Reorganisation of Revenue Field Administration in OrissaRajendra Kishore PandaGovernment of Orissa have been considering the reorganisation and reorientation of Revenue Administration with the object to render more effective service to the people and to bring in a more organised system of land records management, inter alia. Government have decided in principle to integrate the Setlement-Consolidation work with the mainstream Revenue Administration. It is intended that the process of updating the land records will be a continuous process, with the aid of computerisation. In this context, the propositions outlined hereinafter incorporate the measures for (a) rationalisation at the levels of the Revenue Inspector Circles, Tahasils, Sub-Divisional Offices, District Offices, Offices of Revenue Divisional Commissioners, Directorates ( Consolidation and Land Records & Surveys ) and Land Reforms wing of Board of Revenue and (b) reconstitution of the existing Training Institute as the Orissa Revenue Institute. These measures are proposed to be executed without causing additional burden on the State exchequer. Phase One Revenue Inspector Circle and Tahasil Office : 2.1. The Revenue Inspector functions at the cutting edge level of administration. Due to financial constraints, it is not possible to achieve the ideal of having one RI Circle for each Panchayat, coterminous in area. Although factors like number of villages and holdings, revenue-demand and geographical area / terrain are relevant, presently a prime consideration for placement of Revenue Inspectors / Additional Tahasildars is the accessibility of the functionary for the local people. In other words, these functionaries should be available at stations not very far from the normal habitat of the people. The criteria specified infra (which have been adopted while working out the proposal) may be approved as the standing principle for creation of RI Circles and deployment of Revenue Inspectors : (a) In a Tahasil, existence of six R I Circles (each R I Circle covering a few contiguous Panchayat areas in entirety ) within the area of each Block will be deemed to be the minimum requirement; (b) Subject to fulfilment of the minimum requirement as per clause (a) above, additional RI Circles may be provided, in consideration of other factors including the number of villages / holdings, area-and-terrain, quantum of demand and other complex urban-rural problems; and (c) Besides the RI Circles, in respect of certain selected Tahasils, a Revenue Inspector will be deployed for assisting the Tahasildar / Additional Tahasildar in Revenue-related miscellaneous inquiries. 2.2. As it is not possible at present to make the Tahasil coterminous with the Block, the number of Tahasils will remain 172 ( existing 171 and a new Tahasil in Malkangiri District ), each Tahasil headed by a Tahasildar. As the Tahasildar is a key functionary in Revenue administration, appointments of Tahasildars will be made on the recommendations of a Committee comprising Member, Board of Revenue (Chairman), Revenue Secretary and Revenue Divisional Commissioners. In the context of Tahasils and deployment of Additional Tahasildars, the following criteria may be approved : (a) A Tahasil may comprise, within its geographical jurisdiction, either one Block or more than one Block in its / their entirety ( apart from the area of the urbal local body, if any ). Wherever there are incongruities, the same will be rectified by the Revenue Department, through Notification, so that no Block area cuts across the jurisdictions of multiple Tahasils; (b) In a Tahasil, within each Block area, ordinarily there will be two Additional Tahasildars, each stationed at a nodal point, with specified area-of-operation (comprising multiple RI Circles); and (c) In addition, there will be 102 Additional Tahasildars, who will be deployed in the selected Tahasils having (i) large urban agglomerations and / or (ii) huge pendency of cases and / or (iii) other special problems, the locations being determined, from time to time, on the recommendations of the Committee specified above. 2.3. The position relating to the placement of Additional Tahasildars and Revenue Inspectors has been reflected in the Annexure. Out of 730 posts of Additional Tahasildar, 200 posts will be held by OAS Class II officers and 530 by OSCS officers. The additional Revenue Inspectors will be in position by redeployment of 622 functionaries presently existing in Settlement and Consolidation organisation as Inspectors / Peskars (who will continue as ex cadre Revenue Inspectors in their current payscale of Rs 3200-4900) and JC Consolidators Grade II (who will continue in their current payscale of Rs 3050-4590 plus the allowances and be placed below the Revenue Inspectors in the relevant District cadre). 