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.
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