Redesigning the role of district administration: from regulating to developing

Abstract

In recent years, district administration in India has been given greater responsibilities in welfare and development of the rural people. There was some meddling with the district administrative sub-system under various schemes and programmes. Even the introduction of panchayati raj has not changed the interrelation between various subsystems and the intrinsic nature of powers which the state has exercised over the citizens through its executive machinery at the district level and below. This article examines the intrinsic meaning of regulatory functions and observes that, even under the "development administration," mostly regulatory functions are performed by various welfare and development departments. Industrialization, which is a major instrument of social change, has not yet touched district administration. The author recommends decentralization of local selfgovernment and general development functions at the village level, and a shift from regulatory function to direct responsibility for production for improving the image of district administration.