3. Sub-Divisional Office : 3.1. The posts of Sub-Collector will be manned by the seniormost officers ( subject to their names being included in the Select Panel prepared by the Committee specified at paragraph 2.2 supra ) of OAS Class I ( Junior Branch ), barring the posts held by IAS officers. The pattern of postings of officers (other than Sub-Collector) in Sub-Divisional Offices is proposed as follows : A : In respect of the 12 Sub-Divisional Offices of Bhadrak, Jajpur, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Nayagarh, Boudh, Jharsuguda, Deogarh, Nabarangpur, Gajapati, Malkangiri and Nuapada, the Sub-Divisional Office is integrated with the District Office. The following officers will be placed in the integrated Sub-Divisional Establishment : (a) Additional Sub-Collector : Officers of OAS Class I ( Junior Branch ) will be posted as Additional Sub-Collectors. The Additional Sub-Collector, statutorily authorized, will excercise the powers of the Sub-Collector and handle Revenue cases, including cases under Regulation 2 of 1956 or under Sections 22 and 23 of the Orissa Land Reforms Act, exclusively. (b) Besides, two Deputy Collectors ( OAS Class II ) will be in position to function as follows : (i) Revenue & Certificate Officer : He will be engaged in handling Certificate cases and collection of dues thereagainst. (ii) Officer-in-Charge, Criminal Courts : He will deal with the cases under the preventive Sections of CrPC and assist the Sub-Collector in respect of ancillary matters. B : In respect of the Other (46) Sub-Divisional Offices, there will be a post of Nizarat Officer , in addition to the posts of Addl Sub-Collector, Revenue-&-Certificate Officer and Officer-in-charge, Criminal Courts. 3.2. Notwithstanding the general pattern supra, a second post of Additional Sub-Collector will be provided in respect of such Sub-Divisions having heavy pendency of Revenue cases as Government , on the recommendations of the Committee specified at paragraph 2.2, may decide, from time to time, for disposal of Revenue cases exclusively. For this purpose, 15 posts will be earmarked. 4. Restructuring of the District Office : 4.1.The pre-eminent position of the District Collector & District Magistrate in the sphere of Revenue administration will continue. Without prejudice to this reiteration, all matters relating to Revenue, Land Reforms, Land Records Management, Registration, Land Acquisition etc will, as per the reorganisation, be handled by the 'District Revenue Office', a semi-independent office within the generic District Collectorate. 4.2. An OAS I (SB) officer will be posted as 'Chief District Revenue Officer'. The incumbent, duly authorised by notification, will perform all functions and excercise all powers of the District 'Collector' ( not District Magistrate) and District Registrar, statutorily and administratively. Posted out of a panel of select officers prepared as per the recommendations of the Committee (in which Special Secretary to Government, GA Department will also function as a member) specified at paragraph 2.2, he will be the Head of Office of the 'District Revenue Office' and deal most of the matters independently. However, matters which he considers important and which the District Collector desires to be apprised of will be brought to the notice of the District Collector. He will dispose of Revenue cases in his court, inspect subordinate offices-and-courts, conduct monthly Revenue meetings and ensure continuous updating of land records. He will also function as the District Registrar. Note : In respect of Districts with heavy load of Revenue cases, such reasonable number of cases will be handled by the District Collector and the Additional District Magistrate, apart from the cases in the file of the Chief District Revenue Officer, as may be apportioned by the District Collector. 4.3. Five OAS Class II officers and one District Sub-Registrar will be in position in the District Revenue Office and the model work-arrangements therein will be as follows : (01) Revenue Officer ( Land Reforms ) :
Matters relating to Land Reforms
(04) Revenue Officer (Land Acquisition)
:
Land Acquisition , General & Miscellaneous
Note : The Revenue Department will post the OAS Class II officers as Revenue Officers . The allocation of work will be made by the Chief District Revenue Officer. 4.4. As regards the District Collectorate (excluding the District Revenue Office), the officers who will report to the District Collector either directly or through the Additional District Magistrate (as per the work-distribution to be made by the District Collector) are specified hereunder ( indicating the subjects to be handled by them ) :-- Deputy Collectors
Note : The Revenue Department will post the OAS Class II officers as Deputy Collectors . The allocation of work will be made by the District Collector. Other Officers
(06) District Planning Officer : The District Planning Officer will deal with matters relating to Planning and Development. (07) District Panchayat Officer
[ Panchayat ]
4.5. Apart from the normal placement of officers suggested in the sub-paragraphs supra, it is considered necessary to place forty officers designated as 'Deputy Collector and Revenue Officer' at the disposal of District Collectors for being stationed at such variable locations as may be recommended by the Committee specified at paragraph 2.2 supra . They will act as Executive Magistrates during law-&-order situations and will be utilised for special drives and other official work in times of normalcy. 5.1. State Level Heads of Departments ( Not in Composite Set-up ) : The following Heads of Departments ( apart from the Board of Revenue ) will have Statewide jurisdiction and they will function directly under Government, but they will not operate in a composite manner : (1) Special Relief Commissioner
