About Himachal Pradesh Revenue Department
In the State, the Revenue Administration is headed by a Senior Secretary designated as Financial Commissioner –cum-Principal Secretary (Revenue). In order to discharge day to day duties, Secretary, Joint, Deputy/ Under Secretaries, along with necessary supporting staff, have been provided. The State has been divided into three Divisions viz, Kangra, Mandi and Shimla and each Division, in turn, is responsible for administration of a number of Districts constituting the Division. Each district in turn is headed by a Deputy Commissioner, who, apart from his development role in this capacity, also discharges the twin functions of a District Magistrate and Collector. As collector, a Deputy Commissioner is responsible for regular and timely collection of land revenue in respect of revenue estate under his jurisdiction, along with updating and proper preservation of valuable revenue records. He has under him an officer designated as District Revenue Officer, whose sole job is to keep in proper trim the District Revenue record and to attend to day-to day business connected with land administration, each district has been further sub-divided into Sub-Division, Tehsils and Sub-Tehsils.
For purposes of revenue administration at grass root level, each Tehsil/Sub-Tehsil is sub-divided into a number of Kanungo circles, each of which in turn, is further sub-divided, on an average, into a number of 7 to 10 Patwar Circles. Thus, Patwaris are the lowest revenue official in revenue hierarchy but certainly the most vital in the chain who are responsible for proper upkeep and preservation of all revenue records in respect of all revenue estates falling within their jurisdiction.