‘REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY, FOR THE YEAR 1919-20’ [‎312r] (171/192)

1919-1920.]
EXCISE.
I39 Chapter V.
FINANCIAL.
fell by 9,313 gallons. The sales in 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. proper under all the four
heads advanced by 225,371, 46,383, 73,562, and 34,269 gallons, respectively.
The advance under ‘ fermented liquors ’ is noticeable chiefly in Ahmedabad,
Bombay and Nasik and is attributed to the larger consumption by troops and
followers stationed in those areas. The increase under c potable spirits ’ appears
to be due to the general prosperity of the country and consequent rise in the
standard of living. The rise under denatured spirits ’ is due to larger use of
the spirit for domestic purposes in Bombay. The traffic in spirits of Indian
manufacture excised at tariff rates is confined to the Gujarat Chemical Works
at Ahmedabad and the Alembic Chemical Works Company, Baroda. The
former supplied 9,933 gallons of duty-free rectified spirit to the Government
Medical Stores, Bombay, against 14,881 gallons in the preceding year and issued
besides 648 proof gallons of denatured spirit against 8,380 gallons in the pre
vious year. The number of licenses for the sale of foreign liquors rose from
1,180 to 1,245 due mostly to an increase in the number of wholesale, medicated
wines, denatured spirit and short-term licenses.
6. The cultivation of hemp for ganja was restricted, as in the previous intoxicating drugs,
year, to the Nagar taluka of the Ahmednagar district. The area under cultiva
tion was the same as in the previous year, viz., 465 acres, but the outturn
increased from 3,555 to 5,442 maunds, giving an average yield per acre of about
12 maunds, which was about 4 maunds better than in the previous year. The
issues of ganja, bhang and charas to British districts in 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. proper fell
by 88,11 and 16 maunds, respectively, and those to Native States by 11,11 and
1 maund, respectively. There was also an appreciable fall in consumption of
1,050 seers under ganja, 419 seers under bhang and 2,419 seers under charas.
The fall in the consumption of ganga was particularly noticeable in the city
of Bombay and in the districts of Poona, Ahmedabad and Satara, while it
increased to a considerable extent in the districts of Sholapur, Dharwar, East
Khandesh and Ahmednagar. The consumption of bhang declined noticeably
in the districts of Ahmedabad, Poona and Surat, but augmented in the city
of Bombay. Bombay city shows a remarkable shrinkage in the consumption
of charas. The revenue from intoxicating drugs is derived from (1) quantita
tive duties on issues from warehouses and on imports from other provinces and
(2) vend fees. The duty realized and the vend fees amounted to Es. 10,33,227
and Bs. 6,45,734, respectively, against Es. 8,85,205 and Es. 6,02,026 in the
previous year. The number of vend licenses granted was the same as in the
previous year, viz., 588, of which 19 were wholesale and 569 retail. Licenses
for the sale of cocaine for 4 fide medical purposes numbered 527 against
499 in the previous year. The quantity of cocaine and allied drugs imported
was 7 lbs. 2 ozs. against 260 lbs. odd in the previous year. The large decrease
is apparently due to the market having been overstocked. The quantity sold
under license was 29 lbs. against 21 lbs. in the previous year. The gangs of
cocaine smugglers having been dispersed, the hawking trade in Bombay is now
carried on chiefly by Pathans. The largest seizure of cocaine by the Excise
Department during the year was one of 5,712-J- grains.
7. Deducting the amount of Es. 9,88,800 paid to the Government of the Opium,
united Provinces on account of prime cost and certain conveyance and packing
charges, the net profit to Government, inclusive of duty, amounted to
Bs. 17,76,237 against Es. 19,91,522 in the previous year. The total licit sales
of opium in British districts aggregated 46,680 seers against 51,053 seers, the
decrease of 4,373 seers being mainly due to higher selling prices charged by the
vendors, on the abolition of the maximum selling price. The actual realizations
on account of vend fees for the retail sale of opium in British districts amounted
Bs. 9,96,715 against Es. 10,00,594 in the previous year, showing a net
ecrease of Es. 3,879 due to defaults in payment of instalments of fees by
tensed vendors. The number of shops was the same as last year, viz., 733,
^hile that of licenses held by medical practitioners, chemists and druggists
r °se from 872 to 962. The aggregate gross revenue on account of excise
opium was Es. 27,87,263 against Es. 30,16,014 in the previous year.
. The total number of offences against the Abkari Law was 2,269 Offences^
a 8’a.inst 2,103 in the previous year. Of the detected cases, 1,957 related to
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