of India, and it has been held that the
administration of such funds should be entirely in the
hands of the Government of India.
6. It will also be noticed that in the matter of
Protective Works the Local Governments may sanction
works chargeable to Open Capital within certain
limits, but have no powers whatever to sanction
original projects. The Government of India is vitally
interested in schemes classed under 35—Protective.
They are met from a moiety of the Famine Insurance-
Grant, which is for the present limited to 150 lakhs per
annum for both protective irrigation works and
railways. This grant being very limited, and liable
to material reduction in the event of famine declaring
itself, it is essential that the power of disposing of it
should be vested in a central authority, which is in a
position to deal impartially with the claims of the
several provinces for allotments from the grant.
Table of powers in respect of irrigation works.
Local. Government or
Administration.
49—Productive.
35—Protective.
43—Imperial Minor
Works.
Schemes.
Open
Capital.
Schemes.
Open
Capital.
Schemes.
Open
Capital.
Governments of Madras and
Bombay.
Governmentsof Bengal, United
Provinces, Punjab, Burma,
and Eastern Bengal and
Assam.
Local Administrations
Nil.
Rs. 10,000 if unremu-
nerative ; Rs. 25,000
if remunerative.
Nil.
Rs.
2,50,000*
62,500*
25,000*
Rs.
2,50,000*
62,500*
25,000*
Rs.
2,50,000*
62.500*
62,500*
* Including charges for establishment and tools and plant.
7. As regards Electricity, all applications for licenses
coming under Section 40 of the Indian Electricity Act
require the orders of the Government of India, and
there is at present under consideration the report of a
Committee, which has, among other things, recom-
mended that the administration of the Act should be
vested entirely in the Government of India. The
Local Governments and Administrations, who have
been consulted on this point, have, with only two
exceptions, approved of the proposal to imperialise the
administration of the Act ; and it is possible that the
Act when amended will provide for this change. To
assist the Government of India in disposing of all
matters connected with electricity and the administra-
tion of the Act, they have an expert adviser, in the
person of the Electrical Adviser, whose duties are out-
lined in paragraph 14 of this Memorandum.
8. The principal Gazetted Officers of the Public
Works Department Secretariat are :—
A Secretary with
A Deputy Secretary who is also Accountant
General in charge of the Accounts Branch,
A Deputy Secretary in charge of the Establish-
ments Branch,
and
An Under Secretary in charge of the Civil Works
Branch.
The duties and functions of a Secretary to the
Government of India are defined in the Rules of
Business. In the case of the Public Works Depart-
ment the Secretary, who is a- member- of the Indian
Public Works Department, is also the professional
adviser to the Government in all matters connected
with the business of the department.
9. The Deputy Secretaries and the Under Secretary
have placed upon them the complete responsibility to
the Secretary for- all business done in their respective
branches, and they are responsible that all orders
issued are in conformity with the instructions of the
Government of India.
10. The Officers immediately subordinate to this
Department are-
(i) The Accountant General, Public Works
Department, who is assisted by a Deputy
Accountant General for Inspection and by
two Assistant Accountants General.
(ii) The Inspector General of Irrigation.
(iii) The Consulting Architect and
(iv) The Electrical Adviser.
11. Accountant General.—The Accountant General
is Head of the Accounts Branch of the Public
Works Department and is responsible for the
financial regularity of the whole of the revenue
and expenditure of Railways, Irrigation, other Public
Works, Military Works and Telegraphs. To secure
33383
this result, it is his duty to see that an efficient
local audit is maintained at the headquarters of
Local Governments and Administrations by his
Examiners of Accounts, in the exercise of their
functions as independent auditors on behalf of the
Government of India and the Secretary of State.
The Accountant General also controls, and is respon-
sible for, the discipline of a staff of 88 officers and 575
accountants. He scrutinizes proposals for the revisions
of scales of the Superior and Subordinate Accounts
Establishments including the clerical establishments
of Examiners’ offices, advises the Government of India
on appointments, promotions, postings, etc., of the
Superior Accounts Establishments, and controls those
of accountants on the General and Railway Lists.
Although railways are no longer administered by
the Public Works Department, yet the Accountant
General is freely consulted by the Department of
Commerce and Industry on important matters con-
nected with railway accounts; and the Railway
Accounts Officer is responsible to the Accountant
General for the efficient discharge of his duties.
The Deputy Accountant General for Inspection is
employed chiefly in making periodical inspections of
the offices of all Examiners of Public Works and
Railway Accounts including the audit offices of Com-
pany-worked lines. There are in all some 37 separate
offices under inspection.
12. Inspector General of Irrigation.—Formerly the-
Secretary in the Department held the dual office of
Secretary and Inspector General of Irrigation, but
owing to the vast number of important irrigation
projects which had been sanctioned or proposed in
consequence of the report of the Irrigation Commis-
sion, the Secretary of State sanctioned the appoint-
ment as an experimental measure of a whole-time
Inspector General for a period of three years from
February 1906. The Inspector General is required to
spend the cold weather on tour, inspecting the various
projects and conferring with Local Governments on
the subject. He is also required while on tour to
take the opportunity of discussing with Local Govern-
ments the possible development of those waterways in
India which, in the interests of commerce, it is considered
desirable to maintain or improve. During the hot
weather and the rains, the Inspector General is
employed in scrutinizing the designs and estimates
prepared by provincial Governments for irrigation
schemes, and in advising on the professional, revenue,
and financial aspects of irrigation projects which are
submitted to the Government of India.
13. Consulting Architect.—The Office of Consulting
Architect was sanctioned for a period of five years
from November 1902. The term of office has expired,
and the question of retaining it as a permanency now-
forms the subject of correspondence between the
2 B