General Administration

PREFACE  (THIRD EDITION)

The second edition of this Manual was brought out in 1942 before the partition of the country. Many changes in the set-up of district administration have occurred since then. In order to streamline the functioning of the district administration, the Government had constituted a High Level Committee consisting of Sarvshri A.L.Fletcher, ICS; M.S.Randhawa, ICS and E.N.Mangat Rai, ICS. The committee submitted its Report to the Government   in 1953 and suggested the wholesale re-organisation of District Administration in the State of Punjab. The Government considered this report, commonly known as ‘Fletcher Committee Report’, and took steps to reshape the District Administration on the lines suggested therein.

Consequently, the district administration was overhauled. Since the second edition of this Manual had become out-moded because of the re-organisation of the District Administration, it was of utmost importance to revise the District Office Manual accordingly.

Effort has been made to revise the chapters of the Manual and bring these up-to-date in  accordance with  the  existing  system  and  set-up of  the District Administration. Keeping in view the policy and instructions of the Government issued from time  to time. The views of the  Commissioners and  Deputy Commissioners have also been considered while revising this Manual. This revised edition of the Manual is largely the handiwork of Shri Arjmand   Lal, Officer on Special Duty,  Revenue  Department under   the general guidance and supervision of Shri  Naranjan Singh,  Joint Secretary (Revenue). Grateful thanks are due to both these officers for rendering this valuable service.

It is hoped that this edition would prove useful and serve as a guide to the functionaries in the district, in running the day-to-day administration. However, suggestions will be welcome for improvements in this Manual.

K. D. VASUDEVA,

Financial Commissioner, Revenue Dated Chandigarh, and Secretary to Government, Punjab, the 19th September, 1981,

Revenue Department.

PREFACE  (FIRST EDTION)

This manual is issued under the orders of the Financial Commissioners as Head of the Department for the establishments of the Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners, and takes the place of Standing Orders Nos.5, 13,44,46,47,51,62,65and 66,which it supplements in many particulars.

Except that for convenience the manual reproduces the Punjab Subordinates Services Punishment and Appeal Rules and the Classification Rules of the services concerned with a few connected rules, no attempt has been made to reproduce orders relating to Government servants generally for which reference must be made to the orders of Government contained in the Consolidated Circulars of Government.

The scope of this manual is limited to that of regulating the procedure in the offices of Commissioners and Deputy Commissioners and the discipline to be exercised in them, and does not purport to be a manual of District Administration, nor does it deal with Land Revenue and Excise Establishments except to the extent that they are employed in district and tahsil offices.

The Financial Commissioners will be glade to receive suggestions for improvements in this manual.

1^st September , 1934.

PREFACE  (SECOND EDITION)

Correction slips to the 1^st edition have been incorporated in this edition had certain paragraphs of the manual have been amended in the light of instructions issued by Government since the publication of that edition. Chapter 13 of the first edition, containing rules for the supply of copies of records under the control of Deputy Commissioners and Financial Commissioners is being issued in the form of a separate manual.

15^th July , 1942

CHAPTER   1
GENERAL ADMINISTRATION
(INSPECTION OF COURTS AND OFFICES)
          
A----Introductory

Responsibility of Deputy Commissioners for efficient working of the offices and courts: -1.1. The Deputy Commissioner, as Collector and Magistrate of the district is responsible for the efficient working of all offices and courts under his charge. To discharge this responsibility, constant and regular inspections are essential. It is not necessary that the whole burden of inspection should fall upon the Deputy Commissioner himself. As will be seen in the Financial Commissioners Standing Order No.14 and 56,Tehsil and Sub- treasuries inspections can be performed on alternate occasions by Assistant Collector. Even he can direct his subordinate officers to conduct inspections of the offices on his behalf. As is laid down in paragraph 8.10 of the Punjab Land Records Manual, the District Kanungo’s Office is inspected twice a year by the Deputy Commissioner or the District Revenue Officer. It is, however, essential that once a year the Deputy Commissioner should inspect every office and court in his District, both in order to ensure the efficient and smooth working of these offices and courts and also in order that he may acquaint himself with every member of the ministerial staff under his control.

