4
The difficulty in grouping cases for want of information in the Magistrate's
statement still exists.
STATEMENT VIII.
Finance.
12. The total amount spent for the up-keep of the Asylum was Rs. 1,09,388
against Rs. 91,683 in 1918. Out of this amount
Rs. 21,801 was spent towards the additional buildings
sanctioned by the Local Administration. Excluding the Public Works Depart-
ment charges and other book adjustments the expenditure was Rs. 86,902
against Rs. 58,102 in the preceding year. The increase was mainly due to the
abnormally high prices that had to be paid for food and other articles and to
the withholding in 1918 of the payment of Rs. 7,000 on account of Grain,
as the Contractor failed to supply the contracted quantity of grain before
December 1918, and partly to the payment of War Allowance to the Staff.
Under rates and taxes the expenditure was Rs. 3,419 against Rs. 2,492 ;
the increase was due to the flushing of wards, hospitals and the drains during
the period of cholera. Receipts from paying patients amounted to Rs. 4,432
against Rs. 4,142 ; other remittances into the Treasury were Rs. 3,246 against
Rs. 3,828 in 1918.
The average cost of up-keep of a lunatic was Rs. 211 against Rs. 193 in
the preceding year (the stock in hand is not taken into consideration). Exclud-
ing the Public Works Department charges the cost was Rs. 169 against
Rs. 122 and excluding the receipts from paying patients, which are
credited to the Government, the cost per head was Rs. 161 against Rs. 114. As
pointed out last year the amount of Rs. 7,000 which was held over for payment
has to some extent affected the rise in the cost of maintenance. If this amount
is added to the last year's figures and deducted from this year's expenditure
the average cost per head would be Rs. 147 against Rs. 128 in 1918.
STATEMENT IX.
Establishment.
13. There was no change in the establishment sanctioned, but owing to
the high wages that a person gets outside the Asylum,
some difficulty was experienced in retaining the services
of warders. It will be seen from the statement that there were 5 posts vacant
on the male side at the close of the year.
STATEMENT X.
Manufacture.
14. The profits during the year from manufacturing
departments amounted to Rs. 3,824 against Rs. 3,936 in
1918.
GENERAL REMARKS.
Buildings.
15. Several structural improvements to buildings which were proposed to
be carried out in two groups at a total cost of Rs. 78,449
and which were administratively sanctioned in the years
1916 and 1917 (i. e., Group I in 1916 and Group II in 1917) have neared
completion. The official visitors recommended certain additional staff quarters,
&c., costing about Rs. 29,000. Administrative sanction was obtained for the
construction of these works in March 1919 and they are in progress.
16. The additional buildings sanctioned in Secretariat No. 51-A/IX, dated
the 26th March 1919, are in progress, but the hospitals handed over to the
Public Works Department for additions and alterations in the year 1917 have not
been completed.
Amusements.
17. Petty rewards to well behaved lunatics amounting to Rs. 192 were,
as usual, given to the lunatics which they appreciated
very much.
Musical and gramophone entertainments were also given.
The Director-General, Indian Medical Service, visited this Asylum once
during the year under report, i. e., on the 12th February 1919, and wrote as
follows :—
"I have been much struck with the cheerful aspect of this Asylum. The flowers are
a very great asset and I was very glad to see so few of the lunatics in cells during the day