CENTRAL PROVINCES MEMORANDUM.
63
Accordingly, the representatives of Kaluram, the wholesale contractor for 1880-81, were
given a contract for supplying the whole province on condition of their taking over this stock
for Rs. 18,000, besides purchasing the crop raised in 1880 in Nimar only: that crop was esti-
mated at 2,500 maunds.
The agreement entered into with the firm will be found in Appendix F.*
It will be observed that the wholesale supply of ganja, &c., was left entirely in their
hands, and that they were required to maintain an agent at the head-quarters of each district
and tahsil (except Sironcha, where the existing arrangements were allowed to stand). With
a view to avoiding unnecessary loss to the firm from cost of carriage of refuse stuff, it was
arranged that the cleaning of the ganja should ordinarily be done at Khandwa or at Nagpur,
but where the journey was likely to produce considerable injury to the drug, Deputy Commis-
sioners were instructed to arrange for its being cleaned at its destination. The stocks main-
tained by the agents were to be examined by the tahsildar, or in his absence by the naib-
tahsildar, every fortnight. The examining officer was required to deduct the amount of the
closing balance for the fortnight from the total of the opening balance and of any subsequent
additions to stock: on the difference so ascertained and verified, which represented the amount
sold by the agent, duty had to be paid. Each agent of the firm was provided with a license
for the wholesale vend of ganja, foreign bhang, charas, and majum, and also for the retail vend
of the last mentioned article.
In most districts retail vendors held their shops as in 1880-81, i.e., on monthly licenses at
rates which varied in different localities and without restriction as to the number of licenses
granted in any one place. In Seoni and Saugor shops were auctioned on the old system, and
there was a large increase in receipts from license fees in those districts.
21. The revenue of the year was made up as under—
Rs.
Direct duty
67,892
License fees
29,344
TOTAL
97,236
Sales to retail vendors increased from 838 to 869 maunds, but the increase was not gene-
ral, for in seven districts, and particularly in Bilaspur and Seoni, sales declined. Receipts from
license fees were larger than in 1880-81 in 8 districts only: the system of monthly licenses,
which had by this time been given an extended trial, was found to be unsuitable, accurate in-
formation having still to be collected as to the approximate consumption in different localities.
22. Statistics of cultivation in Nagpur for the 3 years 1879-80 to 1881-82 are not forth-
coming. It will be remembered that Government bought up the crops of 1878, and Kaluram
those of 1879 in both Nimar and Katol. The Nimar crop of 1880 was purchased by the firm
which succeeded to Kaluram's business, and that, together with 3,000 maunds purchased from
Government, made it quite unnecessary for them to have any dealings with the Katol culti-
vators. Great difficulty had been experienced in coming to terms with the Katol men in re-
spect to the crop raised in 1879; they had sold the produce of 1878 to Government at rates
varying from Rs. 7 to Rs. 10 a maund, but for that of 1879 they held out for Rs. 30 per
maund. Eventually, after the Chief Commissioner had been petitioned in the matter, the
Commissioner of Excise was requested to settle the price in a manner which would leave the
cultivators no ground for complaint, and in the end payment at the rates given in the preced-
ing year was agreed to by all concerned, the cultivators being at the same time distinctly
warned that if they chose to grow ganja in the future they would do so at their own risk, as
there was no chance of the Government again arranging for its purchase. In spite of this
experience, about 1,100 maunds were brought to the Nagpur Store-house at the close of
1880, and this the firm of Jaitram Mahadeo declined to buy, having, as already remarked,
obtained a fully adequate supply in Khandwa under the terms of their agreement with Gov-
ernment. The cultivators then demanded that their entire stock should be purchased by Gov-
ernment, but as they had received fair warning that they would have to make their own
arrangements for finding buyers their petition was rejected. Many continued to hold out for
the purchase of their produce in lump, but some were in the end induced to part with it in
lots to different dealers. All appear to have refrained from raising ganja in 1881 in con-
sequence of their failure to obtain the terms they had insisted upon; their energies were
directed throughout the year to agitating for reconsideration of the orders passed, and after
unsuccessfully moving the Government of India they memorialized the Secretary of State.
No certain explanation of the sudden diminution of area under ganja in Nimar can now be
given: it is, however, known that the Indore crop of 1879 was unusually large (4,000 maunds
against 1,000 in the preceding season), and that exports from Nimar in 1880-81 did not exceed
75 maunds, and the knowledge of these facts and of the existence of a large stock in the hands
of the provincial contractors must have made cultivators doubtful whether a local crop, if
raised in 1881, would find any purchasers.
*Not printed.