Duties of the Divisional Commissioners: -1.2. Though the responsibility for district administration will vest completely in the district officers themselves, the Commissioner will provide the agency for ensuring on behalf of Government, that the day-to-day administration in district offices is carried on efficiently and honesty, that the district officers and their staff follow the rules of conduct and work according to standards expected of them, and that officers exercising revenue and magisterial jurisdiction attend to their work regularly, punctually and properly. Each Commissioner will be responsible for making inspections of the district offices and courts within his jurisdiction. Commissioner when visiting districts in his division should satisfy himself that the Deputy Commissioner has inspected the courts and offices in his charge during the previous year, and should consider and point out special difficulty which may arise from those inspections. The adequacy of such inspections should briefly be noticed by Commissioner at the time of forwarding the annual reports on Land Revenue, Panchayati Raj Institutions and Local Bodies, etc.

Inspections: 1.2-A. Inspections are important mechanism of control over the working of the subordinate offices and officers. The object is to ensure compliance of policy of Government as contained in various instructions issued from time to time. Besides the Inspections give an opportunity to the officer conducting the same to gain first- hand knowledge of the working and problems of the subordinate officers/offices under his control. As a consequence steps can be taken to ensure that shortcomings noticed in any office are immediately removed not only in the office inspected but also in other similar offices. In view of the importance and utility of inspections, the system of periodic inspections at all levels should be enforced strictly. The roster of inspections by the Revenue Officers may be seen at Appendix ‘A’.

Officers to whom copies of inspection notes should be forwarded: 1.3. Two copies of all inspection notes, dealing with matters under the control of Financial Commissioner, Revenue and Commissioner, should be sent to the Commissioner for his information. A copy of the Inspection Note on each sadr or tahsil registration office should be sent to the Inspector-General of Registration. A covering letter should if necessary, be sent calling attention to any points of particular importance contained in the notes. The Inspecting Officer should note the result of these inspections in the minute books which are kept for the purpose in each district office and tahsil.

Inspecting Officers should have the required number of spare copies of inspection notes prepared by their stenographers simultaneously with the fair copy prepared for their signature.

B.Matters under the control of High Court.

Inspection of  Magistrate’s courts: 1.4.  The inspection by the District Magistrate of subordinate courts is a matter for regulation by High Court, and detailed instructions with regard to the inspections of magistrates’ courts will be found in the Rules and Orders of the High Court, Volume IV, Chapter VI, “Inspection of subordinate courts, civil and criminal”.  In pursuance of these instructions the District Magistrate will inspect not only the courts of subordinate magistrates in tehsils and at headquarters, but also the Sub-Divisional Magistrate’s court (if any) and the District Magistrate’s court both with regard to original jurisdiction, and with regard to appeals. It does not fall within the province of the Commissioner to inspect criminal courts from the point of view of the administration of justice; but he should satisfy himself that inspections of courts are being regularly carried out. Also it is directly his duty to observe any accumulation of arrears in magistrates’ courts, and any matters that affect the peace and good Government of district; and he is also interested in matters of financial import, such as the maintenance of proper accounts of expenditure, and proper stamping of documents.

C. -   Matters under the control of the Financial Commissioners.

Tahsil and treasury inspections. 1.5. Tahsil inspections are dealt with in detail in the Punjab Land Records Manual and Financial Commissioners’ Standing Order No. 14.

Inspection of the courts of  Collectors and Assistant Collectors - 1.6. The courts of the 1^st Grade (District Revenue Officers and Sub-Divisional Officers), require even more careful inspection than the courts of Tahsildars, since the matters dealt with by the 1^st Grade are more important than the matters dealt with by the Assistant Collector of the 2^nd Grade.  Special care should be taken to trace cases which have been unduly delayed.

The court of the Collector, both as regards original jurisdiction, of which there is very little, and as regards appeals should also be regularly inspected by himself as well as by the Commissioner.

District Revenue Accountant’s Office:-  1.7.   The District Revenue Accountant’s Office requires special supervision in order that effective control may be exercised over demands and collections. Expenditure of all kinds is subject to audit, but the efficient scrutiny of demands and collections rests with the Deputy Commissioner.  Particular attention should be paid to the running register, since every Government demand, which of the fixed rent roll, depends upon the personal supervision of the Collector, who is responsible for the proper assessment of demands and its recovery in full.  All demands fixed by the competent authority should be attested by a gazetted officer in the running register, and recoveries should be carefully checked.  The nazool register should be carefully checked in order to ensure that Government is receiving as large an income as possible from all Government land, and that all such demands are entered in the running register.

