What is the Significance of District Administration/Collector in the Age of Globalisation and Decentralization?

Since early 1990’s India has witnessed rapid changes in its economic and political spheres. The process of globilisation was initiated since the beginning of 1990’s to overcome the financial crisis facing the country during that period.

At the same time, to ensure effective participation by people especially at the local level in governance, the government has implemented the two radical amendments to the constitution (73rd and 74th Amendments).

These two significant developments have had a greater impact on the administration especially at the local level. The process of globalization cannot be successful unless it is accompanied by decentralizaiton and delegation of economic powers. Most of the developmental schemes implemented by the Government immediately after independence have failed to achieve the desired results because of over centralisation and lack of effective people participation.

District Collector’s position has also undergone many changes after the advent of globalisation and decentralisation. They are as follows –

I. In the age of globalisation and decentralisation, civil servants have become agents of change good governance and development administration at the very base of our democratic structure

II. Revenue collection is less important compared to development functions performed by DC. In the redefined role of the Government, the cutting edge of a Government function is at district and lower levels and the efficiency of district administration determines the effectiveness the policies of the Government, for e.g. NREGA initiated by the Central Government has be^_ successful in some states whereas it has failed to achieve the desired results in most of the st This is because of lack of effective implementation and corruption at the local level.

III. In the age of globalisation, distances are shirking and markets are merging. Competition is name of the game and the role of the state is being redefined in many centres.

IV. In many manufacture and service sectors the government is moving from being a provider of goods and services being a regulator and facilitator ensuring fair play and adherence to standards of integrity efficiency.

V. Government attention has shifted from providing physical and human infrastructure enabling individual players to compete in the global markets. The objective of welfare administrate” has also shifted from welfare maximization to people empowerment. At the district level, DC expected to act as a facilitator in the developmental process rather than being a director a regulator as was during the previous regime.

VI. A globalisation result in increasing disparities between the rich and the poor and the distri administration has to make sure that the gap in not widened.

VII. Provision of basic minimum facilities assumes greater importance at the local level as it has a direct impact on the developmental process. Educated youth can be easily absorbed by industrial coming up in the district as part of Globilisation.

VIII. Globalisation demands good governance at the grass roots and this can be achieved by promote innovation at the local level and by improving service delivery to ensure effective implementation of schemes.

IX. Globalisation also would lead to public private partnership and it has to be implemented at the local level to ensure active people participation in the developmental schemes. This would result in turning outlays into outcome.

X. The collector is an intersect oral functionary who is the source of strength for local administration and whose objectives have changed in the wake of passage of 73rd and 74th amendments.

XI. The role of collector has been transformed into a more powerful one of coordinator; facilitator and a person who is responsible for intersect oral coordination of various activities that characterise the works of our grassroots administration.

XII. The test of a good administrator is his ability to work with the people and not above them, to inspire people and not regulate their affairs, to release their latent potential and their latent creativity and not restricting their freedom.

XIII. In the changing role DC has to be an expert in human resource managment, strategic planning and thinking and financial management.

XIV. Decentralization is not merely a political imperative but as much a managerial necessity given the large size of population in our states. Even a district in our country is similar to a province in other countries. It is therefore a managerial imperative to strengthen the middle management level in our country system for effective delivery of public services and this has to be at the level of collector.

XV. India is a country that is characterised by uneven development between the regions and between people. The major challenge for the district administration is to ensure a general equality of opportunity to all people, removal of mass illiteracy, disease and faster economic growth and development.

XVI. In order to be ethically neutral in the context of inequality, district administration has to be partisan – partisan towards the poor, towards the weaker sections, towards minorities, women, SC’s & ST’s who all and all such disadvantaged people who need the support of administration.

XVII. Decentralisation and democracy demands that the administration has to respect dissent within the society and the District Collector is required to forge a consensus between warring factions

XVIII. As part of decentralisation the structures of Panchayat Raj are in place but they need to be infused with new reality. The organisations enable the district administrator to mobilise collective action for development.

XIX. India’s great strategic resource is its people. A collector can provide leadership to the task of nation building. He has to create an environment conducive to creativity and enterprise for overall development.

XX. For the process of globalisation to be successful, it has to be inclusive. This will mean every section of society must be able to benefit from the process of reform. It requires immediate attention to issues of agriculture, rural development, health, education, infrastructure, focusing in particular, on the weaker sections and ensuring of communal harmony at all costs.

XXI. To benefit from the process of globalisation, DC has to modernise the administrative set up at the local level, computerization of these records would help in acquiring land for industrial purpose.

XXII. Globalisation has also resulted in the spread of terrorism and as a District Magistrate; the collector is responsible for maintenance of law and order within the district.

XXIII. He has to be proactive in busting terror modules within the district ensuring close cooperation between the law and order agencies at the local, state and central levels.

XXIV. Infrastructural development is a key concern in the age of globalisation as industralisation will take place in only those regions which have better infrastructural facilities. District administration has to emphasise on this aspect in order to exploit the forces of globalisation.

XXV. Because of decentralisation, the traditional forms of administrative structures at the local level have been expanded to include NGOs, civil societies, pressure groups, markets and the people themselves. In this changing scenario, district collector has to be a coordinator and facilitator between these agencies to ensure overall development.

XXVI. Globalisation has opened out new opportunities for the people and the district administrator has to identify the areas of strength in the district and market them effectively to benefit out of the globalisation process.

XXVII. District administration can reduce the influence of intermediaries between local producers and consumers and the international market through the use of computers and internet.

Conclusion

The multifarious activities performed by the collector make him almost indispensable but at the same time make him over burdened functionary of the district.

The plurality of organs at the district level has also created problems of coordination. District administration, in the age of globalisation, decentralisation, in order to be effective must have a unity of purpose and singularity of approach.

District Collector by virtue of his position has to act as a leader, motivator and a people’s developer.