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EFFECT OF RECENT CHANGES The structure of administration developed during the past century was based upon the district as the principal unit with the district officer as the government's principal representative in touch with the people. Besides being in control of the administration of law and order and revenue in the district,.the district officer held a coordinating responsibility for the activities of all departmental agencies within the district. In the hierarchy of administration, he enjoyed status and powers which gave him considerable influence over the local population. In the Indian States also, the administration was organised through the district, but in the majority of States there were no stable public services and personal rule prevailed, so that the position of the district officer was generally much less important than in the provinces.
2. The district is still the most important single unit of administration. As before, the maintenance of law and order and the collection of land revenue remain the district officer's primary duties. Recent developments have, however, altered his position and emphasised the need for giving an altogether fresh orientation to district administration. The maintenance of law and order must always be an important obligation, but increasingly district administration derives its significance from its role in developing the resources and raising the standard of living of the people of the district. The district officer's position is intermediate between the State Government, whose policy is determined mainly by a political executive responsible to a legislature elected by the people, and local self- governing bodies which are also elected by the people. For many years district boards, municipalities and town committees have existed as institutions of local self government in most of the States, but their development programmes have now to be linked up with those of the district and the States. In the past, for the limited functions with which the district officer was especially concerned, a democratic village agency was scarcely necessary. In different ways the administration was supported in rural areas by influential persons such as zamindars, zaildars, village headmen and the like. These non- officials helped police and revenue administration in the district, but there was not much call on them for creating enthusiasm for development programmes, which were then extremely restricted in scope. Though they had some local influence of their own, they were largely dependent on the authority which the administration conferred on them and invariably they had to reckon with local rivals for power and official favour. In the closing years of British rule this system no longer served the purpose for which it was created and was seen to be breaking down almost everywhere.
3. Certain other tendencies were also in evidence in the field of district administration. Over many years, for fields of activity such as agriculture, co-operation, animal husbandry, forests, industries, etc, separate departments had grown up and established their own
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separate agencies for work in the districts. To the extent to which these departments had functions of a technical character, they were certainly necessary. In-rural areas, however, a situation developed in which each department attempted to reach the cultivator through its own personnel. As a rule the staff was thinly spread and, at the lowest levels, A was poorly paid and equipped. On account of the limited character of the development which was aimed at, there was not much in the work of these officials to inspire them with enthusiasm. The development departments did not maintain sufficient liaison between their various activities and their officials frequently confessed failure either by pleading for more punitive powers or for greater assistance from the revenue administration. Although some useful results were secured here and there, and those who were progressive or influential took advantage of the services provided by the government, development activities in the district lacked unity of approach and were always hampered for want of sufficient field staff for carrying out their extension work.
4. During the past decade the machinery of administration in the district has been severely tested in another direction also, namely, the procurement and distribution of foodgrains and the distribution of civil supplies. When the war ended, the district administration over the larger part of the country, was well attuned to the discharge of these responsibilities. With the decontrol of food in 1948, the grip of the administration over the problems of supply weakened and, although controls were reimposed subsequently, their administration has been distinctly less satisfactory than before. Frequent changes in the administration of food control have been a disorganising factor in district administration. Operations which should become matters of routine, in whose performance there should be a steady increase in efficiency, have suffered from the ad hoc character of changes which have sometimes been instituted without sufficient regard to administrative implications. In such circumstances, a difficult food situation may divert the attention of the entire district administration and affect both public relations and the execution of development programmes.
5. Another set of problems which the district administration faces fall within the field of land reform, a subject which is discussed at some length in a later chapter. Wherever zamindari has been abolished, it is necessary to create a new system of village administration and, frequently also, to prepare a new system of village records. This presents an immense administrative task. Elsewhere, when new restrictions and limitations are imposed upon the larger holders of land and new rights conferred upon tenants and workers, their implementation calls for sustained administrative action at various levels reaching down to the village and, what is not less important, they call for close control and supervision. When administrative arrangements are not adequate, measures of land reform do not fulfil their real purpose.
