ANALYTICAL NOTE ON COLLECTORATE TRAINING

ANALYTICAL NOTE ON COLLECTORATE TRAINING
BY Saumitra Mohan
My district training started with the training at the Collectorate and it formally started on 26th June, 2003. Starting with the General Department, I was then attached to such other departments as Establishment Section, Judicial Munshikhana (including Arms), Revenue Munshikhana, Normal Relief Department, Nazareth Section/Pool, Certificate Section, Food and Industry Sections, Motor Vehicle Department, Bengal Excise Department, the Court of the Executive Magistrate and lastly to the District Treasury.
Deemed as the nerve of the Collectorate, the General Department was previously known as the English Section. It deals with matters of general nature including audit work, family pension, house-building loans and loans to the tea estates, allotment of govt quarters and Gazetted Officer’s establishment. The object of this department is to coordinate and liaison with all the other departments within and outside the district and also with other sections and departments within the Collectorate.
The Establishment Section deals mainly with the disciplinary matters relating to the Collectorate staff. Judicial Department, ever since its inception, has been discharging its duties relating to the magisterial powers of the Collector, satisfactorily. The department deals with such matters as criminal matters including appeal, revision and withdrawal from prosecution, issuance and renewal of licenses of cinema, video, storage of petroleum and explosives, collection of amusement taxes, entertainment taxes, electricity duties etc., executive enquiry of police firing, sanction of prosecution under Arms Act, promulgation of prohibitory order on various matters, maintenance of law and order, human rights, registration for publication of magazine or newspaper, service or summon to witness, appointment of panel pleader, non-official marriage officer and appointment thereof and file concerning permission for Durgapuja and Kalipuja festival.
Revenue Munshikhana Department is one of the oldest departments of the Collectorate and continues to be an important cog in the Collectorate wheel. It is associated with Stamp Act, Essential Commodities Act, departmental proceedings, appointment of non-postal stamp vendors, enemy property (as it is a border district), house rent, determination of legal heirs of govt employees, refund for spoilt stamps, monitoring resources of the State and departmental clearance for promotion. Civil Suit section is an important part of this department and looks after High Court and SAT cases and Lower Court cases among others. This department is strapped for fund and depends on Nezarath Department for any operational requirements. The department could work more effectively and efficiently if it is provided with more funds and better infrastructure including more operational space. Computerization of its functioning could also enhance its productivity.
Another important department is the Normal Relief Department. The activities of this department is confined to the tackling of natural calamities like hailstorm, flood, squall, accidental fire etc. it is needless to mention that this district is a flood-prone one in view of its geo-physical topography. This district is criss-crossed with numerous rivers and rivulets originating from the Himalayas. These rivers during the monsoon are apt to change course unpredictably causing floods of different magnitude. Whenever any natural calamity occurs, this section comes forward to carry on relief and rescue operation conforming with the relief manual which is prepared well in advance. During monsoons, flood control rooms at various levels are created all over the district and this section disseminates the information on rainfall, river level, heavy rainfall warnings received from the Flood, Meteorological and Central Water Commission to sub-division and block offices to alert the people. This section under effective guidance and dynamic leadership of District Magistrate and ADMs work in close coordination with natural calamity related departments like those of agriculture, animal resources development, irrigation and waterways, electricity, food and supply, PWD, civil defence etc. to tide over any eventuality.
The Nazareth Section is another important department of the Collectorate. The chief functions of this section include transaction of cash of the District Magistrate’s establishment and keeping its account properly, maintenance of dead Stock Register of all the articles of District Magistrate’s Office, serving of processes and to look after Group ‘D’ establishment. Besides these, it also has to look after the matter related to entertainment of VVIP/VIP/Ministers of Government of India or State Government. It also looks after the pool of official vehicles and the Circuit House. Among the myriad problems faced by this section, space constraint is a great problem and it seriously affects the efficient discharge of its activities. The various vacancies in posts like Sweeper, Night Guard, Care Taker and Room Attendant negatively affects the work relating to them.
The Certificate Section plays an important role in the revenue administration of the district. The main function of this section is to realize arrears of revenue or any money or demand payable to the Government or to the Collectorate or others under the Public Demand Recovery Act, 1913. Some suggestions to improve functioning of this section could include sole dealing with certificate matters by the officer-in-charge of the section, equipping the section with typist and typewriter, almirahs, furniture etc for the proper upkeep of the section and earmarking a separate officer for each block/bank by empowering them under PDR Act, 1913 with officer-in-charge coordinating among them.
Food and other essential commodities are distributed through out district entirely by the Food and Supply Officer. Proposal from the Sub-divisional Controller and District Food and Supply Officer, Jalpaiguri relating to various appointment such as M R Dealership, Baby Food retail and wholesale dealer are monitored and finally approved by the District Magistrate. Files relating to the policy matters on public distribution system are channeled through this section for approval of the District Magistrate. Since the department has to shoulder a lot of workload, here also appointment of some lower grade staff could add to its effectiveness. The Industry Cell deals with the matters relating to industry in addition to District Industries Centre. This being a new section, it also needs some more staff for its proper functioning.
