To understand better, we have classified the time period for Darjeeling hills into the Pre British era Darjeeling Hills, the British era Darjeeling Hills, and the Independent era Darjeeling Hills. The administrative set up that we see in Darjeeling hills, and the rest of the country today, is a direct result of the British. The Municipalities, the District administration, District courts, are all institutions that go back to the British era, and we have been following the same institutions, with some changes and modifications.
The district of Darjeeling was a non regulation district, which meant that not all of the general Regulations and Acts in force in other parts of the country were implemented in Darjeeling. The British divided territories according to their administrative needs and ease. The Darjeeling district was formerly part of the Rajshahi division. It was transferred in October 1905, to the Bhagalpur division. For general administrative purpose, it was divided into two subdivisions. The headquarters subdivision i.e, the northern portion of the district, which extended to the frontiers of Sikkim and Bhutan, and included all the country east of the Tista, and the Kurseong subdivision, which comprised of the lower hills and the Tarai. The Darjeeling subdivision or the headquarters subdivision, was under the direct control of the Deputy Commisioner, who was assisted by a staff of Deputy and Sub Deputy Collectors stationed at Darjeeling. Kalimpong was under a manager, subordinate to the Deputy Commisioner. The Kurseong subdivision was under a Joint Magistrate, under whom a Deputy Collector, stationed at Siliguri, disposed of the criminal work of the Tarai and managed the Tarai Government estate.
The Deputy Commisioner was the head of the local administration. The powers of the Deputy Commisioner were various, such as disposing appeals from the munsifs of Kurseong and Siliguri, dealing with uncontested applications for probate of wills and letters of administration, administration of various funds and local bodies. Of the many functions performed by the Deputy Commisioner, the most important was the administration of the Darjeeling Improvement Fund. As L.S.S.O’Malley tells us that this fund was peculiar to the district, i.e, no such fund was developed or created in any other part of the British territory in India. It was formed in the year 1868, in place of the old Location Fund, which derived its income from the quit rents imposed in the old hill territory, an area stretching from Pankhabari to the northern boundary of the district. This fund was spent on conservancy and local improvements. For example; in early 1900s, the income of the fund was Rs. 77,000, of which Rs. 50,000 were derived from the ground rents and fees imposed in the various ha’ats and bazaars owned by the Government. The remainder of the revenue came from a number of sources, such as location rents, ferry tolls, dak bungalow fees, rents from land leased out for cultivation, and the one-anna cess imposed (levied) in the Tarai. This income is expended on a variety of objects, which would in regulation districts be provided for by the District Board.
The fund maintained a number of dispensaries, meeting the cost of their upkeep and providing the pay of the Civil Hospital Assistants and staff, besides making considerable grants to other hospitals and dispensaries in the district. Large contributions were made to the primary education grant for expenditure on schools, and to the District Road Fund for expenditure on roads. Provisions were also made for the proper sanitation of villages and bazaars, and for the maintenance of a water supply at Kalimpong, Pedong, and Sukhiapokhri. A large number of staging bungalows were maintained along the principal routes, ferries were kept up, grants were made to agricultural fairs and exhibitions, and the funds necessary for the upkeep of the Natural History Museum at Darjeeling were provided. Besides these, the fund also provided for payment of a Veterinary Assistant, whose duty was to deal with outbreaks of epidemic diseases among cattle in the interior, and to minimize the risks of such outbreaks by regular inspections.
To be continued…
By,
S.K.Ghising
References,
- L.S.S.O’Malley, Bengal District Gazetteers Darjeeling, pg no 156 – 158.
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