THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY March 21, 1953 At Home and Abroad This Fund is primarily used for relief of displaced persons, relief of distress caused by calamities such as Land Tenures in Bombay State earthquakes, floods, drought, etc. Normally sums of money are placed BUNCH of recent notifica­ settlement of Zamindaris. In addi­ at the disposal of Governors and/or A tions issued by the Govern­ tion to the revenue surplus, the Chief Ministers of States, for afford­ ment of Bombay brings out the Ankadedars enjoyed certain Ghar- ing relief at their discretion. Some extraordinary variety of the systems khed lands. These intermediaries amounts have also been given as of land tenure prevailing in this are now to go. The Watans in the grants-in-aid to organisations engag­ State alone. The Khot system had merged territories of the former ed in relief work. been abolished from March 1, last Baroda State which are also to be Out of the total disbursement of year by the Salsctte Estates (Land abolished were held in exchange for nearly Rs 61 lakhs Assam got Rs Revenue Exemptions Abolition) service. Benefits of the Watans to 18.02 lakhs mostly for earthquake Act 1951 and a press note had been persons who no longer render any relief. The expenditure on general issued in July last, advising the service to the State have no justifi­ refugee rehabilitation and distress Khatedars in the Bombay Suburban cation any more. relief amounting to Rs 9.49 lakhs District not to pay rent to the was mostly in Punjab. estate holders in respect of the land US Sale of Indian Tea Up The following shows the disburse­ Food stores sale of tea in the to which this Act applied. Follow­ ments : ing an injunction from the Bombay United States reached an all time Rs High Court obtained by one of the high in 1052 and so far in 1953. Khots, Khatedars are now advised Of the Indian tea consumed in to pay their rent to the estate the United States, 75 per cent is holders. sold through retail stores, and the Bills have been introduced to remaining 25 per cent goes to abolish a number of prevailing sys­ restaurants, institutions, hotels, and tem of land tenures. The Mulgiias the armed services. Total net con­ tenure prevailing in Amreli District sumption last year amounted to 95 is to go. It originates in the un­ million pounds, up sharply from settled political conditions of Kathia- the 1951 total of 84 million pounds. war in the 18th century when Retail Tea Prices in UK Girassias gave portions of their estates to the Gackwar for the lat- Tea prices in the London auctions ter's protection which they sought. have gone up steadily since the They are, however, full proprietors beginning of this year by about of the soil and have nothing to pay is 3d per lb, the rise being shared to the Government now, The sta­ by all classes of teas. This has set tus of mulgirasias as intermediaries a problem for the distributors of between the Government and the tea who have not altered retail ryots for land revenue management prices which remain around 4½ is sought to be terminated. The shillings a lb since the removal of Bill makes provisions for payment price control and rationing in Octo­ of compensation to the mulgirasias. ber last. The rise this year has put retail prices well below the re­ Another Bill abolishes the Kauli placement cost. Previous rises in and Khatuban tenures found in the prices could be absorbed by the districts of Kolaba, Ratnagiri and wholesale distributors who put up Kolhaffcir. These were leases with an increase of about 4¾ a lb granted by the East India Company between October and December for land reclamation and plantation last. of coconut trees on which there Exports of Silk Waste The present situation in the tea was a separate tax at a concession Exports of silk waste of West market is considered favourable for rent. Holders of these tenures have Bengal, Bihar and Assam origin enjoyed partial exemption which is raising the retail prices. The price will now be licensed freely for now being abolished. trend is expected to be upwaid, the shipment upto December 31, 1953. producing countries having adopt­ As a result of a further review, the Yet another Bill is to abolish the ed methods to restrict output and Ankadia tenure prevailing in the Government of India has decided the British housewife is believed to to extend the period of free licens­ districts of Baroda, Kaira, Panch- be running out of stock. mahals, and Ahrnedabad, etc. The ing from March 31, notified ear­ system originated in the unsettled PM'S Nat Relief Fund lier. political conditions and the inability The total amount received in the Shipments will be allowed only of the State to collect revenue be­ Prime Minister's National Relief from the port of Calcutta as before. cause of the turbulent character of Fund was Rs 62,91,76; and that the the ryots. Ankadedars were, there­ payments made therefrom since its Two Open General Licences Issued fore, authorised to collect revenue inception in November, 1947 upto Open General Licences XXIV on behalf of Government and pay January 31, 1053 totalled Rs and XXV, valid for shipments upto a fixed lump sum called Ankdo 60,96,149, said Pandit Nehru in September 30, 1953, one for im­ and retain the balance. This is replying to a question in the House ports from all countries of the world somewhat akin to the permanent of the People last week. except South Africa and the other