5.2. State Level Head of Department ( In Composite Set-up ) : The existing post of Commissioner , Land Reforms will be redesignated as 'Commissioner, Land Reforms & Land Administration and Special Secretary to Government, Revenue Department.' The incumbent, as a Head of Department, will operate from the composite / integrated Revenue Department (as in case of Heads of Department in Panchayati Raj Department and several other Departments). Such number of officers of the rank of Additional Secretary / Joint Secretary / Deputy Secretary ( out of those in the Revenue Department ) as the Revenue Secretary may deem apropriate will assist him. Two officers ( Asst Commissioners, Land Reforms ) of the rank of OAS Class I (JB) will be diverted from the Board of Revenue. 5.3. Revenue Divisional Commissioners as Divisional Level Heads of Departments : The Revenue Divisional Commissioners will continue as Heads of Departments (Central Division, Northern Division and Southern Division), but their role in Revenue administration will be accentuated, without prejudice to their role in developmental / general administration. 5.4. The following functionaries will operate under the overall supervision of the Commissioner : (i) Additional Revenue Divisional Commissioner : This post will emerge in each Division in lieu of three posts of Additional / Joint Commissioner, Consolidation. The incumbent will be a senior IAS officer of the rank of Additional Secretary to Government. The Additional Revenue Divisional Commissioner may also be authorised, statutorily, to excercise the powers of Land Reforms Commissioner (within the Division). As second in command in the Commissioner's office, he will have overall monitoring responsibility in respect of all matters handled in the said office. In particular, he will be directly accountable in respect of the following matters :-- Matters relating to land tenures & land reforms, land revenue & cess, recovery of public demands, sairat & minor minerals, disposal of revenue cases in subordinate courts, miscellaneous certificates, review of inspections & tours by Collectors, Chief District Revenue Officers and Sub-Collectors, disposition of officers in Collectorates / District Revenue Offices and other subordinate offices, relevant reports & returns and Residuary matters relating to Revenue administration. In respect of several matters, he may take action on his own and, on important matters, he will seek the instructions of the Revenue Divisional Commissioner, as per the work-arrangements to be devised by the Revenue Divisional Commissioner. Apart from the Revenue Divisional Commissioner, the Additional Revenue Divisional Commissioner will also take up inspections. He will be assisted by one Asst Commissioner. [ The existing post of Under Secretary to RDC will stand redesignated.] (ii) Joint Commissioner ( Land Records & Land Administration ) : He will be an officer of the rank of Joint Secretary to Government [The post of Secretary to Revenue Divisional Commissioner will be redesignated.] The incumbent will deal with matters relating to Survey, settlement, consolidation, record of rights, fixation of rent, map publication, land records management including computerisation, mutation matters, land-use planning in urban & rural areas, State borders, creation & delimitation of units of Revenue administration, Government land settlement and lease matters, distribution of homestead lands to the houseless, prevention of encroachments, land acquisition & alienation of land, relevant reports & returns and Residuary matters relating to Land administration. Where necessary, he will route the papers to or through the Additional Revenue Divisional Commissioner. The Joint Commissioner will be assisted by one Asst Commissioner.[ The existing post of AFA-cum-Under Secretary to RDC will be redesignated.] (iii) Deputy Commissioner (General Administration) : The post of Additional Secretary to Revenue Divisional Commissioner ( an OAS I SB officer ) will be redesignated. The incumbent will assist the Commissioner in respect of the following matters : Matters relating to general and criminal administration of Districts, overseeing of law-&-order situation in Districts, criminal administration in Ranges and Districts, review of disposal of criminal (preventive) cases by Executive Magistrates, magistracy-police coordination,fortnightly confidential reports of Collectors-&-District Magistrates, intelligence reports, Relief administration, general supervision over public distribution system and poverty-alleviation programmes in Districts, relevant reports & returns and Residuary matters relating to general / developmental administration. He will submit papers to the Commissioner directly. (iv) Assistant Commissioner ( Administration & Accounts) : This post ( OAS Junior Class I ) will be a new post, emerging by redeployment. The incumbent will handle matters relating to budget, allotment of sanctions to subordinate offices and review of progressive expenditure, Revenue buildings, management of Circuit Houses & Inspection Bungalows, office establishment and service matters, matters relating to DPC / Selection Committees in which the Commissioner is associated, appeal cases under OCS (CC&A) Rules, Revenue audit, AG audit, matters relating to PAC, drawing-&-disbursing and vehicle management, tour and inspection programmes of the Commissioner, Guardfiles Revision, Library & Record Room, relevant reports & returns and Residuary matters relating to Service Rules & Office administration. He will be assisted by an Administrative Officer (in OAS Class II rank ). Important matters will be routed by the Assistant Commissioner through the Additional Revenue Divisional Commissioner. 