Deputy Commissioner
The general administration of the district is vested with the Deputy Commissioner, who for administrative purposes, is under the Divisional Commissioner, Hisar. He is at once the Deputy Commissioner, the District Magistrate and the Collector. As Deputy Commissioner, he is the executive head of the district with multifarious responsibilities relating to development, panchayats, local bodies, civil administration, etc. As District Magistrate, he is responsible for law and order and heads the police and prosecuting agency. As Collector, he is the chief Officer of the revenue administration and is responsible for the collection of land revenue, and is also the highest revenue judicial authority in the district. He acts as the district Elections Officer and the Registrar for registration work. He exercises over-all supervision on other government agencies in his district. He is, in short, the head of the district administration, a coordinating officer among various departments and a connecting link between the public and the government so far as he executes the policies, administers the rules and regulations framed by the government from time to time .
The main functions of the Deputy Commissioner may be broadly categorized as : co-ordination of development and public welfare activities as Deputy Commissioner, revenue officer/Court of the district as District Collector, and law and order functions as District Magistrate. Thus, he acts as Deputy Commissioner, District Collector and District Magistrate on different occasions. His role in each of these capacities is described, in brief, as under:
As Deputy Commissioner
He is the executive of the district with numerous responsibilities in the sphere of civil administration, development, panchayats, local bodies, etc. Due to the immense importance of his office, the Deputy Commissioner is considered to be the measuring rod of efficiency in administration. The Deputy Commissioner has an Office Superintendent under him, to supervise the work of the clerical staff. He guides functioning of different branches of his office. Each branch is headed by an Assistant and is functionally known after him. For example, the branch looked after by Establishment Assistant (EA) is known as the EA Branch, the one under Miscellaneous Assistant is known as the MA Branch, etc. etc. An Assistant has to perform two types of functions-supervisory and dispositive i.e. he has to supervise the work of the officials working under him, and also to dispose of many cases either at his level or by putting them up to his senior officers. An Assistant has one or more Clerks under him. The number of branches in the office of the Deputy Commissioner differs from district to district depending upon the requirements in each case, but more important branches existing in almost all the districts are, Establishment Branch, Nazarat Branch, Sadr Kanungo Branch, Development Branch, Miscellaneous Branch, Licensing Branch, Complaints and Enquiries Branch, Local Funds Branch, District Revenue Accounts Branch, Flood Relief Branch, Revenue Records Branch, Records and Issue Branch, Sadr Copying Agency, Registration Branch, Peshi Branch, etc
As District Collector
The Deputy Commissioner is the highest Officer of revenue administration in the district. In revenue matters, he is responsible to the Government through the Divisional Commissioner and the Financial Commissioner, Revenue. He is responsible for the collection of land revenue, other kinds of Government taxes, fees and all dues recoverable as arrears of land revenue. He is responsible for ensuring the maintenance of accurate and up-to-date records of rights as regards the land. He is also the appointing authority for Patwaris and Kanungos and ministerial staff posted in the tahsil offices, and in the offices of Sub Divisional Officers (Civil) and Deputy Commissioner except in the case of Superintendent of Deputy Commissioner’s Office and for most of the subordinate revenue staff in the district. As the District Collector, he is the highest revenue judicial authority in the district.
As District Magistrate
The Deputy Commissioner is responsible for the maintenance of law and order in the district. He is the head of criminal administration and supervises all Executive Magistrates in the district and controls and directs the actions of the police. He has supervisory powers over the administration of jails and lock-ups in the district. Besides his above-mentioned duties as Deputy Commissioner, District Collector, and District Magistrate, he plays an important role as Deputy Custodian, under the Displaced Persons (Compensation and Rehabilitation) Act, 1954. In this capacity his duties are: revision against the orders of Tahsildars and Officer-in-Charge, Rural, regarding allotment of land and houses in rural areas; revision against the orders of the District Rent Officer, regarding allotment of houses and shops in urban areas and disposal of cases received from the Assistant Custodian (Judicial) regarding evacuee property. The position of Deputy Commissioner as head of the district administration has become one of expanding responsibilities. As he is the executive head of the civil administration, all departments in the district, which otherwise have their own officers, look to him for guidance and co-ordination. He plays an important role in the administration of municipal committees, market committees, panchayats, panchayat samitis, community development blocks and the zila parishad, which came into existence with the decentralisation of authority and expansion of the Panchayati Raj. He is also responsible for the execution of rural development schemes. Besides, he is responsible, as District Election Officer, for the peaceful and orderly conduct of all elections held in the district from time to time. For elections to Lok Sabha constituency/constituencies of his district, he functions as Returning Officer. He renders active help during the decennial census. He controls and regulates the distribution of scarce essential commodities, etc. He keeps liaison with military authorities in his jurisdiction and is the Competent Authority for requisition of land for military purposes. In any matter of public importance which does not fall specifically in the sphere of any government department, State or Central, he, as a general administrator, is required to take cognisance of the matter in public interest and take it to its logical conclusion with the help of some Government department or by processing the matter in his own office. In short, there is nothing of importance which takes place in the district with which he is not associated, directly or indirectly.
