MP CM wants to redesignate collectors as dist administrators

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath Monday said he wished to change the designation 'Collector' to 'District Administrator' claiming that the former was an archaic British term.

He was speaking after holding a meeting here, the first in his Lok Sabha constituency since taking over as MP CM on December 17.

"The designation collector was in vogue since the time of the British. I sought suggestions from the people on why this designation should continue. I asked the collectors of districts on how they should be redesignated," Nath said.

"What does DC (district collector) stand for? I dont want it. I feel the designation of collector should be changed to district administrator," he said.

Earlier at a function in Bhopal, Nath had said the designation 'collector' was a British legacy and did not go down well in the present context.

At the function, in a lighter vein, he had asked if a collector collected things, like tickets etc.

The term collector is believed to have entered the official lexicon to denote the revenue and administrative head of a district when Warren Hastings was British India's Governor-General in 1772.