Top 10 Key Powers and Responsibilities of Revenue Officers

The Himachal Land Revenue Act was made in 1954 and the extent of this Act extends to the whole districts of Himachal Pradesh. The act tells about the different topics covered under the Act which is used by the Revenue Officers. We will discuss the meaning of revenue officer, the power and function of revenue officers, classes, appointments of revenue officers, powers, and duties of revenue officers, powers of revenue officers, Powers and duties of land revenue officers or powers and duties of the revenue officer.

Table of Contents

What is the meaning of revenue officer?

“Meaning of revenue officer”: – According to the definition, the State Government appoints the Revenue officers. A revenue officer is an individual who is appointed by the State government to collect revenue like taxes and duties on the behalf of state government. He must use the powers and functions which is given to him by the act.

Classes of Revenue Officers:-

Hierarchy of revenue officers with appointment and powers of revenue officers.

There are the following classes of Revenue officers given under section 7 of the act, namely-

Financial Commissioner
The Commissioner
The Collector
The Assistant Collector of First Grade
The Assistant Collector of Second Grade

Financial commissioner

The Financial Commissioner (FC) is the head of the revenue administration in a State. The jurisdiction of FC extends to the whole of Himachal Pradesh.

Appointment of Financial Commissioner

The State Government appoints the FC in the State. There can be one or more FCs in a State as per the direction of the State Government.

The Commissioner

Section 9 of the act deals with the appointment of a Commissioner. The Act provides that there can be one or more than one commissioner in the State.

Appointment of Commissioners– The act provides that the State Government shall appoint the Deputy Commissioners, Assistant Commissioners, and Extra-Assistant Commissioners.

Revenue Officers | Classes and Powers

The Collector

The DC of the District shall be recognized as the Collector as a revenue officer. The State Government appoints the Collector. He exercises the jurisdiction over the district. He is responsible for doing the various functions as specified by the State government.

Assistant collector or first class and second class

The Assistant collector or first class is known as the Tehsildar and the Assistant collector or second class is known as Naib Tehsildar. The State Government may appoint the Assistant collector or first class and second class through notification. They may use the powers as given under the Act. They can enjoy their powers within the limits of the district in which they are employed.

Powers of Revenue Officers

Power of revenue officer in land law- There are five classes of revenue officers given under the Act which are the financial commissioner (FC), the commissioner, the collector, the assistant collector of the first grade, and the assistant collector of the second grade. The DC of a district by his office becomes a collector as a revenue officer who is transferred from one district to another and retains the powers with which he was invested in the former district.

Powers of Financial Commissioner

There are many matters on which the FC is empowered by the Act to make rules, but these do not take effect until they have been sanctioned by the State Government. There are several executive proceedings regarding which his special orders are required.

Powers of commissioner

While the land revenue and inclination acts give sufficient forces of general control on commissioners, there is no specific issue which they can lawfully manage on their drive, or for the not many exemptions is that deals of enduring property for the recuperation of unfulfilled obligations are not finished will they have gotten the affirmation of commissioners.

Powers of Collector

There are various functions of the Collector:

He is the recorder of the agriculture statistics;
He is the guardian and registrar of the soil which is being enjoyed by the private persons;
As a collector of land revenue;
As the promoter of the improvement and stability of the landed property;
Custodian of the State property;
Act as a judge in the case between landlords and tenants.

Administrative control of revenue officers

Administrative control over all the Revenue Officers is set in a hierarchy. The FC has the main control over the all revenue court of the State.

What are Appeal, Review, and Revision under the Land Revenue Act?

Conclusion

The Himachal Land Revenue Act of 1954 delineates the framework for revenue administration in Himachal Pradesh. It defines the roles and responsibilities of various classes of revenue officers, including the Financial Commissioner, Commissioner, Collector, and Assistant Collectors. These officers are appointed by the State Government and entrusted with the task of collecting revenue on behalf of the government. The Act outlines their powers, functions, and administrative hierarchy, ensuring efficient governance and the proper management of land revenue matters. Through this legislation, the State aims to maintain transparency, accountability, and effectiveness in revenue administration, thereby contributing to the socio-economic development of the region.