Divisional Commissioner

Divisional Commissioner Hindi: मंडलायुक्त/प्रामंडलायुक्त is the administrative head of a division. The role of a Divisional Commissioner's office is to act as the supervisory head of all the State Government Offices (except the central government offices) situated in the division. This post is equivalent to Joint Secretary to Government of India.

A Divisional Commissioner may be given the direct responsibility of supervising the revenue and development administration of a division. Officers at this post are transferred and promoted by State Governments. This post exists in many states of India. Divisional Commissioner is responsible for administration and planned development of the districts under his control and also act as "Appeal Adalat" for revenue cases. In states like U.P., Divisional Commissioner have powers over Inspector General of Police and Deputy Inspector General of Police whereas in states like Maharashtra, Divisional Commissioner only enjoys revenue powers.

The Division as an administrative level came into being in 1829 as a result of increase in scope of operations corresponding to the expansion of British Territories. Each division was put under the charge of a Divisional Commissioner. This post was created by then the Bengal Government.The institution of Divisional Commissioner was created by Lord William Bentick. The appointment of commissioners in the subsequently acquired provinces of Punjab, Burma, Oudh and the Central Province followed in due course.

The Royal Commission for Decentralisation, 1907 recommended its retention. The issue, however continued to crop up again and again, particularly at the time of constitutional reforms of 1919, 1935, and 1947. After independence, the state governments merely tinkered with traditional revenue set-up and the states of Maharashtra, Rajasthan, and Gujarat abolished the posts of divisional commissioners but later revived them.

A division generally covers 3-5 districts each headed by a District Magistrate/District Collector/Deputy Commissioner, the number varying from state to state and from division to division within a state itself.

The Divisional Commissioner performs a variety of roles in regional administration. Today, District Collectors are quite junior officers, needing the guidance and supervision of a seasoned administrator like the Divisional Commissioner. During the British period a member of the ICS was normally appointed a Collector of the district in his twelfth year. Today a member of the Indian Administrative Services becomes a District Collector after putting in only 5 or 6 years of service. With his insufficient administrative experience, a District Collector of today necessarily needs guidance. The Divisional Commissioners, therefore, are a necessary part of the governmental machinery.

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Wikipedia