Administration of North Goa District is divided into six talukas and four sub-divisions. Talukas are further subdivided into revenue circles and circles into revenue sazas. These sazas include compact revenue villages. At the grass root level saza comprises a group of villages which is under the in charge of a Talathi. In the administrative set-up of the North Goa District, a Circle Inspector is in charge of the group of sazas of that particular revenue circle. Mamlatdar is the head of Taluka revenue office. Deputy Collector and the Sub Divisional Officer is the head of the subdivision. The administration of the North Goa District is headed by the Collector.
The major Sub-divisions of the administrative set-up of North Goa District are Panaji, Mapusa, Bicholim and Ponda. Accordingly, there are four Sub-divisional Magistrates for this district. Collectorate is a district administrative office, where the policies of the government are translated into practice and the problems of local people are studied and communicated to the State Government. Almost every citizen of the district comes into contact with the District Administration, which deals with the public for issuing important documents in land associated matters like issuing licenses, certificates, permissions at District level, sub-division level and at the level of Mamlatdar. Further, the Collector also functions as District Magistrate. At the division level Deputy Collector and Sub-Divisional Officers are main functionaries. At taluka level, Mamlatdars are the heads to the talukas and then at last Talathi is the representative of the state government to help the public at Grass root level.
Within the administration of North Goa District, the main functions of the Collector include -
Revenue functions
The revenue functions of the Collector of the district are mainly based on the Land Revenue Code, 1968 and Rules framed under it. The Collector also functions under Portuguese legislation under which government land known as Aforamento were granted for specific purposes. Recovery of loans, tax etc. from the defaulting parties as areas of land revenue, the cases of which are referred to this office, by central government departments, state govt. departments and local bodies.
Land Acquisition functions
For acquiring land in public interest the acquiring department after performing the laid down procedures approaches the district Collector for land acquisition. In land acquisitions matters, Collector allots cases to various authorities designated as Land Acquisition Officers.
Magisterial Functions
The government allotted its powers under section 13 of the Code of Criminal Procedure to the District Magistrate of North Goa to maintain law and order in the district through various authorities. There is one additional District magistrate to perform the magisterial duties. As a District Magistrate, the Collector of North Goa District is empowered to try cases under Criminal Procedure Code, Arms Act, Defacement of Public Property Act, Cinematography Act, Petroleum Act, Explosives Act, and Indian Stamp Act.
The Deputy Collectors and Sub Divisional Officers are the in charge of the sub-divisions and they look after various functions under Land Revenue Code, Tenancy act, Mundkar act, and Elections. The Mamlatdars control revenue circles and sazas within their jurisdiction. He is responsible for internal distribution of food grains and essential commodities, inspection of fair price shops and enforcement of government control orders and is assisted by the civil supplies inspectors under the supervision of Director, Directorate of Civil Supplies and Price Control. Mamlatdars are also empowered to maintain Law and order within their Talukas.
District Collector of North Goa District has been designated as District Election Officer (DEO) and also Returning Officer for Panaji Parliament Constituency and the Deputy Collectors have been designated as Assistant Returning Officers. The Deputy Collectors have also been designated as Retuning Officers and Electoral Registration Officers in all the 19 assembly constituencies each in their respective jurisdictions and Mamlatdars as the Assistant Returning Officers and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers.
The Collector of the North Goa District is the chairman of the following committees:
•District Consumers Protection Council
•District level vigilance and monitoring committee
•Transport committee
•District level committee for finalising assistance to victims of Terrorist and Communal Violence
•District level monitoring committee to enforce the cable television networks (Regulation) Act, 1955
•Noise Pollution Monitoring Committee
•Goa Leprosy Society
•Goa Blindness control society
•Youth Hostel management Committee
•Nehru Yuva Kendra
•Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya
Thus, the various responsibilities and the functions of the Collector make it clear that he is the overall in-charge of the administration of North Goa district.