Statements of Conditions

21. The rights of persons to whom land is given in the scheme of quasi-permanent resettlement are defined in East Punjab in two Statements of Conditions dated the 8th July, 1949 issued with Notification Nos : 4891|S and 4892|S. Corresponding notifications issued by the Pepsu Government are Nos ; 8R and 9R dated the 23rd July, 1949. The East Punjab Government's notifications are reproduced as Appendices I(b) and I(c) and the Pepsu Government's notifications as Appendices I (d) and I (e). The notifications were issued under the evacuee property law in force in East Punjab and Pepsu at the time of their issue, but ipso facto they are operative under the central evacuee property legislation. The expressions " allotment " and " lease " are used so as to correspond respectively to " quasi-permanent" and " temporary" grant of land. Allotment on the basis of entries in Jamabandis or equivalent proof is described as quasi-permanent, while grant of land by the Custodian on the basis of oral verification in the absence of jamabandis is described as temporary. An " allotment " is made only to a displaced person who has abandoned certain land and rights in Western Pakistan. A "lease" may also be made to a person who is not a refugee or who, being a refugee, has abandoned no rights qualifying for compensation in the form of land.

Rights of Allottees

22. As distinguished from a "lessee" an "allottee" receiving land under the Statements of Conditions which have been mentioned above has the following rights:—

(1) An allottee will pay a rent equivalent to land revenue and cesses and such further rent as may be fixed by the Custodian or the Rehabilitation Authority from time to time. It is intended that allottees should not pay in. cash anything more than what owners of land pay. Since they themselves are entitled to a certain rent on account of land abandoned by them in Pakistan, a pro forma account will be maintained in which such rent as is due to evacuee owners will be debited against the allottees with a view to adjustment against rent accruing to them in Pakistan. In the case of lessees, the rent is to be specified and is inclusive of the land revenue. A lessee is not entitled to pay land revenue as such ;

(2) A lease order specifes the period for which the lease is to continue, but an allotment continues for the period for which the land remains vested in the Custodian. In other words, for a lease a time-limit is set, but the term of an allotment is indefinite, depending upon the settlement of questions relating to evacuee property between India and Pakistan.

(3) An allottee can be allowed to exchange the whole or any part of his allotment for other evacuee land. Two allottees may arrange an exchange mutually. The concession may operate within East Punjab or within Pepsu, or across the two territories with the concurrence of their Governments ;

(4) With the consent of the Custodian or the Rehabilitation Authority, an allottee can make improvements on his land and is entitled to compensation for them in accordance with the provisions of the Punjab Tenancy Act, 1887 ; and

(5) An allottee can lease his land for a period not exceeding three years without the consent of the Custodian or the Rehabilitation Authority, and for more than three years, with the requisite consent. A lessee cannot sub-lease his land for more than one year.

Obligations of Allottees and Lessees

23. The Statements of Conditions place certain obligations on allottees and lessees alike. They have to discharge rent and such other payments as may be due from them under the terms of allotment or lease. Possession of the land allotted or leased has to be taken within two months from the date on which the order of allotment is delivered. On the expiry or termination of the allotment or lease the land must be surrendered to the Custodian or the Rehabilitation Authority or any person authorised in this behalf. Finally allottees and lessees have to discharge such obligations to other holders of rights in the land allotted to them Thus, an allottee who takes over the occupancy rights of land whose landlords are residents or non-evacuees, is under obligation to meet whatever claims the landlord of such land has according to the revenue records. Allottees and lessees are liable to meet charges on account of cultivation by tractors arranged by the Custodian or the Rehabilitation Authority, immediately prior to allotment or lease.

Amendment and Cancellation of Allotment or Lease

24. The Custodian or the Rehabilitation Authority has power to resume, amend, withdraw or cancel an allotment or lease, as the case may be, on any of the following grounds :—

(a) if the allotment or lease is contrary to the orders of Government or of the Custodian or of the Financial Commissioner in East Punjab, and the Secretary to Government, Rehabilitation Department, in Pepsu ;

(b) if the allottee or lessee has infringed or appears to be preparing to infringe any of the terms of allotment or lease ;

(c) if the allotment or lease was obtained by false declaration or insufficient information. An allotment may be cancelled if it is contrary to the purpose of rehabilitating displaced persons;

(d) if the area allotted or occupied by an allottee or lessee is more than he was authorised to take or occupy under the relevant instructions ;

(e) if the claims of other parties with respect to land have been established or accepted ;

(f) if an allottee has been convicted of an offence under the evacuee property law ; and

(g) if an allottee or lessee fails to take possession of the land within the period prescribed, or after having taken possession, fails to cultivate the land.

In taking possession of land in pursuance of an order of allotment or lease, an allottee or lessee is deemed to have agreed to be bound by the prescribed conditions.

Mention may also be made of the provisions of the East Punjab Registration of Land Claims Act, 1948 under which a person who has submitted a false claim may be disqualified from allotment altogether and, if allotment has been made, may be deprived of whole or part of the land allotted to him. The Act is reproduced as Appendix I(a).