Court of Wards: - 1.8.     Deleted.

General Record Room. : 1.9.     The general record room should be inspected to ensure that the provisions prescribed have been observed and that quarterly inspections have been made by the officer-in-charge as laid down.

Copying Agency: -1.10.   The copying agency should be inspected to ensure that the provisions prescribed are carefully observed, and that the officer placed in charge has exercised due control.  The periodical audit by the Local Fund Auditors of the accounts does not relieve the Deputy Commissioner of his responsibility for regular inspection.

Sadr Kanungo’s Office and Revenue Record Room: - 1.11- The Sadr Kanungo’s office and the revenue record room should be inspected once a year by the Deputy Commissioner, the intervening inspections being performed by the District Revenue Officer.  Full instructions with regard to this inspection are contained in paragraphs 8.15 and 8.16 of the Land Records Manual.

Treasury and treasury office and sub-treasury: -1.12 - According to the instructions issued by the Government in the Revenue Department, the Commissioner of the Division is expected to carry out inspections of Treasuries/Sub-Treasuries once in a financial year. The Deputy Commissioner is also required to inspect the Treasuries/Sub-Treasuries once a year. In addition he should conduct four surprise visits of each Treasuries/Sub Treasuries, out of which two should be paid while on tour. The S. D. O. (C) should also visit Sub-Treasuries under his charge once a year and conduct two surprise checks.                                          

Excise Office: -1.13.      Deleted.

Colony or nazul office: - 1.14.     Deleted

Inspection of Work of Tahsildars Naib-Tahsildars, Kanungos and Patwaris: - 1.15 -In the course of their tours, the Deputy Commissioners should make a Special point of inspecting the records kept by Patwaris. A brief inspection of half an hour will lead to improvements in the work of many who wish to avoid having their errors brought to light and will provide material for a judgment on the work of the higher revenue staff. A cross check of the chaukidar’s register of deaths, the patwari’s diary, the khasra girdawari and the jamabandi will usually yield a valuable insight into the working of the revenue system.

Administrative Branch: - 1.16 - The General, Record and Issue branches are under the immediate control of the General Assistant to the Deputy Commissioner who is responsible to carry on the office work in these branches. Proposals from officers incharge of special departments so far as they impinge upon establishment should first be scrutinized by the General Assistant before orders are passed by the Deputy Commissioner. Special attention should be paid to confidential records kept with the Superintendent, the record system, the destructions of old records, the division of work between the various clerks and the library. The Deputy Commissioner should ensure that all the confidential files are present and have been duly entered in the confidential register. The Deputy Commissioner is the authority to order the destructions of any useless record. Attention given to this subject for a few minutes daily will be worth the trouble as confusion begets confusion for years and eventually special measures are necessary towards reconstruction of the entire records. The Deputy Commissioner will possibly find it difficult to check the division of work between clerks and the best way to do it will be by paying occasional surprise visits. The library should be inspected to ensure that the provisions prescribed are being complied with. The Superintendent is responsible for general supervision over the library and should inspect it thoroughly at least once a month and record his note in the inspection book.

Peshi Branch - 1.17 - The Peshi Branch though under the direct charge of the Superintendent (Grade IV) is under the general supervision and control of the Superintendent (Grade II), and an important matter for inspection is the connection kept up between the two offices. The office should be inspected to ensure that all the registers are properly maintained. The despatch register for correspondence should be carefully checked to ensure that papers sent out to tahsils or elsewhere are duly recorded and that if any such papers are lost the responsibility for their loss may be fixed upon some definite person. Despatch registers are important records and should be carefully preserved when no longer in current use.     

 “Selection of clerks on important seats should be carefully made. This applies to the officials of the courts and those working in the branches dealing with the arms licenses, registration of documents, treasury, refunds and other work involving money transactions.”

