1.Background
Revenue Department has been one of the most important organs of governance from the days of king’s rule in the State of Tripura. In many matters it is still considered a major player in the present day State administration. It is playing a very important role in the development of the State and welfare and wellbeing of the people of the State through land reforms.
It is rendering e_governance to the citizens through computerized various service facilities through Service Facilitation Centres at the Sub-Divisional Headquarters, computerized land records through computerize DCM Offices and computerized land registration through Sub-Registries. Presently, Revenue Department is the Nodal Department to deal with the following subject:
2.Implementing Agencies of various activities
(i) The matters relating to maintenance of Land Records are being looked after by the District Magistrate & Collectors an Director of Land Records & Settlement through their field offices.
(ii) The matters relating to land revenue are being looked after by the District Magistrate & Collectors through their field functionaries.
(iii) The District Magistrate & Collectors, Directorate of Land Records & Settlement, and the Land Reforms Cell in the Revenue Department are looking after all matters relating to land reforms.
(iv)All matters relating to Disaster Management are being implemented through the District Magistrate & Collectors and their field functionaries and coordinated by the Disaster Management Cell in the Revenue Department. In near future the co-ordination of disaster management activities will be done by the Relief, Rehabilitation & Disaster Management Directorate as the nodal organization.
(v) Relief and rehabilitation of the refugees coming from the neighbouring country or the States has been the concern of the Relief, Rehabilitation & Disaster Management Directorate, while relief and rehabilitation of the citizens affected by the extremist violence has been looked after by the District Magistrate & Collectors.
(vi) All matters concerning acquisition of land for various projects of the Governments and the Government Undertakings are dealt by the Land Acquisition Collectors.
(vii) The matters relating to Registrations are being looked after by the District Registrars through their Sub-Divisional offices.
All these functionaries are discharging their various functions under the direct administrative control, supervision and guidance of the Revenue Department.
3.Administrative Divisions
3.1 At the time of merger of princely State with the Indian union in 1949, there was only one District and one Sub-Division to provide revenue services to the people.. However, as on 21 January, 1972, at the time of attaining State-hood, the State of Tripura was divided into 3 Districts and 10 Sub-Divisions. A new District, called Dhalai District, was created w.e.f 15.04.1995 for effective implementation of various programmes of the Government and to bring the administration to the doorstep of the people especially living in difficult areas.
This new District mostly comprises of the areas belonging to TTAADC. The areas of Dhalai District were earlier included in the geographic limits of North Tripura District.
The names of three districts and 10 Sub-Divisions which were under the administrative jurisdiction of those three Districts when the Union Territory Tripura was upgraded to a full-fledged State ( on 21.01.1972) are indicated below (through subsequently more new Sub-Divisions came into being).
Name of District Sub-Divisions included
(i) North Tripura District Kailasahar, Dharmanagar and Kamalpur
(ii) West Tripura District Sadar, Khowai and Sonamura
(iii) South Tripura District Amarpur, Udaipur, Belonia and Subroom
3.2 Subsequently five new Sub-Divisions viz Kanchanpur under North Tripura, Lontharaivalley, Ambassa amd Gandacherra under Dhalai District, and Bishalgarh under West Tripura came into being during 1989 to 1985. Further, 2 new Sub-Divisions viz. Teliamura under West Tripura District and Santirbazar under South Tripura District were created in March,2006. Creation of these new Sub-Divisions was necessary to bring the services of administration within easy reach of the people living in remote and difficult areas as well as to facilitate food governance to the citizens of the State.
3.3 The Directorate of Land Records & Settlement started functioning as an independent set up w.e.f 01.04.1971. The set up was gradually strengthened with a view to undertaking the following works.
(i) Maintenance of Land Records
(ii) Carrying out Survey and Settlement operation and updating of Record of Rights
(iii) Implementation of Land Reform schemes.
However, the staff of Land Records & Settlement has been integrated with the District Administration. Consequently, the survey an settlement operation is being looked after by the DM & Collectors. The Land Reforms Cell was created during 1974-75 in the Revenue Department for implementation of land reform programme. The Registration Organisation started functioning w.e.f 01.04.1950 for the purpose of registration of deeds and other documents coming under the purview of Indian Registration Act with a view to providing guarantee for the genuineness of the instruments.
The Registration organization has its set up in all the Districts as well as all the Sub-divisions, except Kanchanpur, Longtharaivalley, Gandacherra, Teliamura and Santirbazar Sub-Divisions.
The Disaster Management Cell was set up in the year 2003 mainly to coordinate various activities of different organs of the State Government towards disaster risk Preparedness, mitigation and search, rescue and relief operations during and after disaster with particular reference to earthquake.