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Govt. of Andhra Pradesh
OVERVIEW OF
“REVENUE DEPARTMENT”
HISTORY :-
CHIEF COMMISSIONERATE / TELANGANA BOARD OF REVENUE / THE BOARD
OF REVENUE IN ANDHRA PRADESH / COMMISSIONERS ACT 1977 / THE
PRESENT SET UP
HISTORY
The history of Land Administration dates back to the olden days of kings and
Kingdoms. The Land Revenue was the major source of revenue for the kings. The
present system of preparing and maintaining land records originated from the
Moghul period and it reached its scientific form during the British rule.
During the British times the Revenue Department was the pivot of Administration.
The Board of Revenue that wielded extraordinary powers administered it. The
Collector was the virtual monarch at the District.
MADRAS BOARD OF REVENUE
In Andhra area the Board of Revenue was established in Madras State
in1786 with the sanction of the Court of Directors of East India Company. The Board
subject to the control of Governor had to superintend the whole administration,
collect revenue and control subordinates. It marked the beginning of
departmentalizing the functions of Government.
The Revenue Regulation in 1803 de linked administration of Civil Justice from
Board. It gave statutory foundation to the Board and spelled out its main duties like
Collection of Revenue, recommending sources for augmenting the income of the
Government and punishing the subordinate.
In 1849 decentralization was introduced. The Board of Revenue Act 1883
dispensed with the Collective nature of the Board. Each member was assigned
some subjects and his orders were treated as those of the board. In 1894 the Board
received operational freedom when the condition that all the orders given by Board
need Government approval to be effective was dispensed. Senior members of ICS
were selected as members.
The Board seems to have received a setback from 1916 to 1926 when its
jurisdiction shrank. Separate Departments were constituted and certain sources of
Revenue were transferred to Center. However from 1937 it regained its importance.
Further in the wake of Independence it was asked to coordinate Food Production,
Community Development and National Extension Service.
ANDHRA BOARD OF REVENUE
With the formation of separate Andhra State the Andhra Board of Revenue
was formed in 1953. It was a replica of Madras board. But it has only 2 members
where as Madras Board has 5 members drawn from ICS. It was the link between
the Government and the Districts. The first member was senior even to the then
Chief Secretary to Government. 2
TELANGANA BOARD OF REVENUE
The Prime Minister of Hyderabad, Sir Salar Jung, constituted a board of
revenue for the first time in 1864.In 1885 it was abolished and Inspector General at
State Level was appointed. In 1893, the assistant Minister of revenue, Vkar-ulUmra, was appointed as the Prime Minister and to fill this gap a Revenue Board
was created for the third time. It was abolished in 1901 and the post of Revenue
Secretary was revived. He was also designated as Director General of Revenue in
1928. Thus the Secretariat and executive functions were combined. This
arrangement continued till 1945 when the Board of Revenue was created for the
fourth time purely as an appellate body. Its life ended by 1949.Meanwhile
Hyderabad merged with the Union of India.
Then for the fifth time the board of Revenue in erstwhile State of Hyderabad was
established under a Regulation issued in 1949. (Regulation LX of 1358 Fasli). The
Hyderabad board as it existed in 1956 was by and large modeled on Madras
pattern. However it had four members who were Secretaries to Government
whereas in Madras they were seniors to Secretaries though next to Chief Secretary.
The Senior Member of the Telangana Board functioned also as the Development
Commissioner and was designated as ex officio Secretary to Government.
THE BOARD OF REVENUE IN ANDHRA PRADESH
The integrated Board of Andhra Pradesh, constituted on Madras pattern
enjoyed some of the powers of Hyderabad Board also. It administered through the
Board Standing Orders that form the basis of administration even till today. It
consisted of five members. In 1957 National savings Scheme was put under its
charge. It lost its control over minor irrigation in 1962 and Endowments in 1964.The
Panchayat Raj was withdrawn in 1970. But Tribal Welfare and PWD were added
under its control as a coordinating agency.
Gradually the Board lost its position as the highest Revenue Court. In some matters
Board Standing orders were altered by statutory amendments. Again Special
Secretaries to Government were created in1961 and Board lost its distinction as the
only administrative body with senior most officers though Chief Secretaries were
drawn from the Board Members.
In the Revenue Department, Commissioner of Revenue assisted the Board of
Revenue in its functioning. Secretary, Board’s Land revenue and irrigation Branch,
in turn assisted the Commissioner. At the District Level District Collectors, District
Revenue Officers performed the revenue and administrative functions. Revenue
Divisional Officers and Sub Collectors at the Sub-Divisional Level, Tahsildars and
Deputy Tahsildars at the Tahsil Level, 3
exercised the powers of Members.
THE PRESENT SET UP
In 1999 the posts of Commissioners, Survey Settlement & Land Records and
Land reforms & Urban land Ceiling were abolished. The post of Commissioner of
Land Revenue was re designated as Chief Commissioner of Land Administration.
Commissioner Appeals in a Cadre post of I.A.S and Commissioner Legal affairs in
the cadre of District and Sessions judge were also created to assist the Chief
Commissioner of Land administration.
ADMINISTRATIVE SETUP :-
CHIEF COMMISSIONERATE / COLLECTORATES / SUB DIVISIONAL
OFFICES / MANDAL REVENUE OFFICES / PANCHAYAT SECRETARIES
ADMINISTRATIVE SETUP
In the organization of Revenue Department the apex body of
administration is the head office of Chief Commissioner of Land
Administration at State Level. But the core administration is carried out at
Districts that have direct interface with public. For administrative convenience
the District is divided into Sub Divisions, which are further divided into
Mandals that have jurisdiction over a few villages. The present set up of
revenue administration consists of the following hierarchy of Officials.
Chief Commissionerate at State Level
Collectorates at District Level.
Divisional Officers at Revenue Divisional Level.
Tahsildars at Mandal Level.
Village Revenue Officer at Village Level.
At the Mandal level the Mandal Development Officer (MDO) takes care of the
development activities.
CHIEF COMMISSIONERATE
Consequent on the abolition of the erstwhile Board of Revenue, the
functional Commissioners of Survey, Settlement & Land Records and
Commissioner of Land Reforms & Urban Land Ceiling were created.
Subsequently they were replaced. In their place, the post of Chief
Commissioner of Land Administration was created in GO MS No: 59
Revenue (DA) Dated 21.01.1999.
The Chief Commissioner of Land Administration (CCLA) is the chief
controlling authority for the revenue administration consisting of Revenue,
Survey, Settlement & Land Records and Urban Land Ceiling Departments.
He exercises statutory functions and general superintendence over all his
subordinates. In the case of Survey, Settlement & Land Records and Urban Inspectors and Girdwars at the
Firka/ Circle Level, and Village Officers and Village Servants at the Village Level
assisted the Collector.
COMMISSIONERS ACT 1977
The Board of Revenue was abolished by the A .P. Board of Revenue
Replacement by Commissioners Act, 1977.As per this new Act Commissioners
were appointed in place of Membķers. The Commissioner of Land Revenue,
Commissioner of Survey and Settlement, commissioner of Excise, Commissioner of
Commercial Taxes and Commissioner Land Reforms and Urban Land Ceiling