Nazarat Accounts: -1.18 - The contingent  registers and voucher should be scrutinized as far as possible. Care should be taken to see that undue retention of unclaimed arms and ammunition in the malkhana does not occur. Normally, arms and ammunition for which there are no license purchasers, should be separately and carefully packed and sent without undue delay to the nearest arsenal for destruction in accordance with the rules on the subject. Arms placed in the district Malkhanas should be properly looked after and greased and should under no circumstances be left in the open.

It is extraordinary how easily extravagance can be checked by reviewing contingent vouchers.

Arms licenses and motor car licenses: - 1.19 - Special attention should be paid to the arms registers in order to ensure that suitable references are made to the Superintendent of Police where required, and that all persons, who are known to possess arms but are likely to neglect to renew their licenses, are properly dealt with. In districts where arms licenses are dealt with in the concerned Branches, this matter should receive a preliminary inspection from the Superintendent (Grade IV) but it is advisable, that the Superintendent should himself check the lists with a view to finding out possible defaulters. Prompt action should be taken on the auditors’ note on motor taxes and fees.

Panchayati Raj Institutions and Local Bodies: - 1.20 - The Offices of the Panchayati Raj Institutions and Local Bodies should be inspected once a year, more from the point of view of general administration than from the accounts view-point, which is dealt by the Examiner, Local Fund Accounts when the senior auditor make his annual inspection.

Unnecessary references and reports: - 1.21 - Deleted.

Inspection of cemeteries: - 1.22 - Deleted.

D. - Matters under the control of Inspector-General of Registration.

Sadr Registration Office  - 1.23 - The Sadr Registration Office should be carefully inspected with reference to the instructions contained in the Punjab Registration manual.

E-General

Katchery compound: -  1.24 - An inspection round the katchery compound with the Superintendent (Grade II) will bring to notice defect or nuisances in the katchery compound, neglect in the maintenance of buildings or execution of the yearly repairs and white-washing and requirements to ensure the comfort of pleaders and litigants. 

                                                                     APPENDIX A

                                               ROSTER OF INSPECTIONS (RULE 1.2-A)

Statement showing the inspection of revenue work to be carted out by various Revenue Officers

CHAPTER 2
ORGANIZATION OF COMMISIONERS’ AND DEPUTY COMMISSIONERS’
OFFICES

Office of Divisional Commissioner: - 2.1.  The office of the Commissioner is practically a compact unit. The Superintendent Grade-I being the over all incharge of office (subject to the control of the Commissioner) is assisted by two or three Superintendents (Grade-III) on the General, Accounts and Revenue and Judicial sides, as the case may be.

Branches of Commissioner’s Office: - 2.2.   The work is distributed amongst the branches in the following manner, subject to variations as the Commissioner may, in his best judgment deems fit: -

(1)  General Branch. –deals with cases of general nature particularly pertaining to law and order, Arms Act, collection and disbursement of funds, natural calamities, encamping grounds, political sufferers, nazool cases, recovery of land revenue, budget and development cases, etc.

(2)  Accounts Branch. –deals with establishment, nazarat, library, mutations, agrarian reforms, Re-organization of Districts, creation of Tehsils and Sub-Tehsils, etc.

(3)  Revenue and Judicial Branch. –deals with peshi work, control on vernacular record and copying agency, inspection work of subordinate offices/courts, touring of revenue officers, land administration report, etc.

Staff of Commissioners’ Office: - 2.3 - The staff employed in these branches varies according to the requirements of each office. Ordinarily a Superintendent Grade-III is placed incharge of each branch with two or three Assistants and other clerks. Some of the work of Superintendents Grade-III is passed on to the Commissioner direct whereas in other cases their work is routed through the Superintendent Grade-I. The position varies in each Division keeping the view in the workload, staff and the administrative convenience.

2.4.The Superintendent (Grade-I) has full authority over the entire office staff subject to the control of the Commissioner. Besides, attending to the other office work, he deals particularly with the confidential and secret work, policy cases, complaints against Deputy Commissioners and annual confidential reports of I.A.S./P.C.S. officers working under the Commissioner.

