The Orissa Revenue Divisional Commissioners Rules, 1959
or717
(i) "Act" means the Orissa Revenue Divisional Commissioners Act, 1957 (Orissa Act 19 of 1957);
(ii) "Revenue Division" means a Revenue Division constituted under Sub-section (1) of Section 2 of the Act;
(iii) the "Revenue Divisional Commissioner" means the person appointed as such under Section 3 of the Act;
(iv) "Additional Revenue Divisional Commissioner" means a person appointed as such by the State Government under Section 5 of the Act;
(v) "Board" means the Board of Revenue, Orissa;
(vi) words and expressions used in these rules but not defined herein shall have the meaning assigned to them in the Act.
3. Save as provided in the Act, all appeals, reviews and revisions and other applications filed before him and relating to his Revenue Division shall be heard and disposed of by the Revenue Divisional Commissioner. 4. While hearing matters under provisions of Rule 3, the Revenue Divisional Commissioner shall be deemed to be a Court and he shall give his decision in the form of a judgement signed and sealed by him. 5. All cases not triable in circuit shall be tried and heard at the headquarters station of the Revenue Divisional Commissioner or Additional Revenue Divisional Commissioner, as the case may be, and those cases which at the discretion of the Revenue Divisional Commissioner or the Additional Revenue Divisional Commissioner are to be tried in circuit may ordinarily be posted for hearing in the district to which they relates. 6. The Regulations framed by the Board under Rule 7 of the Orissa Board of Revenue Rules, 1959 from time to time regulating the practice and procedure to be followed in filing disposal of appeals, reviews and revisions and applications shall be followed in the Courts of the Revenue Divisional Commissioner and Additional Revenue Divisional Commissioner and all other Courts subject to their appellate or revisional jurisdiction. [7. Revenue Divisional Commissioners shall, within their respective jurisdiction, exercise such powers and perform such functions as may be vested in them under laws, rules or orders of Government.] 8. For the purposes of the Act, the Revenue Divisional Commissioners shall be deemed to be the Head of the Department in respect of the subjects mentioned in [Appendix] appended hereto, within their respective jurisdiction. 9. In matters of superintendence and control of the Administrative functions of Collectors and other Revenue Officers employed for the general administration, maintenance of law and order, administration of Local Bodies, etc., subject to the general supervision of the Board to the extent specified in the Orissa Board of Revenue Rules, 1959 and subject to the overall control of the State Government, the Revenue Divisional Commissioner shall have the following functions within the limits of their respective Revenue Divisions, namely :(ii) to inspect at his discretion selected offices and Courts of Sub-Collectors and Tahasildars at least one in each district once in a calendar year and to bring to the notice of the Board and the State Government important points deserving of their notice;
(iii) to inspect at least one Block in each district once a year and to bring to the notice or free appropriate department important points deserving of its attention;
(iv) to inspect his own office once every year and furnish his report to the Board with a copy to the State Government;
(v) to inspect at his discretion selected offices of Municipalities and Notified Area Councils and to furnish his report to the appropriate department;
(vi) to review the work of District-Level Offices of different departments and furnish his report to appropriate departments;
(vii) to inspect selected development schemes and bring the summary of his observations to the notice of the appropriate departments;
(viii) to review the tour diaries of the Collectors and Sub-Collectors half-yearly and to furnish a copy of his review to the Board;
(ix) to review the implementation of development schemes in districts under his jurisdiction and report the summary of his review to appropriate departments;
(x) to compile the Annual Land Revenue Administration Report of the Revenue Division and to furnish the same to the Board tor compilation of the report for the State;
(xi) to review monthly the demand, collection and balance of land revenue, ceases, water rate, etc., of all the districts in the Revenue Division and to furnish reports to the Board and to the Revenue Department on the 22nd of the succeeding month;
(xii) to review, from time to time, implementation of laws relating to land reforms and tenancy and to apprise the Board of problems requiring its intervention;
(xiii) to superintend Revenue Courts within his jurisdiction;
(xiv) to review monthly disposal of all revenue cases by the Collectors, Additional District Magistrates, Sub-Collectors and other Revenue Officers and to furnish his report to the Board and to the State Government on the 22nd of the succeeding month;
(xv) to grant leave to officers of Indian Administrative Service and Orissa Administrative Service to such extent as may be specified by Government;
(xvi) to look after the timely disposal of all matters connected with the grant of pension, gratuity and other death-cum-retirement benefits in respect of officers under his control retiring from service;
(xvii) to furnish periodical confidential reports of Gazetted Officers in accordance with Instructions issued by Government from time to time;
(xviii) to declare local holidays for such number of days as he may be authorised in that behalf by Government;
(xix) to advise the State Government on any serious threat to peace or breach of law and order or any matters connected with any natural calamity or epidemic, or widespread crop loss, or unauthorised alienation of forest land, or cutting and removal of trees except in accordance with a valid permission, or pollution caused by any method whatsoever resulting in jeopardy to public health;
(xx) to furnish the budget estimates of the Division to the Board or the State Government, as the case may be, by the prescribed date; and
(xxi) to call for returns and reports from the Courts subordinate to him.]
