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what is a distict administration
The District is the Principal Administrative unit below the state level. It is a unit of administration covering most of the departments of Government. In the words of  the study team on district administration constituted by the Administrative Reforms commission :

The district is the most convenient geographical unit where the total apparatus of public administration can be concentrated, and where it comes into direct contact with the people. Most departments of the state Government out-side the secretariat, have external services which are located in the district. The sum total of the activities of these departments and some others, which may also be connected with the affairs of the Central Government, together constitute the administrative machinery in the district.
The functions of the district administration can be summarized as follows :

1.        Law and order and magisterial matters: The first group of functions relates to public safety and tranquility. Maintenance of Law and order is the joint responsibility of the Superintendent of Police, who head the Police force in the district, and the District Magistrate. The Deputy Commissioner of the District is also the District Magistrate. Though there is a separate department for the administration of jails, the district Magistrate exercises general supervision over the Jails in his district.

2.        Land Revenue : The second group of functions relates to revenue administration. While the most important component of this group is land administration including maintenance of land records, it also includes the assessment and collection of land revenue and also collection of the other public dues which are collected as arrears of land revenue. The Deputy Commissioner is a designated Revenue officer in various laws governing the land to deal with disputes arising out of land records and management of public lands and properties. The other revenue officers, namely, the Assistant Commissioners, the Tahsildars and the Deputy Tahsildars also perform functions of dealing with land disputes under the overall supervision and control of the  Deputy Commissioner.

3.         Development Activities: These include Public Health, Education, Social Welfare, welfare of Backward Classes and communities. Each of these functions is looked after by separate department, headed by a specialist officers in the district. The various special economic programmes like Samgra Grameena Rozgar Yojana (SGRY), Swarnajayanthi Grama Swarozgar Yojana, etc.and the poor people's housing scheme Indira Awas Yojana, Pradanamantri Grameena Awas Yojana, Ashraya Housing Scheme, Dr. Ambedkar Housing, Navagram Hosing are implemented by the Zilla Panchayat, Which is headed by Chief Executive Officer of Zilla Panchayat. The Deputy Commissioner does not get a direct role in these schemes. However, since these programmes call for an integrated effort by various field departments at the district level, Public Works Department and Minor Irrigation, Forest etc., the role of D.C. in co-coordinating and guiding their activities is of prime importance for successful implementation of these programmes. Social Security measures like Old age Pension, Widows Pension, Maternity allowance to expectant mothers and stipends to physically Handicapped persons, Workmen’s compensations matters, rehabilitation of displaced persons under various projects Aids for Religious (Muzrai Schemes) and charitable Institutions and Endowments are also carried out.

4.        Regulatory Functions:  These include

(i)  control, regulation and distribution of Food and Civil supplies and essential commodities.

(ii) Excise and Prohibition matters.

(iii) All matters relating to Stamps and Registration, Societies registration Act, 1960, Registration of firms under the Indian Partnership Act, 1932.

(iv) Matters relating to Urban land (ceiling and regulation), vacant lands in urban areas(prohibition of alienation Act, 1975.

(v)   Land Improvement Loans Act,1963, Agriculturists Loans Act, 1963., Non-agricultural Loans Act, 1958.


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