6. State Level Professional Training Institute : Orissa Revenue Institute : 6.1. A training institute for professional training in Land Records Management and Revenue matters has already been established with the approval of Government. It is now proposed to make it functionally effective as a Society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. The Memorandum of Association and Articles of Association have been prepared, and registration will be made immediately after the approval of this proposition. 6.2.The building vacated by the Settlement Office, Cuttack and the Old Circuit House, Cuttack, in addition to the Dormitory-type Hostel (under construction), will be placed for the use of the Institute in the required manner, such as Academic Wing, Library, Officers' Guest House and Hostel. 6.3. There will be two Branches of the Institute at Sambalpur ( to be located in the building vacated by the Settlement Office ) and Berhampur ( to be located in the building vacated by the Settlement Office). The Joint Commissioner (Land Records & Land Administration) of the Divisional Office will be the Director of the Branch Institute, ex officio. The Revenue Inspectors' Training Institutes will also function under these Branches. 7. Redeployment : 7.1. Out of 547 posts of Orissa Settlement and Consolidation Service, 530 will be redeployed as Addl Tahasildar and two as Programme Executive (to function as instructor) in Orissa Revenue Institute; the rest of the posts will be utilised otherwise. All the 622 Inspectors / Peskars / JC Consolidators Grade II will be be redeployed as Revenue Inspectors. From among the Revenue Inspectors, 429 will be put in charge of additional RI Circles, 60 will be placed in the District Offices to assist the Chief District Revenue Officers and 133 will be engaged in selected 133 Tahasils for assisting the Tahasildars / Additional Tahasildars in miscellaneous inquiries. 7.2. Out of 890 OAS Class II posts
in District-SubDivision-Tahasil Establishment and Settlement & Consolidation
Establishment, 883 will be deployed as follows : (a) 372 in Tahasil Offices
(b) 162 in
7.3. Out of 160 OAS Class I (JB)
posts in Settlement-Consolidation Establishment (including the Directorates),
Land Reforms Organisation, RDC offices, District Collectorates and Sub-Divisional
Offices, 147 will be deployed as follows : (a) Sub-Collector
(58), (b) Additional Sub-Collector ( 73 )
7.4. As regards senior posts, the redeployment will be made as follows : (a) In lieu of five posts of Settlement Officer, 14 posts of Deputy Director (Consolidation), nine posts of 'Additional District Magistrate (Revenue)' and four OAS Class I (JB) posts (out of the residuary posts, vide paragraph 7.3 ), thirty posts of Chief District Revenue Officer will be created. (b) In lieu of three posts of Additional / Joint Commissioner, Consolidation, three posts of Additional Revenue Divisional Commissioner will be created. (c) In lieu of the five posts of Director, Land Records & Surveys, Director of Consolidation, Joint Commissioner, Land Reforms, Additional Director, Land Records & Surveys and Additional / Joint Commissioner, Consolidation (fourth post), the posts of Chief Executive (1) and Director (4) will be created in Orissa Revenue Institute. 7.5. The posts of 'Secretary to RDC' and
'Additional Secretary to RDC' will be redesignated as, respectively, Joint
Commissioner (Land Records & Land Administration) and Deputy
Commissioner
7.6. As regards other supporting
posts in Orissa Revenue Institute and the posts of Revenue Inspectors
and other subordinate functionaries, the required redeployment will be
made by the Board of Revenue.
Phase Two Reorganisation of the existing hierarchy is a paramount need in the context of strengthening the Revenue administration in order to subserve the overall public interest. It is proposed that the reorganisation will be implemented in phases. As per the plan of action, Phase One of the Scheme comprised, inter alia, (a) the integration of Tahasil-Settlement-Consolidation work, (b) reorganisation of various levels of administration from RI Circles upward and (c) reconsitution of the Orissa Revenue Institute as a Society. 1.2. The write-up hereinafter outlines the measure to be taken as the component of Phase Two : viz., Creation of Orissa Revenue Tribunal. Consequential to the reorganisation-measures, the residuary functions of the Board of Revenue may also be spelt out in brief.
