1 SALT REVENUE DEPARTMENT FOR THE ORY sora: YEAR 1893-94,
2 ® La) ;
3 Under fixed charges there
4 owing almost entirely to the posting at this salt source of an
5 Assistant Commissioner of the lowest grade on Rs. 500 instead of
6 the former Assistant Commissioner, who drew the highest
7 pay of his rank, namely, Rs. 800; to the permanent incum-
8 bent as Assistant Commissioner having been on leave through-
9 out the year and a Superintendent officiating for him; and to an
10 officiating Assistant Superintendent having replaced the Super-
11 intendent. The contingent charges have diminished by
12 Rs. 924, the cause of which is summarized as follows:—
13 Travelling allowances of officers and men have increased
14 by Rs. 255 owing to nrore frequent transfers and deputa-
15 tions, and the purchase and repairs of tents are more by
16 Rs. 110 owing to the repairs that were necessary during the
17 year. Hot weather charges are less by Rs. 15, the hot weather
18 of 1893-94 having been more temperate than that of the pre-
19 vious year. Postage charges are more by Rs. 29 and
20 telegram charges are less by one rupee. Stationery charges
21 have increased by Rs. 8 because of the increase-of the sales.
22 Manufacture charges have fallen off by Rs. 2,437 owing to
23 the very large stock of salt'in hand at the beginning of 1893-94
24 rendering it unnecessary to manufacture salt last year: so that
25 besides excesses discovered in heaps cleared during the year, only
26 maunds 36,673 had to be paid for. This was the quantity for
27 which the Deswals or salt-makers had to be settled up with
28 when manufacture ceased at the end of March 1893 and after
29 the accounts for 1892-93 had been closed. No rewards were paid
30 for the capture. of stolen salt or smugglers, while Rs. 20
31 were so paid in 1892-93. The miscellanous charges were within
32 two rupees of being the same as in the previous year. The
33 outlay on petty construction and repairs rose from Rs. 798
34 to Rs. 1,940 because it was found necessary to re-thatch the,
35 Assistant Commissioner’s and the Superintendent’s houses and
36 out-offices, and the hospital had to be rethatched and enlarged
37 somewhat. Refunds, that is payments of half duty to Bikanir
38 under the salt agreement, came to Rs. 13,137 in the preced-
39 ing year and to Rs. 13,140 in the year just ended—a
40 difference of Rs. 3 only.
41 48. The Didwana salt source, it is known, is situated in
42 Jodhpur, 40-miles inland from the Kuchawan road railway
43 station on the Rajputana Railway, which is the nearest consign-
44 - ing station for the produce of this salt source. A considerable
45 quantity of the salt sold at the source is conveyed by road
46 _ carriage (pack-bullocks and camels) to the Kuchawan road
47 station, and thence goes by rail to its destination; while
48 another large portion is conveyed across Bikanir and Shekha-
49 wati to Bhiwani, about 170 miles, whence it is either distri-
50 buted by road to the south-eastern districts of the Punjab or
51 goes by railway through Delhi to the Sahéranpur and Muzaffar-
52 nagar and other’ adjacent districts of the North-Western
53 Provinces. This year, owing to the high price of Sambhar salt
54 enabling Didwana dealers to push their salt successfully in all
55 directions, Didwana salt has been more widely distributed than
56 has been the case for many years past ; and in addition to having
57 sold more largely in the south-east Punjab districts and the
58 western districts of the North-Western Provinces, it has pene-
59 trated to Cawnpoye and to all the larger markets in the North-
60 Western Provinces and Oudh in quantities which for Didwana,
61 with its restricted capabilities and its remoteness from railways
62 and other drawbacks, are satisfactorily large. The following
63 ( 37)
64 is a decrease of Rs. 9,440 REVIEW By sections.
65 DIDWANA,
66 Decrease in fixed and con-
67 ingent charges explain.
68 Distribution
69 taxed sale,
70 of fully-