1 REPORT
2 ON
3 THE ADMINISTRATION
4 OF THE
5 gy bd ;:
6 Horthern dndia Salt Bovenue Department
7 FOR THE
8 OFFICIAL YRAR 1900-1901.
9 The gross revenue realised during the year, Rs,
10 2,07,35,592, was the highest realised in any year since the
11 Constitution of the Department, except 1892-93, when a total
12 of Rs. 2,12,89,530 was reached. The salt markets appear
13 to have been overstocked in that year in anticipation of a
14 failure of the supply of salt at Sambhar, and the gross revenue
15 in 1893-94 fell to Rs. 1,78,91,384.
16 No change was made during the year in the rates of duty
17 on salt or in the prices at which salt manufactured or excavat-
18 ed on behalf of the Government was issued to traders, and
19 the increase in the revenue may be ascribed to the increase of
20 population and to some extent also to the disappearance of
21 scarcity in areas supplied with salt by the Department. The
22 gross revenue of 1899-1900 (Rs. 1,92,86,202) was lower by
23 nearly 12 lakhs of rupees than the gross revenue of 1898-99
24 and was lower by about 3 lakhs than the gross revenue of
25 1897-98.
26 2. The total charges, Rs. 10,08,776, are the lowest on
27 record, the lowest figures previously reached having been Rs.
28 10,32,258 in 1899-1900 and Rs. 10,25,133 in 1892-93—a year
29 in which only go,666 maunds of salt were made at Sambhar.
30 The low rate of the contingent charges, Rs. 4,45,850, come
31 pared with Rs. 4,25.557 in 1899-1900 and Rs. 4,83,812 in
32 1898-99. is not altogether a matter for congratulation, as it is
33 due largely to the occurrence in 1899-1¢00 of another bad
34 season for the manufacture of salt at Sambhar. The reduc-
35 tion in the fixed charges is, however, satisfactory. These
36 charges amounted to Rs. 6,28, 387 in 1892-93 and Rs. 6,19,677
37 in 1896-97. With the abolition of the Indus line they fell to
38 Rs. 5,99,851 in 1893-99 and Rs. 5,84,176 in 1899-1900 ; and
39 they amounted during the year, owing partly to reductions
40 effected in the establishment and partly to the absence of
41 several officers of the Department on famine duty, to Rs.
42 5,43,969 only. The percentage of charges on receipts during
43 the year (excluding treaty payments) was 4°86 compared with
44 5°35 in 1899-1G00 and §'41 in 1898-99.
45 3. Of the treaty payments, which amountedtoRs. 29,94,251
46 during the year, Rs. 2,25,350 are, as | have shown in para-
47 graph 1 of the Annual Administration Report for 1898-99,
48 not really a fair debit against the salt revenue; and of the
49 remaining Rs. 27,68,901, Rs. 10,45,508 appear to be
50 fairly chargeable to the Bombay Salt Department on the
51 basis of the quantities of salt issued by the two Departments
52 during the year to the North-Western Provinces, Central
53 Provinces, Central India and Rajputana, (2.¢, maunds
54 43,45,534 issued by the Northern India as compared with
55 Receipts.
56 Appendix |,
57 Charges,
58 Appendix I.
59 Treaty payments,
60 Appendix ly,