Revenue Tribunal as the Highest Revenue Court
2.1. It is imperative for the State to ensure sustained and qualitative disposal of revisional cases at the apex level of Revenue adjudication. Hitherto, barring rare exceptions, officers disinterested in Revenue courtwork have been coming to hold posts of Commissioners / Additional Commissioners / Joint Commissioners due to various reasons. In some States, Revenue Tribunals have been functioning. The Revenue Tribunal will have the following advantages, inter alia : (a) It would be possible to choose experienced
and knowledgeable functionaries having
(b) The Chairman, Vice-Chairmen and Members
will have a reasonable tenure
(c) The number of officers with Revenue expertise is going down. Constitution of the Tribunal will facilitate the utilisation of the expertise of retired / retired functionaries having an excellent Revenue background. (d) Creation of the Revenue Tribunal will
generate wider and deeper interest in
(e) The Benches can have their sittings at various nodal points of the State, apart from the normal sittings at the Divisional headquarters. It will take the highest Revenue Court nearer the people. (f) It will result in cost-effective economization. 2.2. The Orissa Revenue Tribunal, with its headquarters at Cuttack, will be the highest Revenue Court in the State. Headed by the Chairman, it will have three Benches at Cuttack ( to be accommodated in a wing of the Rajaswa Bhavan ), Sambalpur ( to be accommodated in a suitable building ) and Berhampur ( to be accommodated in a wing of the building vacated by Settlement Office, Berhampur ). While each of the Benches at Sambalpur and Berhampur will have a Vice-Chairman and a Member, the Cuttack Bench, considering the vast number of cases, will have one Vice-Chairman and five Members. The qualifications for appointment of Chairman, Vice-Chairman and Member of the Tribunal will be as follows : " (1) A person shall not be qualified for appointment as the Chairman unless he (a) is, or has been, an officer of or above the rank of Principal Secretary to Government, (b) has experience, for at least five years, of holding any office or offices in the Revenue administrative hierarchy (including the Revenue Department, Board of Revenue and offices of Revenue Divisional Commissioners ) in assignments of and above the rank of Additional District Magistrate / Settlement Officer / Deputy Director of Consolidation / Chief District Revenue Officer and (c) is within the age of sixtyone years on the date when the vacancy arises. (2) A person shall not be qualified for appointment as a Vice-Chairman unless ---- (a) he (i) is, or has been, an officer of or above the rank of Additional Secretary to Government, for at least three years, (ii) has experience, for at least five years, of holding any office or offices in the Revenue administrative hierarchy (including the Revenue Department, Board of Revenue and offices of Revenue Divisional Commissioners ) in assignments of and above the rank of Additional District Magistrate / Settlement Officer / Deputy Director of Consolidation / Chief District Revenue Officer and (iii) is within the age of sixtyone years on the date when the vacancy arises ; or (b) he (i) has, for a period of not less than three years, held office as a Member and (ii) is within the age of sixtythree years on the date when the vacancy arises. (3) A person shall not be qualified for appointment as a Member unless---- (a) he (i) is,or has been, an officer of or above the rank of Additional Secretary to Government and (ii) has experience, for at least five years, of holding any office or offices in the Revenue administrative hierarchy (including the Revenue Department, Board of Revenue and offices of Revenue Divisional Commissioners ) in assignments of and above the rank of Additional District Magistrate / Settlement Officer / Deputy Director of Consolidation / Chief District Revenue Officer ; or (b) he (i) is, or has been, an officer of the Judicial Service of the rank of District Judge, for at least three years, and (ii) has adequate experience of handling cases having a bearing on land records or other Revenue matters; and (c) he is within the age of sixtyone years on the date when the vacancy arises. (4) Notwithstanding the provisions in sub-sections (1) to (3), Government may relax the upper age-limit by one year in the eventuality of non-availability of persons within the specified age-limit for appointment as the Chairman or Vice-Chairman or Member." 2.3. Subject to certain stipulations (vide para 2.5), all the revisional cases hitherto handled by (a) Board of Revenue, (b) Revenue Divisional Commissioners and (c) other Revisional Authorities ( CLR&S, Commissioner, Consolidation & Settlement, and Commissioners / Additional Commissioners / Joint Commissioners, Consolidation ) and other functionaries will be dealt with by the Tribunal. 2.4. The Civil Court jurisdiction will be barred. The avenue open to one after the adjudication by the Orissa Revenue Tribunal will be the writ recourse in the Orissa High Court. 2.5. The pattern of the Revenue-case adjudication by Revenue Courts at various levels will henceforward be as follows : (a) In respect of cases where the original
