District Administration In India Edited

District Administration in India

The Collector and Land Administration

C.K.Koshy IAS (Retd)

Importance of Land Administration  Land is the sine qua non for any human

activity. Essential to any Planner.  Town and Country Planning-Land Use Planning a must for orderly growth and development  Relation between individual and land most fundamental, primeval and sacred relationship

Role of Collector in Government  Collector’s role in the Executive arm of

Government in the State.  Collector’s position under Constitution.  Division of Country into administrative units. State-Division-Districts-Subdivisions-TehsilsCircles-Villages  Collector as the representative of Govt. at District level.  Collector-The cutting edge of Line Function

Administrative Units State Division

Division

Division

District Sub-Division Tehsil/Taluka Circle Village

Collector as Controller of Land  Custodian of Land Records under the

Bombay Land Revenue Code  Head of the Land Acquisition machinery  In non-Panchayat areas, accords

permission for Non Agricultural use of land.

Survey of India  Oldest Scientific Department of the Govt. of

India. Set up in 1767.  Nation’s principal mapping agency.  Best “geodetic’ control series in the world.  Achieved unique task of surveying a

subcontinent.

Cadastral Survey  Derived from Latin “Cadastre” meaning

registry of land.

 Definition: Survey to determine and define

land ownership and boundaries”

Importance of Revenue Records  Defines and determines ownership of

land, tenancies, heir ships, titles.  Defines crops grown  Defines Public spaces: roads, grazing grounds, nallahs, forests  Essential for land use planning

The Village Records The Village: Fundamental unit of administration.  Talati: The custodian of village land records  The fundamental building block of British Empire.  “The Manual of Revenue Accounts of the Village, Taluka and Districts of Gujarat State” by F.G.Hartnell Anderson M.A. ICS (1st Jan 1929)

Evolution of Village Forms  1825 onwards  1895: 42 Forms reduced to 34 Village

Forms.  Further Reduced to 18 Village Forms

18 Village Forms  



 

VF 1: Aakar bandh. List of all lands in the village. Survey numberwise, Area, occupancy roads, easement rights. VF 2: N.A and Special Uses Register. Maintained in 3 parts. 1. Lands outside S.nos. 2. Land in temporary NA use. 3. Lands granted revenue free for special use. VF 3: Register of Inami Land. Land given by Govt for various purposes. Total of seven (now six) uses. Eg. Devastan Lands. VF 4: Miscellaneous Revenue. Levies for use of land for less than five years. VF 5: General Abstract of Area and Revenue. (Tharavbund) Total ‘demand’ of Land Revenue of village

18 Village Forms (Contd)  VF 6: Record of Rights. Heirship,

Partition, Sale, Other rights. Any Changes: Notice under Section 135D is necessary. Has to be updated constantly.Duty of every citizen to reprt acquisition of rights.  VF 7/12: Combination of VF 7 and 12.

VF VII-XII

Combination of VF VII ( Diary of Mutations) and VF XII ( Record of Crops and Tenancies)

Village Form VII-XII 

VF VII:

1.

Popular name of field Survey number Area Type of occupancy Name of occupant Other Rights Area cultivable/fallow Pot Kharaba Levy

2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Village Form VII-XII 

VF XII:

1.

Year Name of cultivator Season Type of crop and Area Source of Irrigation Details of trees

2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

18 Village Forms (Contd) 

VF 8A: The Khatawahi. Holding Register, Khatawise.

Occupants name 2. Khata Number 3. Details of all survey nos. held. 4. Areas 5. Land Revenue All interlinked with VF 6 and XII-XII 1.



VF 8B:Total ‘demand’ of Land revenue, Khataderwise. (Entirely based on VF 8A)

18 Village Forms (Contd)  VF 9: Receipt book of Collection of Govt. levies. To

be given to each Khatedar in lieu of money collected.  VF 10: Register of Remittances to Taluka of Govt.

levies.To be maintained in three copies. 1. Taluka Treasury 2. Taluka Office 3.To be retained in the village.

18 Village Forms (Contd)  VF 11: Arrears of Land revenue and Trial

Balance Sheet of village.  VF 13: Tulwari. Total of all cropped land and fallow land and crops and areas. (Now generated by computer from appropriate columns of VF 12)  VF 14: Register of Births and Deaths: Birth days important for all Govt. purposes. Also critical for heirship rights.

18 Village Forms (Contd)  VF 15:Cattle Register  VF 16: Sources of Water Supply 

VF 17: Inward Outward Correspondence

 VF 18:

Orders

List of Books, Manuals, Standing

The Bombay Land Revenue Code 1879  All lands belong to Government.  A person is a “occupant” of land if he is in

legal possession of it. (“holder in actual possession of land…..”)  Occupant can transfer the land or bequeath it.  However under certain conditions, Govt. can prevent the transfer of land. (Section 69 of the BLR code 1879)

The Bombay Land Revenue Code 1879  Restrictions on transfer. For eg. Under

Section 73 AA A tribal is not permitted to transfer his land except with the prior permission of the collector.  Under Section 69, all mines and Minerals

are the property of Govt.

The Bombay Land Revenue Code 1879  Section 37(1) of BLR Code 1879: All public

roads,lanes, paths,…lands, rivers, lakes, …..bed of the sea…which are not the property of individuals….Are….the property of Govt.  Section 37(2) of BLR Code 1879: Resolution of disputes  Sections 38, 39 & 39A: Protection of common property, eg Gaucher lands

Categorization of use of Land  Agriculture  Residence  Industry  Commerce  Others. Eg. Schools, Hospitals etc.

Non Agricultural Permission  Sections 65, 65A, 66 and 67 of BLR Code

1879: An occupant of agricultural land can use it only for agriculture. For any non-agricultural purpose, prior permission of Collector is required Collector to give his decision in three months. If no reply is forthcoming permission deemed to be given

Non Agricultural Permission Who can Apply: Only the occupant, NOT Developer.  Authority: Collector for land within area of Nagarpalika Municipality, Notified Area, Cantonment area. DDO for land in rural areas under Zilla Panchayat. Time limit: reduced from 90 days to 45 days for residential purpose and 60 days for others 

Non Agricultural Permission   1. 2. 3. 4.

Opinions to be sought from: Where Town Planning is final Title Clearance Executive Engineer LAQ Officer 4. Collector…… (a) ULC ACT (b) New/Old Tenure premium (c) Govt. dues. (d) For Petrol pumps etc. Explosives Act

Non Agricultural Permission  Where Town Planning is not final:

Opinion of the following are compulsory: District Town Planner Executive Engineer( State and Panchayat) LAQ Officer City Survey Supdt. Industries Officer (Contd.)

Non Agricultural Permission  District Magistrate  District Health Officer  Collector  Civil Aviation Authorities  Military  Gujarat Electricity Board

Issues in Grant of NA Permission Corruption Time/Delay Alternate mechanisms?

Thank You