DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.68025#0034
28
MINUTES OF EVIDENCE:
1'he Hon.
Mr. C. E. A.
Oldham.
•27 Deo., 1907.
14895. Would not the position be that the Govern-
ment of India would make up their budget, and would
leave any deficit there might be to be distributed
pro rata amongst the different provinces in proportion
to the revenue of each province ?—No ; the percentage
to be paid by each province should be fixed for each
province separately, in consultation between the
Imperial Government and the provincial Government.
14896. In what way would that be simpler ?—It would
be fairer, because in some provinces there are certain
expandable heads of revenue which do not occur in
others ; in Bengal, for instance, our land revenue is
practically fixed—there is very little increase or
decrease in it owing to the permanent settlement, and,
therefore, a distribution on the same principle as in
Bengal might not be fair to the other provinces.
14897. With regard to the organizations of local
authorities, can you give me any information ; is not the
first thing a union committee ?—There are only union
committees in a few districts ; in every district there
is a District Board.
14898. Am I right in assuming that union com-
mittees have not been a success ?—Yes.
14899. Can you give me any reason why they are not
a success ?—I believe they do no useful work, but I
have never been in a district where there is a union,
and I cannot speak from personal experience.
14900. As Head of the Municipal Department, what
is your opinion ?—That is generally the accepted
opinion of the officers who have had to deal with
union committees. I think it is because there is no
moving spirit upon the union committee to guide and
direct.
14901. What is the next body ?—The Local Board ;
for each subdivision there is ordinarily a Local Board.
Then comes the District Board.
14902. How is that recruited to-day?—Partly by
nomination, partly by election from the Local Boards
in the district.
14903. Can you give me any information with
regard to the financing of the Local Boards ?—The
Local Boards are financed from the District Boards’
funds.
14904. Does the Local Board get the amount of the
cess collected within its borders?—No.
14905. Do they get a certain portion of the cess ?—
That is not the case in this province. The distribution
is made at the discretion of the District Board.
14906. Is there not also a Government grant made
to District Boards ?—Certain specific grants are made
for certain specific purposes.
14907. Does not the Government of India give a
specific grant of a certain amount which has to be
distributed amongst the District Boards ?—They give
it to the provincial Government, to be distributed
amongst the District Boards.
14908. What is the principle upon which the
Government distributes it amongst the Boards?—
The Commissioners of divisions are asked to state
their requirements.
14909. Does the provincial Government distribute
the amount received pro rata on any fixed scale ?—
No, it is distributed according to supposed local
requirements.
14910. Although a District Board cannot count for
certain on getting anything, in practice would they
not get something, although they would have to make
out a very good case in order to get a big sum ?—Yes.
14911. Does the provincial Government add to the
contribution of the Imperial Government at all?—it
makes grants over and above that contribution
sometimes ; at present it makes large grants for
communications. They are not annual and recurring
grants, but they have been made now for several
consecutive years.
14912. Are they for some capital work, such as. the
construction of a new road, or the construction of a
water-works ?—Yes, they are made sometimes for the
construction of a new road ; or bridge, and in some
cases for metalling a road ; it is not a permanent
endowment.
14913. Therefore, the District Boards are really
dependant on what they can collect locally, plus what
they obtain from the Government of India ?—Yes.
14914. Is there a fund called the provincial Cess
Fund which is collected by the provincial Govern-
ment ?—Yes.
14915. Is that distributed among the District
Boards ?—It is assessed on each district separately
according to the rates laid down in the Act, district
by district ; the Cess is assessed on the land.
14916. By whom is this money collected?—It is
collected by the District Officer.
14917. Has he got the spending of it ?—The District
Board has the spending of the Road Cess, but not the
Public Works Cess.
14918. Is the Public Works Cess collected by the
District Officer ?—Yes, along with the Road Cess ;
they are both collected together.
14919. Does the District Officer have the spending
of the Public Works Cess?—No, not under the
present rules.
14920. The position with regard to that is that all
the money collected in respect of the Public Works
Cess is centralised ?—Yes.
14921. And then it is doled out ?—I do not control
the doling out of it.
14922. Would it be advisable, instead of giving the
Boards an indefinite amount—an amount that they
cannot count on annually—to give them a definite
pro rata contribution each year’ so that they would
know where they were?—The amount available for
expenditure by a Board is not so indefinite as you
seem to think. In respect of the Government contri-
bution it might, perhaps, be more settled.