The Motor Vehicle Department plays equally significant role in the district administration. It looks into the matter of realization of road tax, different fees and fines from different categories of vehicles and maintains smooth plying of vehicles on their allotted routes. Its other important work includes registration of vehicles, issue of route permits, issue of driving license, conductor license, motor training school license, pollution control license and trade license.
Other important sections, cells and departments include those relating to census, civil defence, development and planning, ICDS, literacy, loans, municipal affairs, panchayats, passport, public grievances, record room, social welfare, touzi dealing with tea gardens, tribal development, fisheries and sports and youth. For some reasons, these sections and departments were not included in collectorate training but I hope to pick up knowledge relating to their functioning in course of my stay in the district.
The most important aspect of the Collectorate training, of course, was the Training and in this the officers and the staff members at the District Treasury provided all possible help acquainting me with the functioning of the Treasury including its myriad rules and regulations.
The most important aspect of the Collectorate training, of course, was the Treasury Training and in this the officers and the staff members at the District Treasury provided all possible help acquainting me with the functioning of the Treasury including its myriad rules and regulations.
The administrative control of treasuries in the state and Pay and Accounts Offices, Kolkata is with the Finance Department of the state government which is duly assisted by the Director of Treasuries and Accounts, West Bengal. The Collectors in respect of the treasuries and the Director of Treasuries and Accounts, West Bengal in respect of Kokata Pay and Accounts Offices are the immediate controlling officers. The Treasury Officer and the Pay and Accounts Officer, Kolkata are responsible for compilation and rendition of initial monthly accounts to the Principal Accountant General, (A & E), West Bengal.
In undivided Bengal, Jalpaiguri was the divisional headquarters of the then Rajshahi division. Since then, Jalpaiguri has been playing a very important role in the administration of Bengal. The District Treasury here is an inalienable part thereof and has been witness to many memorable incidents and events. Jalpaiguri Treasury was bifurcated into two treasuries namely Treasury I and Treasury II with effect from 2nd May, 1990 for administrative convenience. The financial transaction of Jalpaiguri Treasuries I and II touches a very big amount since then. These treasuries play a pivotal role in financial administration of Govt of West Bengal administered by the Finance Department under the direct supervision of the Directorate of Treasuries and Accounts, West Bengal. These treasuries are banking treasuries (i.e. their payments and receipts are mediated through authorized banks) rendering the accounts of both the treasuries to the Principal Accountant General (A&E), West Bengal, Kolkata. It mainly deals with the public in making various payments and also pensions to the pensioners of various categories.
While Treasury-I deals mainly with the accounts, Treasury-II deals with pensions after the above-mentioned bifurcation in 1990. Treasury I and II both are headed by a Treasury Officer who represents the District Magistrate who is said not only to be the custodian of the district treasury but also its supreme controller. After the computerization of the district treasury in this district during 1998-99, a specialized software called Computerized Treasury Management System developed by the CMC Limited has effectively facilitated and simplified the sundry operations and activities undertaken by the two treasuries here. Even though computerization should have resulted in elimination of the manual filing system, but for various reasons, they still maintain records manually in the conventional way. Notwithstanding this, computerization has definitely resulted not only in simplifying and improving the work output, it has also resulted in expediting the work as well as in saving a lot of time. The specialized software used here is so designed that it hardly leaves any scope for manipulation or error. The software has provided the treasuries with almost a foolproof system against any the usual human error or manipulation. The entire database and records pertaining to the two treasuries have been adequately entered into and can be easily accessed by the officers concerned as the treasury computers are connected through local area network. The system also allows for accessing and following up on the status of any bill or account by the authorities who can, because of LAN, with their unique login identity and passwords can enter the system and do the needful at their wish. Both the treasuries have to send a fortnightly reports detailing treasury accounts to the Accountant General based in Kolkata by the 15th and 5th of every month.

Problems and Observations: Having worked in the Collectorate for about a month, it seems many departments have the common problems, which include the following;
Shortage of staff;
Shortage of space;
Shortage of requisite furniture;
Shortage of fund constraining departmental functioning in various ways;
Absence of computerization in many departments.

One feels that if the above problems are adequately dealt with, then it would make the functioning of the Collectorate more effective and efficient. The two treasuries need to be connected to Wide Area Network for avoiding the drudgery of sending the fortnightly reports to the Accountant General as it involves wastage of precious time, money and energy. In case of a functional WAN, online monitoring would do away with the need to send those reports as well as their maintenance by the AG Office. Otherwise, computerization of many sections in the Collectorate has increased the efficiency and need to be replicated in other departments and at other levels also.