orders have been passed by the court of Additional Tahasildar (or ASO or
ACO) / Tahasildar, the appeal shall lie to the Additional Sub-Collector
/ Sub-Collector and the revision shall lie to the Additional District Magistrate
/ Chief District Revenue Officer / District Collector :
(b) In cases where the original orders have been passed by the court of Consolidation Officer / Charge Officer / Additional Sub-Collector / Sub-Collector / OSD, Land Reforms, the appeal shall lie to the Additional District Magistrate / Chief District Revenue Officer / District Collector and the revision shall be admissible at the level of the Tribunal. (c) In cases where the original orders have been passed by the court of Deputy Director, Consolidation / Settlement Officer / Additional District Magistrate / Chief District Revenue Officer / District Collector / Director, Consolidation / Director, Land Records and Surveys, the revision shall be admissible at the level of the Tribunal. (d) Notwithstanding the provisions in the foregoing clauses (a) to (c), on consideration of an application moved on behalf of the State, the Tribunal may call for the case records and related documents from any subordinate Revenue court for review and, after giving due notice and reasonable opportunity to be heard to the parties concerned, pass such orders as deemed appropriate. 2.6. The Revenue Tribunal will be assisted by a Registrar and other functionaries of various grades. It will be possible to meet the staff needs of the Tribunal by redeployment of posts. 2.7. The proposal only implies the substitution of the Courts of Commissioners by a Tribunal with a Chairman, Vice-Chairmen and Members, for bringing in a better system of adjudication at the level of the highest Revenue court. After the approval (in principle) of the Government in the Revenue Department, the draft Cabinet Memorandum (along with the draft outline of the proposed Ordinance / Bill) may be endorsed to Law Department for scrutiny and vetting. BOARD OF REVENUE, ORISSA : The New Role in the Reorganised Set-up 3.1. The Board of Revenue will continue as a senior Head of Department Office.The Board of Revenue will not function as a channel of communication for routine matters of administration. It will handle certain relevant matters, as outlined briefly hereunder, inter alia,--- (a) Departmental Examinations : The Board will conduct the Departmental Examinations in respect of various functionaries. It may work out proposals for amendment of the regulations relating to Departmental Examinations. (b) Audit : The Audit Organisation of the Board of Revenue will conduct audit in respect of the accounts of subordinate offices. The Audit wing functioning in the Revenue Department will be integrated with the Audit Organisation of the Board. (c) Periodical Reviews : The Board of Revenue, on perusal of reports & returns, conducts periodical reviews on a number of programmes, schemes and activities relating to Revenue administration and, with the observations of Member, Board of Revenue, the the review-reports are communicated to subordinate Revenue functionaries. The Board of Revenue will continue to discharge this function. (d) Inspections : Member, Board of Revenue, Orissa will conduct the Annual Inspections of the subordinate offices. He will continue to assess the performance of Revenue Divisional Commissioners, Collectors, Chief District Revenue Officers, Additional District Magistrates, Sub-Collectors and other functionaries. (e) Training-Matters : The Member, Board of Revenue, Orissa will be the Chairman of the Orissa Revenue Institute. The Institute has been created to plan and execute in-depth professional training-related programmes for the functionaries of the Revenue hierarchy. The Board of Revenue will prescribe the patterns of training in respect of various categories of functionaries. (f) Accounts and Office Procedure : The Board of Revenue will prescribe and modify the pattern of the Examination on Accounts and Office Procedure and will conduct the said Examination. (g) Manual : The Board of Revenue may work out amendments to Orissa Records Manual. As part of manual-revision work, it may edit / compile and bring out various publications. (h) Cadre-control : During the period of transition, Member, Board of Revenue, Orissa will also function as the cadre-contolling authority in respect of ministerial and non-ministerial stafff who will be redeployed in various organizations, as per the scheme of reorganisation. He will also continue as Chairman of the Departmental Promotion Committees in respect of specified functionaries. 3.2. Standing Monitoring Committee : The Board of Revenue will continue to formulate its considered views and specific recommendations for streamlining Revenue administration, processing legislative propositions, implementing measures of administrative reforms and other matters. For this purpose, a Standing Monitoring Committee, comprising Member, Board of Revenue (Chairman), Revenue Secretary (Vice-Chairman), Finance Secretary, Special Secretary to Government : GA Department, Commissioner, Land Reforms & Land Administration and such other functionaries as the Committee may decide or the Chairman may invite, when necessary, will be in existence. The Secretary, Board of Revenue will function as the Convenor.The Committee may meet from time to time and formulate its recommendations for the consideration of Government. REDEPLOYMENT Redeployment of Officers' Posts