331 March 21, 1953 THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY —

332 THE ECONOMIC WEEKLY March 21, 1953 permitting imports from soft cur­ valued at nearly £4 million from (Chairman); Shri K. P. Mathrani, rency areas have been issued by the the British Admiralty as part of its joint Secretary, Ministry of Rehabili­ Government of India to replace the offshore procurement programme. tation (Secretary); Shri A. Raja- current Open General Licences The minesweepers arc meant for gopalan, Controller of Insurance, XXIV and XXV which expire on allocation to the NATO countries. Ministry of Finance; Shri T. K. March 31, 1953. The British Admiralty will place; Desai and Mr William Gilmour Wylic, representing the General In­ A few items, e g, certain non-fer­ contracts for these minesweepers with British ship-building yards. surance Council; and Shri Tek rous metal manufactures and semi­ Chand, M.P., representing displaced manufactures, aluminium ingots, Britain is already supplying Cen­ persons. tallow, rock phosphate and sodium turion tanks, valued at £90 million, The Act provides that in respect nitrate, rotary hoes and rotary til­ to Denmark and the Netherlands, of claims of displaced persons against both NATO countries. lers, Urea formaldehyde moulding insurance companies, the tribunals powder, DDT and machine cloth Indian Emigration will determine the amount of loss, have been removed from the scope Canada has agreed to receive the amount for which the property of the existing Open General Licen­ annually 150 Indian nationals as was insured on the date of such loss ces. immigrants into that country and the amount, if any, paid by the A public notice has been issued according to an agreement entered insurance company, and make a detailing the import policy for most into with the Government of India. report to the Insurance Claims of the items removed from the scope The United States has fixed a Board. of the Open General Licences for quota of 100 persons, while Thai­ After taking into account certain licensing during the current period, land has fixed a quota of 200. principles which have been prescrib­ namely, January-June 1953. The Indonesia has agreed to receive ed, the Board will propose to the licensing policy for the remaining 1,000 persons annually from India, tribunals concerned the amounts items will be announced shortly. for which claims against insurance Pakistan, Ceylon and Burma toge­ companies should be decreed. Open General Licence No. ther. Information with regard to XXVII which allows imports of actual immigration to these and certain articles from Persian Gulf other countries is not available. Sheikhdoms and Portuguese posses­ sions in India has also been extend­ Second Tur Estimate ed upto September 30, 1953. There is a decline of 24,000 acres or 0.4 per cent in area and 31,000 Woollen Furniture for Germany tons or 1.8 per cent in production Enquiries for the import of of Tur in 1952-53 according to the wooden, cane and bamboo furni­ second All-India estimate as com­ ture from India have been received pared with the adjusted estimate of from West German firms by the the previous year. The current Indian Embassy at Hamburg. year's area is 5,476,000 acres as These items were included in the against 5,500,000 last year, while Indo-German Trade Agreement, the production is 1,724,000 tons as which was recently concluded. against 1,755,000 tons last year. Firms interested have been The decline in acreage under the requested to contact the Depart­ crop has been reported by Bihar, ment of Commercial Intelligence Bombay and Hyderabad, due to and Statistics, Calcutta, with quota­ drought conditions at different tions and other details. times of the year, but this has been offset to some extent by increases Retrenchment in Jute Mills recorded in other States especially " The Government of West in Madhya Pradesh, due to favour­ Bengal have intimated that no able prices and weather conditions large-scale retrenchment has yet at the time of sowing. The decline been effected in jute mills," the in production has been clue partly Union Minister for Labour stated to the decrease in acreage and last week in the House of the partly to unfavourable weather People. " The managements of conditions. Madhya Pradesh, UP, some of the jute mills, however, West Bengal and Bhopal have, propose to retrench some workers however, recorded some increases who have been considered surplus in production. to their requirements. The number This estimate relates mainly to of workers proposed to be retrench­ the period up to the beginning of ed is not known." January, 1953. The State Labour Directorate has taken up the question of pro­ Insurance Claims Board for DPs posed retrenchment with parties Under the Displaced Persons concerned for settlement under the (Debts Adjustment) Act, 1951. Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. Government of India have consti­ tuted an Insurance Claims Board US Buys British Minesweepers with the following members: The US Navy has contracted to Shri K. Y. Bhandarkar, Govern­ purchase a number of minesweepers ment Solicitor, Ministry of Law

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