ASSAM MEMORANDUM.
19
vendor desires to remove ganja from a registered warehouse, he pays the requisite
amount of duty into the Treasury and receives a pass (without fee) which enables
him to take the necessary supply of drug from the warehouse to his shop.
The warehouses are usually small constructions of wood, lined with tin. In rare
cases they are made of masonry. Transport is allowed from one warehouse
to another under the cover of passes issued by the Deputy Commissioner.
(e) The number of wholesale vendors in a district is fixed by the Commissioner of
Excise in accordance with local requirements. That is, new licenses are not
given without careful enquiry, and without ascertaining that the existing
licensed vendors are not sufficient in number to carry on the business of impor-
tation. An excess in the number of wholesale vendors might lead to an undue
cheapening of the drug or to smuggling. In Sylhet, the most populous dis-
trict in the province, there are 17 vendors. In the Assam Valley the largest
number is in Kamrup, namely, 9. But the licensed vendors of several
other districts draw their supply from Kamrup. The retail vendors are all
licensed; they have to pay their license fees monthly in advance, two months'
fees being paid at the date of sale. They are compelled to keep accounts of all
purchases and sales of the drug. These are carefully scrutinized from time to
time by Magistrates and Police officers, who can demand the immediate pro-
duction of the license and accounts at any time.
(f) The tax on ganja consists of (1) duty collected as above, (2) and license fee paid
monthly as above. Payment of duty can only be evaded by the collusion of
the Excise Officer.
(g) The number and sites of retail shops are fixed by the Commissioner of Excise
in consultation with the district authorities, who endeavour, as far as is
possible by personal enquiries, and by consulting the police, mauzadars, &c., to
discover the wishes of the people of the locality. An upset price is fixed on
the average fees paid during the previous three years. Experience shows that
a minimum upset price is a good guide to local demand. Statement appended
gives the number of shops to population.
The population varies so
enormously in proportion to area in different parts of Assam, that it is
impossible to make area a factor in fixing sites for shops. Shops are com-
monly placed in bazar and other centres of trade, and the vendors usually
deal in other commodities, such as spices, &c. Complaints as to the location
of ganja shops are carefully considered, but very rarely occur. Complaints
by people living near spirit shops and specially by European planters are com-
paratively common. Ostensibly we have no local option, except as above
described, that, as a matter of fact, if the people of any locality objected to,
or desired the opening of a new shop, they would not hesitate to make their
wish known to the district officials, or, if necessary, to the Commissioner of
Excise. In the case of ganja, such references are extremely rare. In the hill
districts and Assam proper, the shops are few and far between; in Sylhet and
Cachar the number has been largely reduced of late years, and the only doubt
possible is whether the reduction has not been too great. In 1890-91 the retail
shops in Sylhet were reduced from 148 to 110, and in Cachar from 52 to 42.
No complaints were made by the general public.
(h) No rate is fixed at which the drug is to be supplied by wholesale to the retail
vendors. The rate is fixed by competition, and if the wholesale vendors of one
district attempt to force the price too high, retail vendors have recourse to the
"golahs" of a neighbouring district. In many cases the wholesale vendors
also hold retail shops. The average retail price to consumers, district by dis-
trict, is given below for the past two years. The circumstances which affect
the retail price have already been stated:—
District.
AVERAGE RETAIL PRICE PER SE ER IN
District.
1891-92.
1892-93.
Remarks.
District.
1891-92.
1892-93.
Remarks.
Rs.
Rs.
Rs.
Rs.
Cachar
12
to
16
16
to
25
(Average.)
Sylhet
14
"
17-8
15-6
Goalpara
15
"
25
20
Kamrup
10
"
25
20
to
25
Durrang
25
"
40
25 "
40
Nowgong
25
"
30
20 "
25
Sibsagar
30
"
35
30 "
35
Lakimpur
30
"
40
30 "
40
Naga Hills
40
"
45
40
Khasi Hills
20
25
Garo Hills
12-8
15
(i) The maximum limit of possession by ordinary consumers is, as in Bengal, 20
tolas. It has not been found necessary to fix any minimum price. But in
this matter we simply follow the precedent of Bengal.
(j) The dried wild plant is smuggled into the province in small quantities from Bhutan
and Hill Tipperah. Beyond the intervention of the police, no steps have been