2.4-A   The designation of the officials who handle the work in various branches of the office of Commissioner along with their pay scales as on 1^st January 1978 is given hereunder-

 

DEPUTY COMMISSIONERS’ OFFICES

2.5.The General Assistant to the Deputy Commissioner is incharge of and responsible to the Deputy Commissioner for the whole office. The Superintendent, Deputy Commissioner’s Office assists him in the day to-day administration.

Branches

2.6.Branches of Deputy Commissioners’ Office,---The Deputy Commissioner’s Office is broadly divided into the following branches:-

(1)  Peshi Branch

(2)  Judicial Record Branch

(3)  Copying Branch

(4)  Revenue Accounts Branch

(5)  Sadr Kanungos Branch  (Revenue  Records Branch)

(6)  Registration Branch.

(7)  Licensing and Passport Branch.

(8)  Establishment Branch

(9)  Nazarat Branch.

(10)  Local Fund Branch.

(11)  Development Branch.

(12)  Miscellaneous Branch.

(13)  Record and Issue Branch.

(14)  Complaint and Inquiries Branch.

(15)  Election Branch                                                                                                                            

Apart from the above, the branches mentioned below are either functioning independently or are part of the main Branches as detailed bellow:--

(1)  Housing Branch

(2)  Ligh/Migh Branch

(3)  Dharamarth Branch

(4)  Nazool Branch

(5)  Rehabilitation Branch

(6)  Flood Relief Branch

(7)  Small Savings Branch

(8)  Civil Defence Branch

(9)  District Transport Branch

(10)  Land Reforms/Agrarian Branch

(11)  Family Planning Branch

(12)  Land Acquisition Branch

(13)  Establishment of Mandis Branch

Supervision of Branches

2.7.The following officers assist the Deputy Commissioner for Carrying out day-to-day work in the district in various fields. The distribution of work amongst the following officers is left to the discretion of the Deputy Commissioner: --

(1)  Additional Deputy Commissioner.

(2)  General Assistant.

(3)  District Officer Removal of Grievances.

(4)  Executive Magistrate.

(5)  District Revenue Officer

(6)  District Transport Officer.

(7)  District Development and Panchayat Officer.

(8)  Civil Defence Officer.

(9)  Urban Ceiling Officer.

Distribution of subjects to be dealt within the various branches

2.8.(I) Peshi branch. —The following items of work are dealt with in this Branch:-

(1)  Transfer applications

(2)  Revenue Judicial Appeals andRevisions

(3)  Revenue Executive Appeals and Revisions.

(4)  Lambardari cases.

(5)  Cases under the Rehabilitation Laws.

(6)  Criminal complaints against Police, etc.

(7)  Processes received from Civil Courts.

(8)  Other processes received for service.

(9)  Miscellaneous applications relating to Court cases.

(10)  Other Miscellaneous applications.

(11)  Appeals against acquittals.

(12)  Notices under section 80 C.P.C.

(II)  Judicial Branch. —The entire record of judicial cases received from the Revenue Courts indicating the files received, files issued, files received back, files destroyed, is maintained in this branch.

(III)  Copying Branch. - This branch deals with supply of copies of record to the litigants and other public.

(IV)  Revenue Accounts Branch. - This branches deals with the following cases: -

(1)  Land Acquisition cases.

(2)  Requisition and derequisition cases.

(3)  Receipt and issuance of certificates of recovery.

(4)  Taccavi cases

(5)  Cases of lease of land.

(6)  Periodical Statements.

(7)  Suspension and Remission cases and cases under the Punjab Minor Minerals Rules.

(8)  Maintenance of accounts of Land Revenue, Abiana and Local Rate etc.

(9)  Cases relating to payment of Gratuitous relief on account of national/natural calamities.

(V) Sadr Kanungos Branch (Revenue Records Branch)-In this Branch, the following items of work are dealt with: -       

(1)  Jagir and Muafi Cases.

(2)  War Jagir cases.

(3)  Files regarding punishment, leave etc.

(4)  Files regarding transfers.

(5)  T.A. Bills of Patwaris and Kanungos.

(6)  Preparation of produce estimates.

(7)  Increment cases of establishment.

(8)  Periodical Statements.

(9)  Preparation of Pay Bills.

(10)  Arrear pay bills of Patwaris and Kanungos.

(11)  Recoupment of contingent bills.

(12)  Entries in Service Books.