14923. With regard to loans, have district authorities
any powers whatever of raising loans ?—District
Boards can only raise loans at present with the
consent of the Government of India ; they can obtain
loans from the Local Government.
14924. Has the provincial Government a reserve
sum which it can put at the disposal of the District
Boards ?—Yes, I think all ordinary requirements can
be met, but such applications are not numerous.
14925. Should you say that reasonable facilities
exist for a progressive District Board to get any
money it is justified in asking for at a reasonable rate
of interest ?—I think so.
14926. Is the financial endowment of District
Boards, whether through the District Cess, or other-
wise, sufficient to enable them to carry out a reasonable
policy of improvement and progression ?—No, I do
not think their total funds are sufficient for their
requirements ; but now that the Government of India
are coming to their rescue, I think it may be so.
14927. And that being done, would your opinion be
that the financial resources are adequate ?—I think
that then their financial resources will be adequate.
14928. Is the maximum cess which they collect
half-an-anna per rupee on the annual value ?—Yes.
14929. There is no elasticity with regard to the
revenue ?—Not with regard to the Road Cess.
14930. Is it desirable that there should be any
elasticity?—No, because that would mean fresh
taxation. I am not fully prepared to give an answer.
14931. Do the municipalities get the main bulk of
their revenues from an assessment rate ?—Yes, a local
rate either levied on holdings, or on persons.
14932. Is the maximum that they can raise laid
down by law ?—It is.
14933. Can you tell me from your knowledge of
the work whether they raise the maximum, or not, in
practice ?—Yes, the maximum is generally raised in
regard to the rate on persons and holdings, but in the
case of certain other rates they do not always impose
the maximum—for instance, in the case of the
water-rate.
14934. Would you say again, broadly speaking, that
there is no elasticity with regard to the revenue of
municipalities ?—No.
14935. Have they ample powers of increasing their
rates if necessary ?—Yes, I think so.
14936. Do they receive any Government grant ?—
They get certain small grants but there are no large
grants given to municipalities.
MINUTES OF EVIDENCE:
1'he Hon.
Mr. C. E. A.
Oldham.
•27 Deo., 1907.
14895. Would not the position be that the Govern-
ment of India would make up their budget, and would
leave any deficit there might be to be distributed
pro rata amongst the different provinces in proportion
to the revenue of each province ?—No ; the percentage
to be paid by each province should be fixed for each
province separately, in consultation between the
Imperial Government and the provincial Government.
14896. In what way would that be simpler ?—It would
be fairer, because in some provinces there are certain
expandable heads of revenue which do not occur in
others ; in Bengal, for instance, our land revenue is
practically fixed—there is very little increase or
decrease in it owing to the permanent settlement, and,
therefore, a distribution on the same principle as in
Bengal might not be fair to the other provinces.
14897. With regard to the organizations of local
authorities, can you give me any information ; is not the
first thing a union committee ?—There are only union
committees in a few districts ; in every district there
is a District Board.
14898. Am I right in assuming that union com-
mittees have not been a success ?—Yes.
14899. Can you give me any reason why they are not
a success ?—I believe they do no useful work, but I
have never been in a district where there is a union,
and I cannot speak from personal experience.
14900. As Head of the Municipal Department, what
is your opinion ?—That is generally the accepted
opinion of the officers who have had to deal with
union committees. I think it is because there is no
moving spirit upon the union committee to guide and
direct.
14901. What is the next body ?—The Local Board ;
for each subdivision there is ordinarily a Local Board.
Then comes the District Board.
14902. How is that recruited to-day?—Partly by
nomination, partly by election from the Local Boards
in the district.
14903. Can you give me any information with
regard to the financing of the Local Boards ?—The
Local Boards are financed from the District Boards’
funds.
14904. Does the Local Board get the amount of the
cess collected within its borders?—No.
14905. Do they get a certain portion of the cess ?—
That is not the case in this province. The distribution
is made at the discretion of the District Board.
14906. Is there not also a Government grant made
to District Boards ?—Certain specific grants are made
for certain specific purposes.
