CENTRAL PROVINCES MEMORANDUM.
71
The most striking feature of the statistics is the rise of the districts of the Chhattisgarh
Division to the position which, in view of their population, they would naturally be expected
to occupy. These districts account for more than half the increase in consumption of taxed
ganja since 1887-88, and the chief causes at work have been (1) improvement in administra-
tion in feudatory States and (2) extension of the Bengal-Nagpur Railway, and in Raipur
the construction of water-works. Relations with feudatory Chiefs and with zamindars
who enjoy the right of making their own arrangements for retail sale in their estates will be
discussed when the subject of smuggling is taken up. Nimar and Betul continue to be the
districts where the consumption of taxed ganja is most noticeably short: in the former district
cultivators can no longer secrete much of their crop, but ganja is still largely grown in Indore,
while in Betul much Berar ganja is undoubtedly consumed. Wardha and Nagpur and in a
less degree Chhindwara also are, like Betul, exposed to smuggling from Berar, where the ave-
rage retail price of ganja is only 6 pies per tola. Seoni and Balaghat have always stood high
as contributors to our revenue from ganja: in the latter district licit sales have increased enor-
mously. In Bhandara, where also sales have greatly improved, it is said that the habit of
ganja-smoking is no longer considered disreputable, and that the chief cultivating class have
taken to it. The Chanda district sales do not include those of the Sironcha tahsil, where retail
vendors, owing to the remoteness of the tract, were allowed until the current year to supply
themselves under import licenses from foreign territory: the consumption in that tahsil is
probably about 6 maunds per annum. The steady rise in the provincial consumption of taxed
ganja attracted the special attention of the Chief Commissioner in 1892, and in the Resolu-
tion on the Excise Report for 1891-92 the Commissioner of Excise was directed to make en-
quiry as to whether that drug was ousting either country liquor or opium. This enquiry is
still in progress, and until the Chief Commissioner has had the results before him and re-
corded the conclusions to which they lead, further comment on the statistics just dealt with will
serve no useful purpose.
53. Sales of foreign bhang do not fluctuate much from year to year: the average of the
past quinquennium is about 12 maunds per annum. This drug is not sold at all in the dis-
tricts of Chanda, Seoni, and Mandla, and very little in Bhandara and Wardha. Most is sold
where Marwaris are most numerous, i.e., in Nagpur, Jubbulpur, Narsinghpur, Hoshangabad,
Raipur, and Bilaspur.
54. Statistics of area cultivated and quantities stored and exported for each of the past
five years are as under for the Nimar district:—
Cul ti vati on.
Quanti ty
stored.
Quanti ty sold tor
export beyond C. P.
1888-89
858 acres
9,450 mds. 5,053 mds.
1889-90
954 "
10,851 "
7,9 3 "
1890-91
521 "
7,224 "
4,1 8 "
1891-92
653 "
6,685 "
3,016 "
1892-93
940 "
6,686 "
4,233 "
The fall in 1890-91 was due to the market being overstocked with the large outturn of
the previous year, and to the ryots having unsuccessfully combined to resist dealer's low
prices: in 1891-92, the losses which had been sustained in this way and excess rainfall prevent-
ed any considerable extension of operations, besides damaging the crop raised on the area
worked. In the latter year, however, cultivators realized high prices averaging Rs. 8 per
maund, and were encouraged to sow more ganja in 1892-93, but the crop raised was again
damaged by excessive rain, and the quality was generally inferior. It may be mentioned here
that consumption in the Central Provinces themselves has little, if any, effect on the area
cultivated, for the reason that only about one-fifth of the crop is consumed locally: during
the past five years local consumption, including that of feudatories and zamindaris, has
ranged from 1,123 to 1,468 maunds, the aunual average being 1,282 maunds. In 1888-89 and
1889-90 there was a little cultivation in the Katol tahsil of the Nagpur district: in the former
year 79 acres yielded 377 maunds, the corresponding figures for the latter year being 39
acres and 312 maunds.
During the same period fees at the Government Store-house, Khandwa, aggregated Rs.
46,399. The yearly receipts are not included in the statements in Appendix A for the rea-
son already stated in the footnote to para. 45 of this Memorandum.
Details of the total revenue under this head are:—
1888-89.
1889-90.
1890-91.
1891-93.
1892-93.
Storage fees
1,144
1,631
1,574
1,630
1,396
Permit "
3,135
4,563
2,491
2,474
1,645
Registration fees
4,395
8,674
7,934
4,190
3,947
4,250
4,395
8,674
14,128
8,255
8,051
7,291