10. The Revenue Divisional Commissioner shall bring to the notice of the [Board and] State Government any defects discovered in the working of the existing Revenue laws and suggest remedial measures from time to time. 11. The Revenue Divisional Commissioner may correspond direct with any other Departments of the State Government or offices in matters unconnected with the Revenue administration of the districts but in all matters in which the Board of Revenue has been declared as the Head of the Department in the Orissa Board of Revenue Rules, 1959, correspondence shall be made through the Board. [12. The Revenue Divisional Commissioner shall hold, at appropriate intervals, meetings with Officers of various departments posted in the Division with a view to ascertaining the progress of programmes entrusted to them for execution and difficulties, if any, that should be removed fit order that Execution is faster and more efficient.] 13. The Revenue Divisional Commissioner shall have powers to hear and dispose of appeals and petitions preferred against the decision of the Collectors in cases of disciplinary measure against non-Gazetted Officers within his jurisdiction as an appellate authority subject to the limitations prescribed in the relevant Acts and rules in force for the time being. For the purposes of this rule, the Revenue Divisional Commissioner shall have all the powers vested in the Board under the Acts and rules in force in Ganjam, Khondmals-Boudh and Koraput districts and in the Revenue Commissioner in the remaining districts of the State of Orissa. [14. The Revenue Divisional Commissioner shall from time to time, review the working of Excise and Registration Administrations in the Division and shall report his observations to the Board.] [15. The Revenue Divisional Commissioner shall endeavour to provide all reasonable assistance to Senior Officers of the Government of India or undertakings owned by the Government of India in matters connected with their work.] [16. The Revenue Divisional Commissioner shall devote special attention to the well-being of the Scheduled Tribes, the Scheduled Castes, minority Communities and weaker sections, to proper administration of the public distribution system and to programmes designed to benefit orphans, destitutes and the physically or mentally handicapped;] [17. The Revenue Divisional Commissioner shall be in the administrative charge of Circuit Houses, Revenue Bungalows, Rest sheds and all buildings which are under the control of the Revenue Department.] 18. The Revenue Divisional Commissioner shall regulate the payment of rewards for destruction of wild animals within the limits of the division. 19. The Revenue Divisional Commissioner shall regulate the departmental construction of Revenue buildings in accordance with the rules and cirders in force from time to time. 20. The Revenue Divisional Commissioner may issue circular orders to the subordinate offices in the division on questions of procedure and general practice in respect of the items of functions mentioned in [Appendix] which they are empowered to discharge, direct in the capacity of the Heads of the Department. A copy of every such circular should be forwarded to the State Government. ? [* * *][Vide Rule 8]
1. Collection of land revenue, water rates and ceases.
2. Land acquisition.
3. Realisation of arrears of revenue and recovery of public demands.
4. Management and aliention of all land belonging to Government.
5. Administration of Collectorates and Revenue Offices.
6. Circuit Houses, Revenue Bungalows, Revenue Rest sheds and all buildings owned by the Revenue Department.
7. Maintenance of records in subordinate Revenue Offices and in his own office.
8. Establishment in the Revenue Divisional Commissioner's Office.
9. Such other matters in respect of which he is declared by Government to be the Head of the Department.]