(13)  Completion of Lal Kitabs and Abstract Note Books.

(14)  Issue of Records.      

(VI)   Registration Branch. –In this Branch are dealt with the following items of work: -

(1)  Registration of documents.

(2)  Deposits of Wills.

(3)  Supply of copies.

(4)  Inspections.

(5)  Impounding of documents.

(6)  Refund of stamps.

(VII)  Licensing and Passport Branch. –Deals with the issuance of licenses for arms, petroleum and explosive, issuance of passports for Indo-Pak and International travelling.            

(VIII)  Establishment Branch-This branch deals with the pay, T.A, pension, appointment, posting, transfer, retirement and dismissal of all establishment. Preparation of Annual Financial Statements, Excesses and Surrenders, maintenance of G.P. Fund accounts etc, are also dealt with in this branch.

(IX)  Nazarat Branch-Deals with the maintenance of cash and contingent accounts of the districts, stores, and stocks, custody and distribution of forms, encampment ground cases, supply contractors cases, kutchery compound cases, disbursement of pay of staff and custody and repayment of miscellaneous deposits.

(X)  Local Fund Branch,-- In this branch the work relating to Local Bodies, viz, Municipal Committees, Notified Area Committees, Small Town Committees, in the district in accordance with the Punjab Municipal Act, 1911, keeping up the calendar of elections, preparations of annual returns and  reports, submission of proposals and constitutional work etc. is being done.

(XI)  Development Branch-This branch deals with the implementation of developmental schemes framed by the government from time to time, community projects, national extension service schemes, work under the Utilization of Waste Land Act, Five-Year Plan and Village Common Lands Act (Shamlat Lands).

(XII)  Miscellaneous Branch –The following work is allocated to this branch:-

(1)  Requisitioning and de-requisitioning of houses.

(2)  Major and Minor Works.

(3)  Visits of V.I .P. s and reservation of Rest Houses for them.

(4)  Praman and Prashansa Patras.

(5)  Cases under the Press Act and Newspapers.

(6)  Cinema Licenses etc.

(7)  Training, Examinations and powers of officers,

(8)  Verification of the character of employees.

(9)  Appointment of Non-official visitors to Jail.

(10)  Issuance of Certificates to members of Scheduled Castes.

(11)  Grant of domicile Certificates.

(12)  Cases of Political Sufferers.

(13)  Coordination of work relating to more than one branch.

(14)  Cases under registration of Marriage Act.

Besides the above, any other miscellaneous work keeping in view the requirements of the district is being done in this branch.

(XIII)  Record and Issue Branch-The receipt work is centralized in the Record and Issue Branch. On receipt of the daily dak, it is distributed amongst the branches concerned who in turn have their own receipt registers wherein they enter the daily dak. There is no centralized agency for dispatch work. It is done by each branch itself and dispatch registers for that purpose are maintained.

The type work of all branches is centralized in the Record and Issue Branch from where the work duly typed is sent to the concerned branches. The work regarding the maintenance of library and distribution of stationery is also being done by this Branch.

(XIV)  Complaints and Inquiries Branch-This branch deals with the complaints received from the public in respect of their grievances in any walk of life for which a Special Officer has been appointed in each district. He not only assists the Deputy Commissioner in the removal of public grievances but also holds inquiries against public men/officials wherever these are called for.

As already stated, there are other branches in the offices of the Deputy Commissioners which have been created by them for running the district administration in a more convenient manner. Their detail need not be given here because those branches are created to shed the workload of other branches and make the disposal of cases easy. The existence of these branches vary from district to district.

2.8-A.  Peshi Branch of Additional Deputy Commissioner-This Branch deals with the following subjects:-

(1)  Revenue Judicial Appeals.

(2)  Revenue Executive Appeals.

(3)  Process Received from Civil Courts.

(4)  Other Processes received for Service.

(5)  Cases of Parole under the Good Conduct Prisoners (Temporary Release) Act.

(6)  Notices under Section 80 C.P.C.

(7)  Impounding of Documents.

(8)  Appeals under sections 72 and 73 of the registration Act.