Additional Deputy Commissioner
Additional Deputy Commissioner is the chief executive officer of DRDA The post of Additional Deputy Commissioner has been created to assist the Deputy Commissioner in his day-to-day working. The Additional Deputy Commissioner enjoys the same powers as that of Deputy Commissioner under the rules.
SDM & Sub-Divisional Officer
The Sub-divisional Officer(Civil) is the chief civil officer of the Sub-Division. In fact, he is a miniature Deputy Commissioner of his Sub-Division. He possesses adequate powers to co-ordinate work in the sub-division. He exercises direct control over the Tehsildars and their staff. He is competent to correspond directly with government and other departments on routine matters. His main duties, like those of the Deputy Commissioner, include revenue, executive and judicial work. In revenue matters, he is Assistant Collector Ist grade but the powers of Collector have been delegated to him under certain acts. The powers and responsibilities of the Sub Divisional Officer relating to revenue, magisterial, executive and development matters within his jurisdiction, are analogous to those of the Deputy Commissioner. His revenue duties include supervision and inspection of all matters from assessment to collection of land revenue; co-ordination of work of all officials in the subdivision, particularly in the departments of Revenue, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Public Health within the subdivision. His magisterial duties are liaison and co-ordination with police in the subdivision; watch over the relations between various communities and classes; special precautions and actions in an emergency, especially connected with festivals; and recommendations to the District Magistrate, when he is himself not competent, for grant of arms licences. He has ample powers under the Criminal Procedure Code, Punjab Police Rules, and other laws to exercise effective supervision over the law and order situation in his area. In his executive capacity, he can call for any of the records and registers which deal with crime, from a Police Station and can call the Station House Officer of Police Station to come to him to explain the matters. He can bind down anti-social elements for peaceful conduct over a period. He commands closer contact with the public and more intimate association with the local bodies and market committees. He also plays an important role in the rural development programmes. He needs co-operation and helps from other Government officials in the subdivision for the smooth running of administration and successful implementation of development schemes. On important policy matters, however, he is required to route the matters through the Deputy Commissioner. For the elections to the Vidhan Sabha, he is generally appointed as Returning Officer for the constituency/ constituencies in his jurisdiction. For elections to the Lok Sabha constituencies, he is generally appointed as Assistant Returning Officer.
Tehsildar/Naib Tehsildar
The Tehsildar and Naib Tehsildar, are the Key officer in the revenue administration and exercise powers of the Assistant Collector 2nd grade. While deciding partition cases; the Tehsildar assumes the powers of Assistant Collector 1st grade. Their main task being revenue collection, the Tehsildar and Naib Tehsildar have to tour extensively in their areas. The revenue record and the crop statistics are also maintained by them. The Tahsildars and Naib-Tahsildars are responsible for the collection of land revenue and other dues payable to the Government. To remain in touch with the subordinate revenue staff, to observe the seasonal conditions and condition of crops, to listen to the difficulties of the cultivators and to distribute that active loans, the Tahsildar and Naib-Tahsildars extensively tour the areas in their jurisdiction. They decide urgent matters on the spot, like correction of entries in the account books, providing relief to the people faced with natural calamities, etc. On their return from the tour, they prepare reports and recommend to the Government remission or suspension of land revenue and bring the records up to date. They also sit in the courts to settle disputes of tenancy, arrears of rent ejectment of tenants, entries in account books, etc. besides doing another kind of work.
The Tehsildars and Naib Tehsildars in the district are assisted by the following revenue staff:-
- Officer Kanungos
- Assistant Officer Kanungos
- Field Kanungos
- Peshi Kanungo
- Agrarian Kanungo
- Patwaris
- The Deputy Commissioner is the Registrar and is responsible for the registration work in the district.
City Magistrate
He is the chief administrative officer under the deputy commissioner and assists him in all executive and administrative functions. He is not required to do touring in the district but stays at the headquarters to supervise the work of the office. He also functions as the District Electoral Officer. In addition to the above, the General assistant attends to a lot of miscellaneous work.
District Development and Panchayat Officer
He is the principal officer to help the Deputy Commissioner to carry on the community development and welfare programmes. He deals with the following subjects:-
- Work relating to the development
- Five Year Plans and local development works.
- Panchayat Samitis, Local Bodies and Panchayats.
District Revenue Officer
The post of DRO was created in the year 1983. He is also the principal officer to help the Deputy Commissioner to Carry out work relating to revenue and recovery works.
Police
The police administration in the district is under the Superintendent of Police, who next to the Deputy Commissioner is responsible for the maintenance of law and order.
Judiciary
There is a sessions division at Sirsa District & Session Judge, Additional District & Session Judge, CJM, Senior Sub Judge hold separate court in Judiciary Complex. Besides two Judges at Narwana & two Judges at Safidon hold the court there.
District Attorney
All civil cases in a district are conducted by the District Attorney under the guidance of the Legal Remembrances to Government and criminal cases under the guidance of the director of Prosecution. The District Attorney is not allowed any private practice. He is required to give legal advice to district level officers. No fee is charged. If, however, a central government office at the district level seeks legal opinion, the prescribed fee is realized and credited into the government account. The District Attorney, Sirsa is assisted by one Assistant District Attorney Grade-I and 7 Assistant District Attorney(Grade II).
Source: District Administration