Revenue block

Revenue blocks, revenue circles, "firka", or "patwar circles" are the local revenue sub-divisions of the various districts of the states of India. These blocks should not be confused with the similar Panchayath union blocks (Blocks) and "taluks". The revenue blocks exist to simplify local administration, and each consists of a small number of revenue villages, governed by a Revenue Inspector. The Revenue Inspector is charged with a number of key administrative roles, most notably the identification and collection of tax revenue. Sometimes the land area in a revenue circle is identified as an ILRC (Inspector Land Revenue Circle) for administrative purposes. While Revenue blocks may be as large as or larger than a tehsil, revenue circles are generally smaller. In the state of Tamil Nadu alone, there are 1,349revenue blocks.