6. District Administration
Complete solutions to the Exercise. Maharashtra State Board (Balbharati), Grade Six History and Civics.
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About the chapter
This chapter explains how a district is governed. The District Collector is the head of district administration. Revenue, police and judicial work is done by different officers. These officers work at the district, taluka and village levels.
Key points
- The District Collector is the chief administrative officer of the district.
- The Collector is also the Chairperson of the district Disaster Management Committee.
- The Tehsildar collects revenue at the taluka level and is called the Taluka Magistrate.
- The Talathi keeps land records like the 7/12 extract at the village level.
- The Superintendent of Police leads the police force of the district.
- The Police Patil helps the police keep peace in the village.
Words to remember
- Revenue – land tax and other income collected by the government
- 7/12 extract – an official record of land
- Panchnama – an official on-the-spot record of loss or damage
- Magistrate – an officer with powers to keep law and order
- Disaster management – planning and action to reduce loss during a disaster
Exercise
(1) I am the chief administrative officer of the district and the Chairperson of the Disaster Management Committee. — District Collector
(2) I assist the police in maintaining peace at the village level. — Police Patil
(3) I collect revenue at the Taluka level and am also known as the ‘Taluka Magistrate’. — Tehsildar
(4) I lead the police force in the district to curb crime. — Superintendent of Police
(1) If you require the ‘7/12’ extract (land record) of your land. — Talathi
(2) If a theft has occurred in your locality and you wish to register a complaint. — Police Station (Police Inspector)
(3) If you wish to take a land dispute between two individuals to court. — District Court
(4) To conduct a damage assessment (panchnama) for crop loss caused by a hailstorm. — Talathi / Tehsildar
| Official | Functions |
|---|---|
| District Collector | Collects revenue and maintains law and order in the district |
| Superintendent of Police | Prevents crime and maintains law and order |
| Tehsildar | Collects land revenue of the taluka and issues certificates |
| District Judge | Hears civil and criminal cases in the district |
| Talathi | Collects revenue and keeps land records of the village |
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(1) District Collector
The District Collector is the head of the district administration. The Collector is an IAS officer. The main duties are:
- Maintaining law and order in the district.
- Collecting land revenue.
- Implementing government welfare schemes.
- Leading disaster management in the district.
- Linking the State Government with local bodies.
(2) Tehsildar
The Tehsildar is the chief revenue officer of a taluka. He or she is also called the Taluka Magistrate. The main duties are:
- Collecting land revenue from the villages of the taluka.
- Keeping and updating land records.
- Removing encroachments on government land.
- Issuing important certificates.
- Helping in relief work during disasters.
If I were the District Collector during a flood, I would do these three tasks first:
- Rescue and relief: I would send rescue teams to move people to safe places. I would open relief camps with food, water and medicines. Saving lives comes first.
- Law and order: I would ask the police to keep peace and prevent theft. They would also manage traffic during rescue work.
- Damage assessment and help: I would get the panchnama of losses done quickly. Then I would give relief funds to affected families and restore water and electricity.
The Activities — collecting information on disaster management, staging a play on the District Collector and department heads, interviewing local officers, and finding out about civil service examinations — are to be done with your teacher’s guidance.