14907. Does not the Government of India give a
specific grant of a certain amount which has to be
distributed amongst the District Boards ?—They give
it to the provincial Government, to be distributed
amongst the District Boards.
14908. What is the principle upon which the
Government distributes it amongst the Boards?—
The Commissioners of divisions are asked to state
their requirements.
14909. Does the provincial Government distribute
the amount received pro rata on any fixed scale ?—
No, it is distributed according to supposed local
requirements.
14910. Although a District Board cannot count for
certain on getting anything, in practice would they
not get something, although they would have to make
out a very good case in order to get a big sum ?—Yes.
14911. Does the provincial Government add to the
contribution of the Imperial Government at all?—it
makes grants over and above that contribution
sometimes ; at present it makes large grants for
communications. They are not annual and recurring
grants, but they have been made now for several
consecutive years.
14912. Are they for some capital work, such as. the
construction of a new road, or the construction of a
water-works ?—Yes, they are made sometimes for the
construction of a new road ; or bridge, and in some
cases for metalling a road ; it is not a permanent
endowment.
14913. Therefore, the District Boards are really
dependant on what they can collect locally, plus what
they obtain from the Government of India ?—Yes.
14914. Is there a fund called the provincial Cess
Fund which is collected by the provincial Govern-
ment ?—Yes.
14915. Is that distributed among the District
Boards ?—It is assessed on each district separately
according to the rates laid down in the Act, district
by district ; the Cess is assessed on the land.
14916. By whom is this money collected?—It is
collected by the District Officer.
14917. Has he got the spending of it ?—The District
Board has the spending of the Road Cess, but not the
Public Works Cess.
14918. Is the Public Works Cess collected by the
District Officer ?—Yes, along with the Road Cess ;
they are both collected together.
14919. Does the District Officer have the spending
of the Public Works Cess?—No, not under the
present rules.
14920. The position with regard to that is that all
the money collected in respect of the Public Works
Cess is centralised ?—Yes.
14921. And then it is doled out ?—I do not control
the doling out of it.
14922. Would it be advisable, instead of giving the
Boards an indefinite amount—an amount that they
cannot count on annually—to give them a definite
pro rata contribution each year’ so that they would
know where they were?—The amount available for
expenditure by a Board is not so indefinite as you
seem to think. In respect of the Government contri-
bution it might, perhaps, be more settled.
14923. With regard to loans, have district authorities
any powers whatever of raising loans ?—District
Boards can only raise loans at present with the
consent of the Government of India ; they can obtain
loans from the Local Government.
14924. Has the provincial Government a reserve
sum which it can put at the disposal of the District
Boards ?—Yes, I think all ordinary requirements can
be met, but such applications are not numerous.
14925. Should you say that reasonable facilities
exist for a progressive District Board to get any
money it is justified in asking for at a reasonable rate
of interest ?—I think so.
14926. Is the financial endowment of District
Boards, whether through the District Cess, or other-
wise, sufficient to enable them to carry out a reasonable
policy of improvement and progression ?—No, I do
not think their total funds are sufficient for their
requirements ; but now that the Government of India
are coming to their rescue, I think it may be so.
14927. And that being done, would your opinion be
that the financial resources are adequate ?—I think
that then their financial resources will be adequate.
14928. Is the maximum cess which they collect
half-an-anna per rupee on the annual value ?—Yes.
14929. There is no elasticity with regard to the
revenue ?—Not with regard to the Road Cess.
14930. Is it desirable that there should be any
elasticity?—No, because that would mean fresh
taxation. I am not fully prepared to give an answer.
14931. Do the municipalities get the main bulk of
their revenues from an assessment rate ?—Yes, a local
rate either levied on holdings, or on persons.
14932. Is the maximum that they can raise laid
down by law ?—It is.
14933. Can you tell me from your knowledge of
the work whether they raise the maximum, or not, in
practice ?—Yes, the maximum is generally raised in
regard to the rate on persons and holdings, but in the
case of certain other rates they do not always impose
the maximum—for instance, in the case of the
water-rate.
14934. Would you say again, broadly speaking, that
there is no elasticity with regard to the revenue of
municipalities ?—No.
14935. Have they ample powers of increasing their
rates if necessary ?—Yes, I think so.
14936. Do they receive any Government grant ?—
They get certain small grants but there are no large
grants given to municipalities.