'REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY FOR THE YEAR 1902-1903' [‎12v] (18/106)

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BOMBAY ADMINISTRATION REPORT.
[1902-1903.
Land Revenue.
Sea, Customs:
Bombay.
Karachi.
Land Customs.
Opium :
Presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. ,
Sind.
Salt:
Presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. ,
Sind.
51. For fche revenue year 1902-1903 the Land Revenue demand amounted to
Es. 4,12,01,363 and the collections to Es. 3,70,61,893. Compared with the
preceding year, the realizations showed an advance of Its. 64,19,136, a decrease
occurring in Sind alone. The number of coercive measures rose from 842 to
2 , 222 .
52. As in the preceding year, the net Imperial receipts from import
duties at the Port of Bombay increased, while the Provincial receipts declined.
The chief feature of the year was the falling off of 4^ lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees in the revenue
from the duty on sugar owing to contraction of imports consequent on the
imposition of special duties on bounty-fed sugar. Drawbacks showed a material
increase, chiefly on account of silver bullion and coin. Large refunds of
duty in the case of bounty-fed sugar and goods exported to Kashmir were
mainly responsible for an increase of over 125 per cent, in the total amount of
refunds granted during the year. Bonding transactions especially in kerosine
oil, decreased considerably.
At Karachi the Imperial [revenue from Customs showed a decrease of
19 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees , principally owing to a contraction in the imports of sugar, consequent
upon the additional duties imposed on bounty-fed sugar.
53. The receipts of the year under Land Customs were Rs. 14,000 less
than in the previous year, owing chiefly to a reduction in the imports of salted
fish, cocoanuts and copra at Castle Bock.
54. It having been decided to make the Opium year coincide with the
financial year, the administration report of the Opium Department deals
with the eight months ending the 31st March 1903 only. During this period
there was an increase in the quantity of opium imported into Bombay and also
in the exports to China. The average prices of opium in the Bombay market
declined. In every district of the Presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. , excepting Ahmedabad, there was
an increase in the consumption of the drug. The total Imperial revenue from
opium advanced by 14 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. , compared with eight months of the
previous year, the main cause of this improvement being the disaj)pearance of
famine conditions. The total Excise Opium receipts showed a corresponding
increase. The work of prevention and detection of opium smuggling from
Kative States was entrusted to the new opium preventive establishment. °
The control of the Opium Department in Sind was transferred to the Com
missioner of Sind during the year. There was no material variation in the
quantity of opium consumed or in the total Excise Opium receipts for the eight
months under report.
. ° 0, Xllere was a sll g ht ^crease in the removals of Baragra salt and in tin
imports from outside the Presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. , hut a substantial decline in the issuei
+ o? c ? L reduCed the total issues of salt from a11 sources from 9,842,77'
to 9,485,432 maunds. The average consumption per head decreased every
where except m Gujarat, where there was a very small rise. The averam
maiamt prices m the various districts showed little variation from the previous
ahtd n? 1 ' 1068 rails ' ln ^. fl ' ora Rs - 4 ‘- 1 ’ 8 in Bombay City to Rs. 2-15-5 in Ahmed-
i fit! ' +i T 1 ? W3S & Bet mcrease of 7 i lakll s of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf. in the revenue. On March
loss of tv 7 P6r “Tf 7 asreduced Rs. 2-8 to Rs. 2, thereby causing a
°z i r f f ““t 2 i4tK owin » to th6 ^
was not counterbalanced during the year by an increase in sales.
of June'lttttLf WaS mUCh retarded h y the disastrous cyclone
June 190., which destroyed the salt works at Maurypur and caused a suspen-