1.1. As per the prevailing cadre-strength of OAS Class II (as in 1992), the number of posts earmarked for posting in the District Collectorates, subordinate Revenue offices ( against the designated posts indicated infra) and the posts of ASO / ACO is 873 (without reckoning the Leave reserve posts thereagainst) : (a) Collectorates [Officers-in-Charge,
LAO / Special LAO, FSO, Compensation
1.2. The Home (Elections) Department having created (in1994) 17 additional posts of Officer-in-charge (Elections), the number (873+17) goes up to 890. 1.3. As regards OSCS, the existing cadre strength is 547. As such, taken together,1437 officers ( 890 + 547 ) will be available for redeployment. 1.4. Out of the 730 posts of Additional
Tahasildar, 530 posts will be manned by deployment of OSCS officers and
200 posts will be held by OAS Class II officers. As regards the post of
Tahasildar, 172 (including one for the new Tahasil to be created in Malkangiri
district) officers will be in position as
(a) Posts of Additional Tahasildar ( 200
OAS + 530 OSCS ) : 730
1.5. The residuary 16 ( 890 minus
874 ) OAS Class II posts out of the posts presently earmarked for District-SubDivision-Tahasil
Establishment and ASO-ACO assignments will be redeployed as follows :
1.6. The pattern of utilisation of the residuary 17 ( 547 - 530 = 17 ) posts of OSCS will be as follows : (a) Programme Executive in Orissa Revenue Institute (2), (b) Court Officer in Orissa Revenue Tribunal (11) and Leave Reserve Officer (4). Redeployment of Junior Class I Posts 2.1. The following Junior Class I posts existing at various levels will be affected by the reorganisation and will be redeployed or, as the case may be, retained : (a) In Board of Revenue ( including
its wings ) : Under Secretary, Board of Revenue (3), Asst Director,
(b) In Settlement-Consolidation Organization : Charge Officer (28), Consolidation Officer (41) [Total Number of Posts : 69 ] (c) In RDC Office : Under Secretary to RDC (3), AFA-cum-Under Secretary to RDC (3) [Total Number of Posts : 6 ] (d) In District Collectorate : District Development Officer (13) (e) In Sub-Divisional Office : Sub-Collector (58) (f) Under Land Reforms Organisation : Officer on Secial Duty, Land Reforms (6) Total : 11 + 69 + 6 + 13 + 58 + 6 = 163. Note : Leave Reserve posts against these posts have not been taken into account. 2.2. Vis-a-vis these posts, the posts which will be retained or come into existence by way of redeployment, as the case may be, are specified hereunder : (a) Assistant Commissioner ( Land Reforms and Land Administration)-and-Under Secretary to Government, Revenue Department ( who will be placed in the Revenue Department, in the composite set-up ) (2), (b) Deputy Registrar (5) and Finance-&-Accounts Officer (1) in Orissa Revenue Tribunal (6), (c) Assistant Director in Orissa Revenue Institute (5) (d) Under Secretary, Board of Revenue (3) (e) Asst Commissioner in RDC Office (9) (f) Sub-Collector (58) (g) Additional Sub-Collector ( 58 + 15 ) ( 73 ) [Total : 156 ] Note : The residuary posts will abate as per the arrangements specified at clause (a) of paragraph 3.2. and paragraph 4.2, infra. Redeployment of Posts of the Rank of Additional / Joint / Deputy Secretary 3.1. The following senior posts existing at various levels will be affected by the reorganisation and will be redeployed or, as the case may be, retained : (a) In Board of Revenue ( including its wings ) : Secretary, Board of Revenue (1), Director of Land Records and Surveys (1), Director of Consolidation (1), Additional / Joint Commissioner, Consolidation (4), Joint Secretary, Board of Revenue (2), Financial Adviser, Board of Revenue (1), Joint Commissioner, Land Reforms (1), Additional Director, Land Records & Surveys (1). [ Total Number of Posts : 12 ] (b) In Settlement-Consolidation Organization : Settlement Officer (5), Deputy Director, Consolidation (14) [Total Number of Posts : 19 ] (c) In RDC Office : Secretary to RDC (3), Additional Secretary to RDC (3) [Total Number of Posts : 6 ] (d) In District Collectorate : Additional District Magistrate (33), Additional District Magistrate (Revenue)(9) [ Total Number : 42 ] 3.2. Vis-a-vis these posts, the posts which will be retained or come into existence by way of redeployment, as the case may be, are specified hereunder : (a) In lieu of five posts of Settlement Officer, 14 posts of Deputy Director (Consolidation), nine posts of 'Additional District Magistrate (Revenue)' and four OAS Class I (JB) posts (out of the residuary posts), thirty posts of Chief District Revenue Officer will be created. (b) In lieu of three posts of Additional / Joint Commissioner, Consolidation, three posts of Additional Revenue Divisional Commissioner will be created. (c) In lieu of the five posts of Director, Land Records & Surveys, Director of Consolidation, Joint Commissioner, Land Reforms, Additional Director, Land Records & Surveys and Additional / Joint Commissioner, Consolidation (fourth post), the posts of Chief Executive (1) and Director (4) will be created in Orissa Revenue Institute. (d) The posts of 'Secretary to RDC' and
