Revenue Administration

Sub-Divisional Officers serve as vital links between district and tehsil administration. Their duties regarding revenue matters include:

  1. Revenue Collection: Oversees revenue collection in the sub-division and provides instructions to the Tehsildar and subordinate staff.
  2. Inspection: Exercises disciplinary powers over subordinate revenue staff (Tehsildar, Naib Tehsildar, Patwaris, Girdawars). Conducts inspections, spending at least 80 days and 60 nights outside headquarters annually.
  3. Crops & Land: Conducts crop assessments, manages land conversion work, and stops encroachments on government land; Handles land acquisition on behalf of the Collector.
  4. Revenue Case Hearing: Hears revenue-related cases, such as succession disputes, pasture land disputes, etc.
  5. Pathargadi Orders & Revenue Reforms: Issues pathargadi orders and implements revenue reforms like Hathbandi and Chakbandi. Manages revenue campaigns in the sub-division.
  6. Powers Under The Rajasthan Land Revenue Act, 1956: Can transfer and withdraw cases from subordinates; Manages auctions for Abadi land and grants land for refuse and fodder storage.

The Patwari is often considered the grassroot unit of administration in India, particularly in the revenue administration system. Following are the reasons for this:

  1. The primary responsibility for maintaining various records related to village land property lies with the Patwari।
  2. The Patwari is also responsible for collecting land revenue and depositing it at the Tehsil headquarters.
  3. The Patwari plays a crucial role in conducting revenue campaigns and ensuring their smooth implementation.
  4. Although the overall responsibility for rural development rests with the Village Development Officer (VDO), the Patwari acts as an assistant in development activities.
  5. In cases of drought, floods, excessive rainfall, or hailstorms, the Patwari assesses crop damage and helps expedite the compensation process.
  6. The Patwari collects data related to land revenue, crops, animal husbandry, irrigation, etc., and submits it to the Revenue Board.
  7. During Panchayati Raj elections, the Patwari is responsible for organizing polling teams in rural areas.
  8. Other Responsibilities
    1. Census Duties: The Patwari participates in census activities.
    2. Document Certification: Certification of land ownership documents is also an important task.
    3. Record Preparation: The Patwari prepares copies of land records and contributes to small savings targets.

The Tehsildar represents the state in the tehsil and maintains communication between the state, district administration, and citizens.  As the head of tehsil administration, he performs following roles:

  1. Land Revenue Officer : The Tehsildar is ultimately responsible for revenue collection. Patwaris assess and collect agricultural land revenue. If other departments fail to recover taxes or loans, the Tehsildar devises recovery programs, provides guidance in special meetings of Patwaris, and also conducts field visits.
  2. Land Records Officer : The preparation and maintenance of land records is an essential task of tehsil administration. Tehsildars are responsible for updating and securing these records, including classification and mapping based on land types.
  3. As a Sub-Treasury Officer: The Tehsildar manages the sub-treasury, where all tehsil income is deposited and expenses are made. It’s the Tehsildar’s duty to oversee this financial arrangement.
  4. As a Sub-Registrar : In the tehsil, property transactions like buying land or buildings incur stamp duty. The Tehsildar, acting as the sub-registrar officer, oversees these registrations.
  5. Revenue Disputes : Under the Rajasthan Revenue Act, 1955, and the Rajasthan Land Revenue Act, 1956, they have the authority to hear various types of property disputes. Some are initially handled by the Tehsildar, while in others, they assist the SDM. For example, Section 128 of the LRA, 1956, deals with handling boundary disputes
  6. Rationing: Tehsildars are responsible for the distribution of PDS items like sugar, and kerosene in the tehsil.
  7. Relief Work: Tehsildars provide aid during natural disasters such as floods and droughts, and manage emergencies like fires in the tehsil area.
  8. Other functions : 
    1. The Tehsildar is also the custodian of all temple and common lands. 
    2. Tehsildar has been vested with considerable powers as an Executive Magistrate under the Code of Criminal Procedure.  
    3. He has supervisory powers over a large cadre of Patwaris, Kanungo etc 
    4. Election Duties: Assisting in electoral processes, including MP and MLA elections, and serving as an Assistant Returning Officer in Panchayati Raj/Urban Body elections.
    5. Public Welfare Schemes: Overseeing government schemes like employment programs, food distribution, and family planning initiatives.
    6. Data Collection: Serving as an authoritative figure for collecting various types of data crucial for national planning, including census data, agricultural surveys, and land use information.

Thus, the Tehsildar has maximum contact with the public. However, his image is often perceived as that of a status quoist, stubborn, and corrupt officer due to:

  1. Politics affects where he works – honest officers might get moved around a lot.
  2. On top of his regular duties, he has to handle tasks usually done by the District Collector, making his workload heavier and leaving less time for his official work.
  3. Low salary compared to the workload further compounds the issue.

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