6. To the factors which have been described, one more may be added. The quality of personnel charged with administrative duties in the districts varies greatly. While examples of initiative and independence of judgment are by no means wanting, it will be correct to say that, in common with other spheres of administration, the majority of districts are now administered less adequately than before. Many experienced persons-their number was always limited and was further reduced on account of the Partition of the country-have
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moved to secretariats and to the headquarters of departments. The burden of duties falling upon State Governments has increased to such an extent and so many new functions have had to be assumed that the districts seldom secure at the higher levels the quality of personnel which their problems call for. Yet, it is on the record of service which the administration can render to the people in villages and towns that governments have to justify themselves. The institution of the Indian Administrative Service in succession to the Indian Civil Service is an important step in the direction of providing in the districts a sufficient number of well-rained and well-equipped officers who can offer requisite leadership in district administration.
7. In brief, from now on, the primary emphasis in district administration has to be on the implementation of development programmes in close co-operation and with the active support of the people. Apart from the problem of finding personnel for the higher positions in the district and the problem of adapting the administrative system to the temper of democratic government, the reorganisation of district administration has to provide for-
(1) strengthening and improvement of the machinery of general administration
(2) establishment of an appropriate agency for development at the village level which derives its authority from. the village community ;
(3) integration of activities of various development departments in the district and the provision of a common extension Organisation ;
(4) linking up, in relation to all development work, of local self-governing institutions with the administrative agencies of the State Government ; and
(5) regional coordination and supervision of district development programmes. If it were a matter only of machinery and structure, the reorganisation of the district administration would remain incomplete and the results would fall short of expectations. In the implementation of development programmes, as indeed in other spheres, public co-operation has a vital part to play. The subject is considered more fully in the following chapter. We may mention here one aspect of it, namely, the need to ensure that in the scheme of reorganisation of administration in the district, there is a field for recognised social service agencies for participating in development programmes.
STRENGTHENING THE GENERAL ADMINISTRATION 8. The general administrative machinery of government constitutes, as before, the backbone of the entire structure of administration. The quality of the general administration has a bearing on the lives of large numbers of persons.. In the measure in which the elementary obligations of government are discharged efficiently and justly, the government becomes more capable of undertaking economic and social development and of securing the willing co-operation and support of the people. The need for an adequate administrative service to provide personnel for positions carrying higher responsibilities is now being met through the Indian Administrative Service and the State administrative services. In the course of a few years, it may be expected that the existing deficiencies of personnel for these positions will be removed.
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There are, however, three directions in which the general administrative organisation of the district needs to be strengthened urgently. A word may be added here about the position of the district officer in the scheme of administration. In the past few years the work of the district has expanded considerably and has also become more complex than before. The first effect of proposals to strengthen and reorganise the administration of the district, especially from the aspect of development, will be to increase the district officer's work and responsibility still further. It is, therefore, important to give him the assistance of a senior officer to enable him to devote attention to development. Secondly, care should be taken to see that too much of the district officer's time is not taken up in matters such as formal attendance on higher authorities and submission of reports. In the third place, if additional work has to be undertaken in a district over a period, for instance, in connection with a famine, or a land reform measure, instead of relying too much on the normal machinery of the administration, adequate assistance should be afforded.
9. In several States, there is an administrative cadre, commonly described as the State Civil Service or the Provincial Civil Service, which provides personnel for senior district posts involving revenue, executive or magisterial duties. It would assist the growth of efficient administration if there were liberal opportunities for the best among the personnel of the State services to enter the all- India service. Further the training of the personnel of the State administrative services should receive no less emphasis and attention than the training of those who enter the all-India services. A major share of the responsible but detailed administrative work in the district is done by members of the State administrative services, and it falls mainly to them to coordinate the activities of different branches of the administration and to will the co-operation of the people in carrying out development programmes.
10. In ryotwari and temporarily settled areas, the district administration has been held gene ally to be stronger, better organised and more capable of undertaking new responsibilities than, for instance, in the permanently settled areas. The difference is due, mainly, to the existence of village revenue officials described variously as patwari, talati or karnam. In the permanently settled and jagirdari areas, the implementation of development programmes as well as of measures of land reform is frequently impeded for want of village revenue officials. It is, therefore, a task of the first importance to recruit and train personnel in these areas for village revenue establishments. Many States are already taking steps in this direction, but these need greater emphasis and the process has to be hastened.