'Additional Secretary to RDC' will be redesignated as, respectively, Joint
Commissioner (Land Records & Land Administration) and Deputy
Commissioner
(e) The post of Secretary, Board of Revenue, one post of Joint Secretary and one post of Financial Adviser (redesignated as Financial Adviser and Joint Secretary, Board of Revenue ) will be retained in Board of Revenue. [The Financial Adviser will also function as the Finance Officer of the Orissa Revenue Institute, ex officio.] (f) In lieu of one post of Joint Secretary, Board of Revenue, the post of Registrar in Orissa Revenue Tribunal will be created. (g) The 33 posts of Additional District Magistrate will be retained. Note : The modalities for filling up the posts of the Institute have been specified in the draft Articles of Association of the Institute. Retired officers, whose expertise would be harnessed, will be appointed in most of the posts and they will get their emoluments as per the following provision : "The incumbent shall receive (a) the pay at the rate he had been drawing at the time of his retirement and (b) the allowances admissible thereon from time to time, provided that the total emoluments shall be reduced by the gross amount of monthly pension drawn or to be drawn by him." As such, the net expenses on emoluments will be considerably less. Redeployment of Posts of the Rank of Secretary / Principal Secretary 4.1. The following posts exist in the Board
of Revenue hierarchy in the rank of Secretary / Principal Secretary
to Government, which will be affected by the restructuring : Commissioner,
Land Records and Settlement (1), Commissioner, Settlement and Consolidation
(1), Commissioner, Consolidation (3) and Commissioner, Land Reforms (1).
4.2.The post of Commissioner, Land Reforms will be redesignated as Commissioner, Land Reforms & Land Administration and Special Secretary to Government, Revenue Department. By surrender of (i) the other five posts ( of the rank of Commissioner / Principal Secretary ) and (ii) three OAS Class I (JB) posts (residuary posts), it will be possible to create, in the Orissa Revenue Tribunal, the posts of one Chairman, three Vice-Chairmen and seven Members, as all the incumbents will be retired officers whose emoluments will be fixed as per the following provision : "The Chairman or Vice-Chairman or Member, as the case may be, shall receive (i) the monthly pay at the rate he had been drawing at the time of his retirement from Government service and (ii) the allowances admissible thereon from time time : Provided that the total emoluments shall be reduced by the gross amount of monthly pension drawn or to be drawn by him." The net expenses on emoluments will be considerably less. Redeployment of the Ministerial and
Other Staff of Board of Revenue
5. 1. A Sub-Committee comprising the Director, Land Records and Survey (Chairman), Secretary, Board of Revenue, Excise Commissioner and Inspector General of Registration will work out the proposal for redeployment of ministerial and non-ministerial posts of the Board of Revenue in the following offices, along with the proposal for placement of individual employees : (a) Board of Revenue,
5.2. After the proposals are approved by Member, Board of Revenue, Orissa, the actual redeployment of individual employees will be made in the said offices. 5.3. The Common Gradation Lists, wherever presently operative, will subsist and will continue to be operative, notwithstanding the redeployment of the staff in the said offices. Accordingly, the promotional posts will continue to be filled up from among the eligible employees in the said Common Gradation Lists. The Member, Board of Revenue will continue to be the cadre-controlling authority. 5.4. In respect of (a) the exclusive, isolated or non-promotional posts of a particular office and (b) the base level posts of a particular office where fresh recruitment is permitted, the appointments will be made by the said office independently. But the appointees of the said base-level-posts will not be promoted to promotional posts of the respective cadres until all eligible and suitable employees in the Common Gradation List concerned are promoted. 5.5. The Orissa Revenue Tribunal will be a Statutory Body and the Orissa Revenue Institute will be a Society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. It is clarified that the period of service ( in the said organizations ) of the employees who are placed in the said organizations shall be counted as Government service for all purposes including the purpose of pension. Note : The Sub-Committee will also work out the devolution of assets and allocation of space. Concluding Observations : These proposals, envisaging (a) amalgamation
of all features of land records management at a single point, (b) rationalisation
and strengthening of various levels of the Revenue field hierarchy, (c)
reconstitution of Orissa Revenue Institute as an institute of excellence
in professional training, (d) constitution of Orissa Revenue Tribunal and
(e) restructuring of the Board of Revenue are worth consideration. If these
are found to be acceptable after due consideration, appropriate Cabinet-
Memoranda have to be submitted for the approval of the Cabinet.
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