1 1d
2 During the year under report some modification of these rates was found
3 necessary, a brief description of which is given in the following extract from
4 Major Thomson’s report,
5 “In the Seoni and Lakhnadon Divisions, the 3rd class, or ” Nistar Kast-
6 kari,” with the charge it entailed of 3 annas per plough, was struck off
7 altogether. The wood for ploughs and other implements of agriculture
8 being supplicd as the 7th heading of class I, instead of “small bamboos”
9 transferred to the 2nd class and included ifthe 6 annas charge of
10 that class,
11 ‘ There remained then only three classes,—the first, second, and the late
12 fourth now third ; and the charge was on cultivation or cultivating
13 villages also electing to use the unreserved forest, 6 annas per house
14 for first class supply, 3 annas also per house for second class supply,
15 and for grazing of cattle 5 rupees per 100 head, and there has been
16 a reduction of 3 annas per plough, on all taking the full use out of the
17 unreserved forest.
18 The right to collection of mohwa was, as in the previous year, put up for
19 aalo.”
20 ‘ In Katangi another system was adopted on the recommendation of the
21 Tahsildar of the J)ivision. The distinction between “ Nistar Ala” and
22 « Adna” was done away with, and cultivators were charged 7 annas a
23 plough for ordinary “ Nistar” or use of every thing in the unreserved
24 forest except “ mdhwa,” and 1 anna extra for mohwa or 8 annas per
25 plough altogether, and non-cultivators were charged 3 annas per house
26 if they elected to use the forest. The payment of 5 rupees per 100
27 head of cattle for grazing in the unreserved forest was maintained.”
28 ‘ These modifications seem to have gone far towards relieving the people,
29 who were vomplaining much and from whom it was found very diffi-
30 cult to realize the amount of these dues. The people still complain in
31 places, but, I think, without cause, for there can be littl doubt that
32 they get more supplied than before and at a smaller cost. But any
33 new system is always objected to, and some time must elapse befuro
34 the villagers become habituated to it.”
35 £2. These changes have resultcd in a fall it the Government demand from
36 Rs. 50,910 in 1870-71 to Rs. 39,874 m 1871-72. The year opened with
37 outstandings to the amount of Rs. 20,171-4-2, on account of revenue, and closed
38 with an outstanding balance on the same account of Rs. 6,928, of which about
39 Ra. 5,000 have since been recovered, The total collections during the year amount
40 to Rs, 6£,076-3-11.
41 83. There has becn a falling off in the revenue in this district, from Ks,
42 20,456-11-0 in 1869 70 to Rs. 15,204-4-6 in 1871-72. The
43 decreaso is chiefly attributed to the discontinuance of the
44 demand for Railway purposes which existed while the lino was in course of
45 constiuction.
46 Hoshangabad district
47 The amount shown as revenue for the year is utterly out of proportion to the
48 wealth of the richly cultivated tracts in this district, and 1° shall therefore en-
49 deavour to give some explanation of this fact. In the first instunce the District
50 revenue does not represent the true amount paid by the people, omitting as sources
51 of supply private forest lands, of which there are a certaim pereentage in all districts.
52 [| would inention that the State forests of Rajaborari, Kalibhit, and Sewligarh