Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO), also known as a Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), acts as the chief civil officer of a sub-division, coordinating and implementing government policies under the Collector, with responsibilities spanning revenue, executive, and judicial matters.
Revenue and Executive Functions:
- Coordination and Supervision:
The SDO/SDM coordinates the work of Tahasildars (officers in charge of a tahsil) and their staff within the sub-division.
- Revenue Matters:
They are responsible for supervising and inspecting all revenue matters, from assessment to collection of land revenue.
- Delegated Powers:
They possess powers delegated by the Collector under certain acts, acting as an Assistant Collector first grade in revenue matters.
- Government Property:
They safeguard government property, dealing with encroachments and breaches of land tenure conditions.
- Land Revenue:
They are involved in the levy of non-agricultural assessment, passing orders regarding miscellaneous land revenue, and supervising the realization of government revenue.
- Land Acquisition:
They are involved in land acquisition processes.
- Appeals:
They hear appeals against Mamlatdars’ (revenue officials) decisions in assistance cases and watch the execution of assistance decrees.
- Crop and Boundary Inspection:
They conduct crop and boundary mark inspections and check crop yield estimates for revenue suspensions and remissions.
- Successions:
They deal with successions to watans (traditional land holdings) and other properties.
- Development Matters:
They coordinate the work of officials in departments like Revenue, Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, and Public Health within the sub-division.