11. The third direction in which the general administration of the district has to be strengthened relates to the territorial units through which district work is now organised. In ryotwari areas, between the village patwari and the district officer, it is common to have a revenue inspector in charge of a circle, a tahsildar or mamlatdar in charge of the tahsil or the taluk, and a sub-divisional officer (or other revenue officer) in charge of more than one tahsil or taluk. In some permanently settled areas, there is no revenue machinery below the sub-division and the line of communication from the government to the people beyond the sub-divisional officer passes through the local police station. In certain other permanently resettled areas, below the subdivision, there is a union representating a group of villages. With the abolition of zamindari
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the entire structure below the level of sub-divisional officer has to be completed. Some districts are so large that in the interest of efficient organisation, they need to be further divided. As the Bengal Administration Enquiry Committee pointed out, there is no fixed formula for the ideal size of a district and much depends on the density of the population, the topography of the area and the nature and state of its communications. It might be useful for State Governments now to review the size of their existing districts from the point of view of efficient implementation of development programmes. Where no change in the size of the district is considered necessary, they might examine the possibility of establishing more sub-divisions. As a unit in district administration the sub-division is valuable from several points of view. The district officer is relieved of much routine work. For a great many transactions, the people are spared the trouble of travelling to district head-quarters. junior officers holding charge of sub-divisions secure training in the exercise of responsibility and initiative. During their touring and field work they are also able to acquire intimate knowledge of the people. The creation of a more adequate number of sub-divisions is also justified by the need to link up local self-governing institutions with the administrative and development machinery of the State Government, on which subject some suggestions are offered in this chapter.
12. Training programmes for executive officials are organised with reference to the duties which they are expected to perform. Such training is, of course, always essential. In the re-orientation of the administration which is now called for, it is also necessary that, at an early stage in their careers, all revenue officials should receive special training in rural development work. In other words, just as members of the Indian Administrative Service or the State administrative services have to learn the work of the patwari, the circle revenue officer and the tahsildar in the course of their training, they should also learn the work of the village-level worker and of officers in charge of larger development units. Such training will enable the general administrative machinery of government in the district to assume the role in development work which we envisage for them under the Five Year Plan. In this connection, it may be suggested that since many district officers are new to their responsibilities in the field of development, it may be useful to give them a measure of guidance and orientation through occasional conferences, seminars and demonstrations.
VILLAGE AGENCY FOR DEVELOPMENT 13. For many decades the village has been the primary unit for revenue and police administration but, as a social and economic organisation, it became weaker under British rule. As settled conditions developed, the village community became increasingly dependent on the administration and less able to manage its own affairs. Even in work undertaken by development departments the approach was nearly always to the individual, not to the village community, so that thirty years of development activity have influenced only a fraction of the population.
14. Legislation for setting up village panchayats exists in most of the States. Since independence, several States have revised their earlier enactments with the object of promoting the quicker development of panchyats and giving to them a larger role than before. In
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some of the newly merged territories similar action needs to be taken. Taking a general view, it may be said that panchayat legislation in India is marked by considerable boldness of thought and an earnest desire to make the village panchayat a vital base in the national structure. The legislation seeks to translate into action the directive principle in the Constitution that the States should take steps to organise village panchayats and endow them with such powers and authority as might be necessary to enable them to function as units of self-government. In the practical implementation of this principle some States have made considerable progress, but in the country as a whole much remains to be done. We suggest that each State should have a programme for establishing over a period of years panchayats for Villages or groups of villages.
15. The functions of panchayats are conceived widely enough to permit them to comprehend most of the civic and economic activities of a village community. In addition, panchayats also have judicial functions. In practice, few panchayats discharge all the functions entrusted to them, and the activities of many of them suffer from local faction, lack of resources and want of guidance. Panchayats have helped social awakening, but they have not had the same success in raising the level of village life or in fostering self-help in the improvement of village conditions. In other words, although there are exceptions, the panchayat as an institution has not yet become the instrument of village reconstruction and development which it was intended to be. We believe that the panchayat will be able to perform its civic functions satisfactorily only if these are associated with an active process of development in which the village panchayat is itself given an effective part. Unless a village agency can assume responsibility and initiative for developing the resources of the village, it will be difficult to make a marked impression on rural life, for, only a village organisation representing the community as a whole can provide the necessary leadership. As the agencies of the State Government cannot easily approach each individual villager separately, progress depends largely on the existence of an active organisation in the village which can bring the people into common programmes to be carried. out with the assistance of the administration.