Final report on the settlement of the urban areas in the Lahore district, 1925-27

· 1927 · Public domain (published pre-1930) · archive.org ↗

2Cost of settlement.

3zemindars in each village. The zamindars of Khuhi Miran discovered when the

4distribution on holdings was announced that in practice their method worked

5unjustly, and they applied to the Settlement Officer lor its revision. All the

6zamindars were again consulted and they agreed upon another method which

7was adopted accordingly.

811. No objections have been tiled against the village to village assess¬

9ment of the amount on the agricultural area,

10Beoeption of t e now anewmen . Only one objection has been filed against the

11distribution on holdings. Similarly, only one objection has been filed in the whole

12of the urban area and that also against the distribution on holdings. Both

13these objections have failed. It is thus evident that the people are satisfied

14with the total assessment as well as its internal distribution.

1512. The Government has not yet passed any orders on the term of settle¬

16ment. My recommendations on t his point are

17Terms of settlement. contained in paragraph 62 of my Assessment

18Beport.

1913. I recommended the abolition of the local rate in the entire area and

20b that of panehotra in the urban lands as opposed

21S8 * e *' to agricultural. The Financial Commissioner in

22paragraph 10-A of his orders on my Assessment Beport accepted the latter

23proposal, but ordered that local rate should continue to be levied. Local rate

24and panchotra will consequently continue to be levied in the agricultural area

25in addition to the land revenue demand as before. The building sites are at

26present paying no cesses beyond the land revenue demand,— vide paragraph 18 of

27the Financial Commissioner’s orders on Mr. Bolster’s Beport on Urban Areas.

28I take it, that the same practice is to continue with regard to them.

2914. The total expenditure on this settlement up to the end of February

301927 is Bs. 21,107. To this is to be added the

31expenditure which has been incurred during the

32following fifteen days, i.e., up to the 15th of March 1927 when the Settlement

33period expires. The total expenditure thus will not exceed Bs. 22,000. The

34enhancement of land revenue resulting from the present, revision amounts to

35about Bs. 20,000 per year. The Municipal Committee, Lahore, has been getting

36almost the whole of the laud revenue demand on the areas under settlement

37but the question of the continuance of this grant is yet to be decided. If the

38enhancement is to go to the Municipal Committee it should contribute towards

39the cost of settlement according to instructions laid down in appendix XIX

40to the Settlement Manual.

4115. The entire settlement establishment-has had to work under a great

42pressure as the work of an urban settlement is

43particularly complicated. I am, howeves, parti¬

44cularly indebted to Lala Haveli Bam, Naib-Tahsildar, who has been of great help

45to mo with his previous experience of the Lahore Urban Assessment in 1916,

46ho has worked with untiring energy in clearing up the arrears of mutations and

47ia bringing (lie revenue records up to date. His knowledge of, the suburbs has

48been of great help to me. Ho is a very able and honest officer who has special

49knack of getting work out of his subordinate staff. I have recommended him

50for the post of an Extra Assistant Commissioner to the Deputy Commissioner

51who is prepared to help him. I must also mention the name of Pandit Mulkh

52Baj, Field Kanungo, who has proved himself to be a very industrious and

53efficient worker.

54I have recommended rewards for patwaris and other officials who have done

55good work. I hope the necessary amount will be sanctioned.

5616. Orders are required on the following points :—

57Order* awaited to*

58(1) term of settlement (paragraph 12).

59(2) Cesses (paragraph 18).

60(3) Recovery of cost of settlement from the Municipal Committee il

61the enhancement goes to it (paragraph 14).

62Notion of offioars.

63tiAdORn:

64The 1 5th March 1927.

65WAZ1B CHAND,

66Officer-in-Gharge, Settlement Operations,

671 CD—190—7*6.27—SGPP Lahore.