Collectorate

A district is an administrative division of a state. Each district in India has an officer-in-charge who represents the state governments in that area in the capacity of Collector/District Magistrate. The office of the collector (Collectorate) is the chief representative of government in a District. District Collectors are entrusted with a wide range of duties in the jurisdiction of the district, which generally involve-

As District Magistrate:

Maintenance of law and order.
Supervision of the police and jails.
Supervision of subordinate Executive Magistracy.
Hearing cases under the preventive section of the Criminal Procedure Code.
Supervision of jails and certification of execution of capital sentences.
Arbitrator of land acquisition.
Disaster management during natural calamities such as floods, famines or epidemics.
Crisis management during riots or external aggression.

As Collector:

Land assessment
Land acquisition
Collection
Collection of excise duties, irrigation dues etc.
Distribution of agricultural loans
Chairman of the District Bankers Coordination Committee
Head of the District Industries Centre

As Deputy Commissioner/District Commissioner:

Reports to Divisional Commissioner on all matters.

As District Election Officer:

Conducts Elections in the district, be it General, Assembly or Municipal.
Acts as the Returning Officer for the Lok Sabha constituency in the district.

Collectorate is the hub of all the activities of the government in the district. The Collector also known as District Magistrate has wide magisterial and executive powers and manifold responsibilities. In many ways he is chief custodian of law and authority, the pivot on which runs the local administration. The Collector is assisted by Additional District Collectors/Magistrates and Deputy Collectors. Works of office of Collector is divided into different sections. In each section one or two employees are posted who work under the supervision of office superintendent/assistant office superintendent.