There exist four tehsils in Hoshiarpur district:
- Hoshiarpur
- Dasuya
- Mukerian
- Garhshankar
Tehsildar/ Naib Tehsildar
Tehsildars are appointed by the Financial Commissioner, Revenue and Naib Tehsildar by the Commissioner of the Division. Their duties within Tehsil /Sub Tehsil are almost similar and manifold (except that partition cases are decided by Tehsildar). They enjoy the powers of Executive Magistrate, Assistant Collector and Sub Registrar/Joint Sub Registrar. Although there has been a recent move to appoint full fledged Sub-registrar for some of the larger Tehsils. The Revenue duties of Tehsildar are important. He is the Incharge of tehsil Revenue Agency and is responsible for proper preparation and maintenance of tehsil Revenue Record and Revenue Accounts. He is also responsible for recovery of government dues under the various Acts. He is supposed to have proper control over the working of Patwaris and Kanungos and for this purpose the Tehsildar and Naib Tehsildars make inspection of patwaris and kanungos working under them. Tehsildars and Naib Tehsildar in fact are called Revenue officers holding separate circles and it is provided in para 242 of land Administration Manual that such allotted circle should be changed every year on October first, so that the responsibility of the Tehsildar for the whole of his charge may not be impaired. In Tehsil and Sub Tehsil, as and when Treasury Officers are not posted, then the Tehsildar and Naib Tehsildar work as Treasury Officer in addition to their own duties. Tehsildar also registers the marriages solemnized. Besides enjoying powers under a few other land laws, they also attest uncontested mutations. Tehsildar is further empowered to hear partition cases and to make allotment/transfer and auction of evacuee properties, land under the Displaced Person (Compensation & Rehabilitation) Act,1954 and Punjab Package Deal properties (Disposal Act 1976) as Managing Officer and Tehsildar Sales respectively .
Kanungo
The Kanungo establishment consists of field Kanungo, office Kanungo and the District Kanungos. Its strength in each district can only be altered with the sanction of the government. The field Kanungo should be constantly moving about his circle supervising the work of Patwari on the spot, except in the month of September when he stays at the Tehsil to check the Jamabandis received from the Patwaris. He also disposes of the demarcation applications marked to him by the Circle Revenue Officer. A field Kanungo is also responsible for the conduct and the work of the Patwari under his charge and it is his duty to report the work or neglect of duty or misconduct on the part of any Patwari. The office Kanungo is the Tehsildar Revenue clerk and he is the custodian of all the record received from the patwari. The District Kanungo is responsible for the efficiency of both the office and the field Kanungo and should be in camp inspecting their work for at least 15 days in each month from first October to 30th April. He is the keeper of all record received from Kanungo patwari, at sadar office.
Patwari
Patwari is an important and effective official of the lowest ebb in the Revenue Agency. No efficient Revenue Administration of a district is possible unless the patwari staff is strong, properly trained and strictly supervised.
A Patwari has three chief duties:
- The maintenance of record of the crop grown at every harvest.
- The keeping of the record of rights uptodate by the punctual record of mutations.
- The account of preparation of statistical returns embodying the information derived from the harvest inspections, register of mutation and record of rights.
The limits of “Patwar circle” is a matter for the Commissioner to decide under para 238 of Land Administration Manual. It is the responsibility of Patwari to report at once all serious calamities affecting the land or the crops and all severe outbreaks of diseases amongst men and beasts. He must aid the headman in revenue collection. He keeps up a diary and a work book. The entries should be made on the day on which the events come to the notice of the patwari.
The Patwari is responsible for the safe custody of all the records, maps and equipment’s of his circle that are in his charge. In the work book the Patwari will enter the work done by him on each day. His work is supervised by the field Kanungo, Sadar Kanungo & Circle Revenue Officer.