DEVELOPMENTAL DEPARTMENTS

the PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.

PUBLIC WORKS.

Organisation.

THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT deals with-(1) Roads and Buildings, (2) Irrigation, (3) Electricity, and (4) Public Health Circle. All these branches are dealt with separately by distinct branches of the department.

(1) Roads and Buildings.-The Kolhapur Division is permanent Division in charge of the Executive Engineer, Kolhapur Division under the Superintending Engineer, Central Circle. There are five Sub-Divisions under Kolhapur Division which are as follows:-

(2) Irrigation.-Major irrigation in the district is the Radhanagari Hydro-Electric Works situated in the Radhanagari taluka of Kolhapur district and is in charge of the Executive Engineer, Kolhapur Division under the Superintending Engineer, Central Circle. Being a major irrigation-cum-hydro electric project, capital accounts are maintained for the same. The scheme consists of a dam 140' high across the Bhogawati near Radhanagari and contemplates (i) power generation of 2,000 K.W. at 50 per cent. load factor and (ii) irrigation of 32,000 acres by lift on the banks of the Bhogavati and the Panchganga.

Duties of Officers.

While each circle is in charge of a Superintending Engineer, the divisions are in charge of Executive Engineers and the sub-divisions in charge of Assistant Engineers or Deputy Engineers. The Assistant Engineers belong to the Bombay Service of Engineers (B. S. E.), Class I, and Deputy Engineers to B. S. E., Class II. These officers are each in charge of a subdivision and are, therefore, called Sub-Divisional Officers. The sub-divisions are divided further into sections, each in charge of an Overseer. There are about 20 overseers in each division.

Superintending Engineer.

The Superintending Engineer is responsible for the administration and general professional control of public works in charge of officers of the department within his circle. It is his duty to inspect the state of the various works within his circle and to satisfy himself that the system of management prevailing is efficient and economical. He is required to ascertain the efficiency of the subordinate office and petty establishments and to see and report whether the staff employed in each division is actually necessary or adequate for the management. He also examines the conditions of the surveying and mathematical instruments at the headquarters of divisions. In the case of office and petty establishments borne on divisional scales, he sees that these scales are not exceeded without proper authority. The Superintending Engineers are empowered to transfer and post Deputy Engineers and Overseers within their circles. In the interests of administration, however, Executive Engineers of Divisions are consulted before posting these officers to particular sub-divisional charges under their control. It is also the duty of Superintending Engineer to recommend removals and transfers of Executive Engineers from their own circles. The supervision and control of the assessment of revenue from irrigation works within his circle rests with the Superintending Engineer. The Superintending Engineer is authorised to correspond direct with any of the local authorities, civil or military, within his circle.

Executive Engineer.

The Executive Engineer is responsible to the Superintending Engineer of his circle for the execution and management of all works within his division. He has to see that proper measures are taken to preserve all buildings and works in his division and to prevent encroachment on Government lands in his charge. He is responsible to see that the surveying and mathematical instruments in his division are properly cared for and to report on their condition to the Superintending Engineer at the end of each working season. In addition to his duties, he is ex-officio professional adviser of all departments of the State within the limits of his charge.

The Sub-Divisional Officers are responsible to the Executive Engineer in charge of the division for the management and execution of works within their sub-divisions.

Sub-Divisional Officers.

The overseers are in charge of sections under the Sub- Divisional Officers.

Roads.

The activities of the Public Works department in regard to roads and buildings and irrigation relate to construction, repairs and maintenance of roads, Government buildings, and irrigation works financed by Government and placed in charge of the department. In the Kolhapur district, as on the 31st March 1957, the department maintained a total mileage of 115.67 miles of roads which comprised 27.37 miles of National Highways and 88.29 miles of State Highways. The surfaces of this road mileage were 25.18 miles cement concrete, 54.37 miles black-topped and 36.12 miles water bound macadam.

In addition to funds from the general revenues of the State allocated for expenditure on roads, there are two other funds maintained for the construction, repairs and maintenance of roads, viz., (1) the Central Road Fund, and (2) the State Road Fund. The Central Road Fund is in charge of the Government of India who allocates the fund. Expenditure is incurred in the district for roads from these funds.

Irrigation.

Irrigation Works.-The following are the minor irrigation works in Kolhapur district under the Superintending Engineer, Central Circle:-

(1) Wadgaon Tank, Taluka Hatkanangale;

(2) Rankala Tank, Taluka Karvir;

(3) Rajaram Tank, Taluka Karvir.

For the above works, neither capital nor revenue accounts are kept, whereas such accounts are kept for the work of the Chikhale canal. There are also medium irrigation works in the district, viz., weir at Kasaba-Bavada, Surveweir at Valivade, weirs at Rui, Terwad and Shirol.

Apart from these works, one bandhara work at Halkarni, and other 18 works have also been completed by March 1957.

Electrical Circle.

For carrying out advisory, administrative and executive duties pertaining to the generation and use of electricity, there is the Electrical Circle under the Electrical Engineer to Government. The jurisdiction of this officer extends to the whole of the State. Under him are two Electrical Divisions, each in charge of an Executive Engineer, having their head-quarters at Bombay and Poona.

The Kolhapur Electrical Sub-Division under Poona Electrical Division is in charge of the electrical installations.

The Executive Engineer has to do duties relating to electrical installations in Government buildings, such as execution of original works, carrying out special repairs, and maintenance. He is also Electrical Inspector under the Indian Electricity Act (IX of 1910) and carries out inspections of M. P. and H. T. electrical installations, power houses, mills, cinemas, etc.

Public Health Circle.

The Public Health Circle is a specialist branch of the Public Works Department, dealing with all problems of public health, viz., water supply, drainage, sewerage and environmental sanitation throughout the State of Maharashtra. The Public Health Engineer to Government, with headquarters at Poona, directs the activities of this branch throughout the State. The main functions of the Circle are the execution of Government and municipal public health schemes and the supervision of public health schemes executed by local bodies through their own agencies. The Circle also gives advice, so far as public health problems are concerned, to other departments of Government in connection with schemes sponsored by them. It maintains a large number of water works in the State, either owned by Government or owned by local bodies but entrusted to Government for running at the cost of the local bodies. It also maintains Boring Works Sub-divisions at Poona and Ahmedabad to take bores for water supply purposes and for exploration works for dams and bridges, and has under its control a workshop at Dapuri.

The Public Health Works Division, Kolhapur, is under the jurisdiction of the Southern Public Health Circle, Poona. Kolhapur division with headquarters at Kolhapur has jurisdiction over the revenue districts of Ratnagiri, Kolhapur, Sholapur, South Satara and five talukas of North Satara district, viz., Man, Khatav, Jaoli, Patan and Karad. This division is further divided into five sub-divisions each in charge of Deputy Engineer (called Sub-Divisional Officer). The five sub-divisions are: (i) Kolhapur Water Supply Sub-Division, Kolhapur; (ii) Miraj Sanitary Sub-Division, Miraj; (iii) Sangli Sanitary Sub-Division, Sangli; (iv) Sholapur Sanitary Sub-Division, Sholapur and (v) Ratnagiri Sanitary Sub-Division, Ratnagiri.

The Kolhapur Water Supply Sub-Division is entrusted with the works pertaining to remodelling city distribution system of Kolhapur and providing and fixing water meters on the distribution system. In addition this Sub-Division also looks after maintenance and repair to Kolhapur Water Works, Sawantwadi Water Works and Gandhinagar Water Works.

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