In the previous chapters, we have seen how the Panchayati Raj governs the villages. However, the administration of a village involves many more officials and departments. The rural administration is the system through which the government maintains law and order, looks after the land records, and provides services to the people in the villages.
The rural administration includes the police and the patwari (also called the lekhpal or karnam in different states), who maintain the records of the land, and the tehsildar, who looks after the revenue of the tehsil. In this chapter, we will learn how the police maintain law and order, how the land records are kept, and how the different officials of the rural administration work.
Law and order in the villages is maintained by the police. Every police station has a jurisdiction (area of work), and the officer in charge of a police station is called the Station House Officer (SHO).
The police perform several duties: - They maintain law and order in their area. - They register the complaints of the people. - They investigate cases of theft, fights and other crimes. - They help in the prevention of crime. - They give information about a person who has been arrested to his or her family.
When a crime is committed, the person who has suffered goes to the police station and gives a complaint. The police then register the case, called an FIR (First Information Report), and begin the investigation.
The whole district is administered under the head of the District Magistrate or the Collector. The Collector is the highest official of the district and looks after the revenue, law and order, and the development of the district.
Under the Collector, there are several officials: - The Superintendent of Police (SP) looks after the police force of the district. - The Tehsildar (also called the revenue officer) looks after the revenue and land records of the tehsil. - The Station House Officer (SHO) looks after the police station.
The district administration ensures that the laws are followed and the services reach the people.
The patwari is the village official who maintains the land records of the village. He is called by different names in different states – patwari, lekhpal, karnam or village officer.
The patwari's main duties are: - He measures the fields and maintains the record of the land. - He keeps the records of the crops grown in each field. - He notes down the changes in the ownership of the land. - He maintains the revenue records of the village. - He helps the government in the collection of land revenue.
The record maintained by the patwari is very important, because when there is a dispute about land, the record of the patwari is used to settle it.
The tehsildar is an important revenue official of the district. He works at the level of the tehsil or taluka, which is a subdivision of the district.
The duties of the tehsildar are: - He supervises the work of the patwaris and the other revenue officials. - He looks after the collection of the land revenue. - He maintains the land records of the whole tehsil. - He listens to the disputes about land that are brought to him. - He issues the important revenue certificates to the people.
The tehsildar is a link between the district administration and the villages.
The land records are very important because: - Land is the most valuable property of the farmers. - The records tell us who owns which piece of land. - They help in the collection of land revenue. - They are used to settle disputes about land. - They help the government to plan the development of the area.
If there is a dispute between two people about a piece of land, the record of the patwari and the tehsildar is used to find out the true owner. That is why it is very important to keep the land records correct and up to date.
The chapter gives the story of two farmers, Mohan and Raghu, to explain the working of the rural administration. In the story, the two farmers quarrel over a boundary of their fields. A neighbour suggests that they go to the police station, but the police say that such a matter is not a police case; it is a matter of the land records.
The farmers then go to the patwari of the village, who checks the land records and finds out the correct boundary. The patwari resolves the dispute with the help of the records. This story shows us that disputes about land are settled by the revenue officials, not by the police, and it shows the importance of the land records.
In the story, the police refused to register the complaint of the farmers because the matter was about land boundaries, which is not a police case. The police deal with cases of crime, theft and fights, while disputes about land are dealt with by the revenue department.
This shows that the police and the revenue officials have different roles. The police maintain law and order and investigate crimes, while the patwari and the tehsildar look after the land records and revenue. The administration works best when every official does his or her own duty.
The farmers of the villages pay revenue (a form of tax) on their land to the government. The amount of the revenue depends on the area of the land and the crops grown.
The patwari measures the fields and maintains the record of the land and the crops. On the basis of these records, the revenue is calculated and collected. The tehsildar supervises the collection of the revenue. The revenue collected is used by the government for the development of the rural areas.
The rural administration is very important for the welfare of the villages: - The police maintain law and order and protect the people. - The patwari and the tehsildar maintain the land records and collect the revenue. - The Collector coordinates the whole administration of the district. - The administration helps in the settlement of disputes and the implementation of the development schemes.
Without the rural administration, there would be no law and order in the villages, and the disputes about land could not be settled. The rural administration is the backbone of the rural life of India.
| Official | Level | Main Duty |
|---|---|---|
| District Magistrate/Collector | District | Head of district administration |
| Superintendent of Police | District | Looks after the police force |
| Tehsildar | Tehsil/Taluka | Revenue, land records of the tehsil |
| Patwari | Village | Maintains land records of the village |
| SHO | Police station | Head of the police station |
| Police | Revenue Officials |
|---|---|
| Maintain law and order | Maintain land records |
| Register FIR and investigate crimes | Collect land revenue |
| Deal with theft, fights, crime | Settle disputes about land |
The rural administration is the system through which the villages of India are governed and served. It includes the police, who maintain law and order and investigate crimes, and the revenue officials – the patwari, the tehsildar and the Collector – who look after the land records and the collection of revenue.
The story of Mohan and Raghu shows us the importance of land records, which help to settle the disputes of the farmers. The rural administration works like a well-oiled machine, with each official performing a clear duty. Through the police and the revenue officials, the government reaches every village, protects the people and looks after the land on which their lives depend.