1 SALT REVENUE DEPARTMENT FOR THE OFFICIAL YEAR 1895-96,
2 The results of the clearances of heaps of salt during the REVIEW BY SECTOINS,
3 3 PACHBADRA, ,
4 year are summarized in the following abstract :— seine ce clase ae
5 n Mads. heaps.
6 Estimated by Superintendents doa ove one ove 3,64,701
7 Actual outturn or tes eee toe Maa 4,58,298
8 Deficit in outturn i ae aay hai ise ise
9 Paid for at time of estimation, being amount estimated minus 25 per ceat, 2,91,762
10 Balance paid for on clearance ee wee oe, ae 1,66,537
11 Total quantity paid for a) 4,58, 298
12 The Kharwals, principally at the time of the estimation of
13 their salt, and ultimately when the heaps are cleared, are paid
14 for every maund of salt which’the Department receives from
15 them. The abstract of course only deals with the heaps cleared,
16 and will not correspond in any way with the foregoing stock
17 statement in which salt estimated, but neither sold nor eleared,
18 is also included. The results of the clearance of heaps put up in
19 1895-96, but not opened in that year, eannot be known until the
20 next year, or, it may be, in the years beyond that again.
21 The Assistant Commissioner makes the following remarks Remarks by Assistant Com-
22 in his annual report on the subject of the stock and clearance “missioner. on stocks and
23 statements :—
24 “During the year maunds 5,43,648 salt were manufactured
25 and stored, and in addition maunds 1,66,537 were discovered
26 in excess of original estimation in stores cleared during the year.
27 Altogether mauncs 7,10,185 were added to stock against
28 maunds 11,09,214 in the previous year, when an unusually large
29 quantity of salt was required to meet a temporarily, but largely
30 increased, demand.”
31 ‘During the year stock: were reduced by, maunds 6,08,114
32 sold, and issued free to the durbars, leaving a balance of maunds
33 2,95,629, which, with the excesses over estimation, which will
34 appear when the stores are cleared, is amply sufficient to meet
35 any demand we may reasonably expect during the next six or
36 seven months, after which stocks can be easily replenished, and
37 no scarcity need be feared.”
38 “ As the quantity of salt manufactured and stored during
39 the year is maunds 43,648 over the five lakhs of maunds, the
40 Commissioner sanctioned to be extracted and stored during the
41 year, it -is-mecessary to explain that maunds 55,994 were
42 extracted under the sanction for 1894-95, but, as the salt was
43 not paid for, and was therefore not registered until April 1895,
44 it appears in the accounts of the past year.”
45 “In my reports of the two previous years I had to write of
46 the almost insurmountable difficulties I had to contend with to
47 obtain sufficient saleable salt to meet current indents, and to
48 set aside as stock for future issue. Last year I had no difficulty
49 in storing in good time as much salt as was wanted. As the
50 direct result of the attention which was given, and the efforts
51 made, to secure a full supply of good salt for the future, by
52 inducing the Kharwals to attend to, and set their pits, there
53 was last year a larger number of pits full of good salt to select
54 from them than we wanted. Taking the bulk of the salt ex-
55 tracted and stored, I may say that better salt in such quantity
56 was never before in the tract. This is the opinion of the local
57 traders, who backed their opinion by investing largely in the
58 new salt, as our through-traffic returns show. Not only was
59 there a large number of pits of good salt to select from, but
60 labour also was plentiful, and the season for extracting salt
61 good, as owing to the partial failure of the rains there was no
62 excess of brine in the pits, and it was therefore comparatively
63 ( 39 )