2.9.Distribution of staff in various branches-No hard and fast rule for distribution of staff amongst various branches can be laid down. The staff is provided in each branch according to the workload involved therein. The details of the officials who handle the work in various branches of the office of Deputy Commissioner along with their pay scales as on 1^st  January, 1978 is given as follows:-

2.10Superintendence of office - The superintendence of Deputy Commissioners’ offices, including tahsil and sub-divisional office establishment, devolves on the General Assistant to D. C., who is responsible for the discipline of the clerical and menial staff employed in all branches of the office. He also deals with posting of the staff.  The officer-in-charge of the branch concerned should keep the General Assistant to D. C. informed about the work and the character of the above staff employed under them, and the latter in collaboration with officer-in-charge will deal with all matters regarding their appointment, transfer and promotion. All orders in these establishment cases will be taken by the General Assistant to D.C.

The above orders do not apply to kanungos cases, which will be dealt by the officer-in-charge

2.11     Opening of dak addressed to Deputy Commissioner - It is desirable that the Deputy Commissioner when at headquarters should open the dak addressed to him by post, but when it is not feasible for him to do so the covers addressed should be opened by the Superintendent.  In no case should the opening of postal dak be left to the Assistant or other junior clerks in the office. The General Assistant to D.C should the local dak daily before registration.

2.12  Confidential Work - The confidential work of the office will be done by the Superintendent personally, or if he is not available, by the stenographer or any other member of the office appointed by the Deputy Commissioner.

The confidential records of the district, other than those with the Deputy Commissioner himself , will remain in the personal custody of the Superintendent who should allow no one to have access to the confidential almirah in his charge.

When  a confidential letter is to be issued the Superintendent, unless directed by the Deputy Commissioner to copy it himself, will have it typed and dispatched by a responsible clerk. The Superintendent must in every case examine the work himself. Only the work to be typed (i.e., without the main file) should be given to the typist, and if it is not finished by the time the office closes it should be taken back and locked for the night. Care should be exercised in the selection of the typist to whom confidential work is entrusted, and the typing should if possible be done in the Superintendent’s room and under his supervision. If the stenographer is available, his services should be utilized in typing confidential papers. The name of the typist should invariably be noted on the manuscript or on the typed copy of the draft if the manuscript is to be destroyed.

2.13     Official Information to be treated Confidential: - Official information acquired by Assistants and others in their capacity as employees of the district or the divisional office must be considered and treated as strictly confidential. No Assistant may make use of any unpublished record or letter or office note for communication to the public press or to unauthorized person, whether officials or not, without special permission. A breach of this rule is an offence punishable with two years’ imprisonment or a fine or both under section 5 of the Indian Official Secrets Act, 1923. The provisions of this Act should be brought to the notice of all concerned on first appointment.

2.14Office note to be treated as confidential:- Office note must be treated as strictly confidential documents and must not be removed from the office or copied or be used by any of the staff outside the office on any pretext whatever, nor should office notes be sent out of the office without the orders of the Superintendent save as provided in the rules for un-official reference.

Officials must not take office files to their houses except with the express permission of the Superintendent or the Officer-in-charge. The practice should be discouraged as far as possible.

2.15Caution in talking on confidential matters:- The attention of all members of the office should be drawn to the obligation to refrain from talking in ordinary society on all matters which can be termed confidential, and particularly on confidential matters of a political nature.

2.16  Admission of outsiders to the office. The general public should not be admitted to the rooms in which clerks are working. The Deputy Commissioner will endeavour to secure the best possible arrangement by which the legitimate requirements of the public may be secured for access to the officials with whom they may have to do business. No assistant or clerk in the office is, any circumstances, to give any information on any subject to any outsiders. The practice of allowing visitors, friends or relatives to see the officials on private business during the office hours should be prohibited as it tends to waste the time of the official. Suitable notice board should be put up against nuisances.

2.17     Applications for officials Information:-Superintendent should discourage the practice of government servants  outside the office writing privately to them or their subordinates for information on official matters, and should, if necessary, brings such requests to their superiors notice.

This is not intended to prevent clerks calling from other offices on official business. The information to be given to them is, however, to be purely official. For instance, a clerk from one office is not entitled to receive information about a case in another office in which he or his officer may be personally interested.

