DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.24890#0117
( 107 )
later ; but as a rule the works were carried out after the
famine had fully declared itself.
Por reasons both of administration and economy, it
was the policy of Government to associate, as far as possible,
the local landholders in the management of these village pro-
jects. The experience gained in the Bundelkhand Pamine,
described in Chapter II of this narrative, showed this policy to
be advantageous. Accordingly in 1897 landed proprietors were
encouraged and invited to contribute towards the expenditure,
as well as to participate in the management, of works by which
they themselves and their tenantry would be benefited. To
secure such co-operation grants of money free of interest, but
partly recoverable within two years, were made to landlords
for carrying out village relief works calculated to improve the
agricultural condition, the water-supply, and the general
sanitation of their villages. Rules were drawn up (which will
be found in the Appendix volume) to regulate these partly
recoverable advances and the works to be constructed from
them.
The dominant principle guiding the selection of these
works was that they should be suitable for the employment
of relief labour, while being of utility to the village commu-
nity. They were permitted only in localities where relief was
required; and due provision was included in the rules regulating
them, for the employment and the remuneration at fair wages
of the classes in the village who required relief. The works
were estimated for and laid out by a civil works Inspector
and were kept under inspection while in progress. The land-
holder undertaking the work was bound to furnish accounts
and pay the labourers daily.
Under these restrictions, and subject to the control of
the District Officer, the selection and management of these
works was left to the landholder. He received two-fifths of
the estimated cost on the commencement of work ; two-fifths
when it was half finished, and the remaining fifth when the
final measurements showed that the project had been com-
pleted in accordance with the estimates. The landholder
entered into an engagement to repay within two years a
proportion of the advance, which varied from three-fourths
in the case of the least distressed villages or individuals, to
one-fourth in the case of the most distressed.
The sums disbursed in the shape of these partly
recoverable advances aggregated Rs. 1,88,109, a substantial
portion of which will ultimately be repaid by the local
proprietors to whom the money was advanced. Prom this
expenditure were constructed 1,147 tanks and 271 embank-
ments designed like the tanks to collect and store water for
irrigation purposes, besides supplementing the supply of drink-
ing-water for the villagers and their cattle. Advances under
later ; but as a rule the works were carried out after the
famine had fully declared itself.
Por reasons both of administration and economy, it
was the policy of Government to associate, as far as possible,
the local landholders in the management of these village pro-
jects. The experience gained in the Bundelkhand Pamine,
described in Chapter II of this narrative, showed this policy to
be advantageous. Accordingly in 1897 landed proprietors were
encouraged and invited to contribute towards the expenditure,
as well as to participate in the management, of works by which
they themselves and their tenantry would be benefited. To
secure such co-operation grants of money free of interest, but
partly recoverable within two years, were made to landlords
for carrying out village relief works calculated to improve the
agricultural condition, the water-supply, and the general
sanitation of their villages. Rules were drawn up (which will
be found in the Appendix volume) to regulate these partly
recoverable advances and the works to be constructed from
them.
The dominant principle guiding the selection of these
works was that they should be suitable for the employment
of relief labour, while being of utility to the village commu-
nity. They were permitted only in localities where relief was
required; and due provision was included in the rules regulating
them, for the employment and the remuneration at fair wages
of the classes in the village who required relief. The works
were estimated for and laid out by a civil works Inspector
and were kept under inspection while in progress. The land-
holder undertaking the work was bound to furnish accounts
and pay the labourers daily.
Under these restrictions, and subject to the control of
the District Officer, the selection and management of these
works was left to the landholder. He received two-fifths of
the estimated cost on the commencement of work ; two-fifths
when it was half finished, and the remaining fifth when the
final measurements showed that the project had been com-
pleted in accordance with the estimates. The landholder
entered into an engagement to repay within two years a
proportion of the advance, which varied from three-fourths
in the case of the least distressed villages or individuals, to
one-fourth in the case of the most distressed.
The sums disbursed in the shape of these partly
recoverable advances aggregated Rs. 1,88,109, a substantial
portion of which will ultimately be repaid by the local
proprietors to whom the money was advanced. Prom this
expenditure were constructed 1,147 tanks and 271 embank-
ments designed like the tanks to collect and store water for
irrigation purposes, besides supplementing the supply of drink-
ing-water for the villagers and their cattle. Advances under