2.18Recommendations for appointments and rewards not to be divulged:- Recommendations for appointments, promotions, increases of pay and the like, when made, should not be mentioned to the parties interested. Officers should therefore be careful not merely to abstain from communicating but also to guard against the disclosure of information cases of kind, which must always be treated as confidential in public correspondence.

2.19Punctual attendance:- The Superintendent shall see that all officials employed in various branches of the office attend punctuality and start their work at the appointed time. The attendance registered should be kept up properly and must in all cases reach the Superintendent after five minutes of the time of opening the office or court. A list of late comers should be maintained and submitted to the Deputy Commissioner monthly for disciplinary action.

The Superintendent will also see that every individual is made by the staff to cope with the daily allotment of work within the office hours, and  no one ought to be allowed to remain in office for more that one hour after the close of the office, except with the special permission of the officer-in-charge of the branch concerned.

2.20Rules to ensured safety of records, etc., in court- houses:-  The following rules recommended by the Inspector-General of Police for ensuring the safety of records in court- houses and maintaining the responsibility have been approved by Government  and prescribed for observance:-

Deputy Commissioner responsible that building is secured -  (i) It is the duty of the Deputy Commissioner to see that the court-house is properly fitted with bolts and   locks,  and that they are in working order so that in the evening when the business of the day is over the whole building can be securely closed.

Note.---doors partly glazed cannot be securely fastened by the bolts ,as it is easy to break the glass and unbolt the doors.  A bar should be pinned to the door post one side so as to be raised   across the door when closed and padlocked on the other side.

Responsibility for closing court-house to be vested in a nominated official. (ii)  The responsibility for securely closing the court-house should be vested in some official specially appointed by the Deputy Commissioner whose duty shall be , each day to see that , all the doors and windows are  securely fastened and the entrance door locked from the outside.

Such officials to open the court-house and see that all is right - (iii)  The court-house should be opened by the afore-mentioned official only, whose duty it shall be on opening the door to go round at once and see that all is right.

Correspondence between Deputy Commissioner and the subordinates---subordinate officers in the same station—personal inter-communication should be adopted instead of correspondence.

Correspondence between Deputy Commissioner and his subordinates. 2.21 - Correspondence of a formal official character between the Deputy Commissioner and any of his subordinates at headquarters is absolutely prohibited. If a subordinate officer requires an order on a particular case he should submit the file to the Deputy Commissioner, who should record his order thereon and return it. If the officer requires orders on any general or miscellaneous question not forming the subject of an official record, he should take the Deputy Commissioner’s oral orders, or if the subject is of sufficient importance, he should submit a memorandum on which the Deputy Commissioner should record his orders. When the Deputy Commissioner wishes to send an order to any subordinate at headquarters he should write the order on the file.

2.22  Subordinate officers at the same station are forbidden to correspond with each other formally. If one wants information from another , or has business to transact with him, he can settle the matter by personal interview or, if writing cannot be avoided by memorandum.

2.23  Correspondence should be reduced as much as possible having due regard to efficiency. Much time of both officers and clerks is wasted by unnecessary correspondence, which could be avoided by little care and attention.       

2.24  (1) It is believed that time is wasted and delay caused in the disposal of business between officers of different departments resending in the same station by excessive growth of the habit of writing letters and reminders instead of arranging personal interview with a view to the discussion and settlement of questions directly.                                                                              

(2) The practice of freer and less formal personal inter-communication between officers should be generally adopted especially in the case of questions still in stage of discussion, and in all minor matters which merely depend upon agreement of opinion on the part of officers concerned, as by means of such personal interchange of opinions a satisfactory agreement on the points at issue will in most cases be more quickly arrived at and a final settlement accelerated.

2.25An officer who is invited by a superior authority to submit an expression of his opinion on any subject should exercise discretion in consulting his subordinate officers, and reports should not be called for except from those officers whose advice is likely to of real value.

Contact between the District Officers and Deputy Commissioner 2.26 All the District Officers, such as, District Agricultural Officer, the District Animal Husbandry Officer, etc., should call on the Deputy Commissioner concerned, occasionally and keep in touch with their tour programme and activities so that their services may be available in times of emergencies. (Punjab Government letter No 5505-PI(S)-57/82934, dated the 18^th September, 1957.)