Land Resettlement Legislation

25. The relations between allottees and lessees to whom land is allotted under the Statements of Conditions explained in the preceding paragraphs and the " present holders " who are in occupation prior to the issue of the new orders are governed by special land resettlement legislation in East Punjab and Pepsu. The East Punjab Displaced Persons (Land Resettlement) Act, 1949 has as its counter-part Ordinance XXI of 2006 issued by the Pepsu Government. The two pieces of legislation are given as Appendix I(f) and Appendix Kg). The term " allottee " and " lessee " are defined according to the Statements of Conditions. The main features of the land resettlement legislation which deserve to be noted are :

(1) Allotments and leases take effect in law from kharif, 1949. From this harvest the names of the new allottees and lessees are entered in the records. The present holders are required to pay to the Custodian rent at two and a half times the land revenue for kharif, 1949 and at four times the land revenue for rabi 1950. Out of this rent, after meeting the land revenue and cesses and the expenses of the Custodian, the balance is to be paid to allottees and lessees in cash or, at the option of the Custodian, may be adjusted against any amount due from them to the Custodian ;

(2) The liability of allottees and lessees for the payment of rent to the Custodian begins from Rabi 1950. or when actual possession is surrendered to them by the present holder, whichever is later.

(3) Under the terms of the legislation, all leases of land, unless exempted by order by the Custodian, made by evacuees in favour of non-evacuees automatically terminate and the land vests in the Custodian. In this way land given out on lease by evacuees for long periods comes within the scope of quasi-permanent allotment. The legislation provides a procedure for the payment of compensation to lessees whose leases are thus terminated; and

(4) Where the evacuee property consists of a share of an evacuee in shamilat land, the Custodian is empowered to appropriate the land by order out of the share of the evacuee in the shamilat and the land so appropriated vests in the Custodian.

Urban Land

26. It should be noted here that the land resettlement legislation applies only to evacuee land which is not urban land. Urban land is defined as land included within the limits of a Corporation, Municipal Committee, Notified Area Committee, Town Area. Small Town Area and Cantonment as it stood on the 15th August, 1947. Under the terms of an Inter-Dominion Agreement, urban land is subject to sale and exchange. For this reason the general scheme of land resettlement applies only to non-urban evacuee land in East Punjab and Pepsu.

Pepsu Legislation lor Abolition of Occupancy Rights

27. In Pepsu, legislation has been introduced tor abolishing occupancy tenures and effecting settlement between landlords and occupancy tenants. All allotments made in Pepsu are, therefore, subject to the rights and obligations conferred by this legislation. The Pepsu Abolition of Occupancy Tenures and Settlement of Land Disputes Ordinance is at Appendix I (h).

Evaluation of Land and Rights

28. Elaborate rules and methods have been evolved for the valuation of different classes of land and rights. These are explained at some length in chapter III. It is necessary to refer here only to the unit of valuation namely, the " standard acre." To each class of land a value is given in terms of annas, and sixteen annas of value are described as a standard acre. A standard acre is thus a unit of value and, dependmg on the value of land into which the unit is translated, it represents a certain area. The standard acre, besides being useful in assessing the value of different classes of land and rights, has proved a remarkably convenient unit for purposes of calcu lation. The total area and rights abandoned by displaced persons ear marked for settlement in East Punjab and Pepsu as well as the total area and rights abandoned in these territories by Muslims who have migrated to Pakistan are reduced into standard acres. Similarly, the value of land abandoned by each individual and the value of land to be allotted to him is reckoned in standard acres. In brief, like a unit of currency in which transactions in individual commodities are expressed, the standard acre is the medium through which all classes of land and rights, despite their differences, are expressed for purposes of comparison, evaluation and calculation.

Statistical Information

29. A scheme of land resettlement is built round certain basic statistics. These relate to area abandoned by displaced persons an area available for allotment to them. Information about are abandoned by displaced persons is obtained by adding up the area abandoned by different individuals. Information about area abandoned by evacuees in East Punjab and Pepsu is obtained by adding up from the revenue records the areas abandoned by individual evacuees. The central problem in a scheme of resettlement is to assess the claims of different individuals. Since the area available for allotment fell markedly short of the area claimed, it was necessary to know the total figures on both sides before a scheme could be evolved. Until copies of jamabandis were exchanged with the West Punjab Government, this problem continued to be a source of anxiety. Claims were invited in March, 1948. Even though stringent penalties for false claims were provided, the apparent exaggeration and inaccuracy was large enough to justify the conclusion that merely on the basis of statistics of area claimed to have been abandoned, a lasting scheme of settlement could not be proceeded with. The subsequent oral verification of claims in December of 1948, though useful in a number of directions, was yet an expedient which did not furnish statistics of a completely reliable character. Motives of dishonesty on the part of claimants apart, without authentic records or copies of records, a sure enough foundation for framing a scheme of resettlement for the distribution of nearly five million acres of land did not exist, and the element of guess and error was too large to be accepted. The broad outlines of the scheme of resettlement wore drawn up in February and March. 1949 on the strength of estimated statistics based partly on actuals and partly on assumptions and formulae. The estimates were, however, sufficiently justified by the detailed statistics when their collection was completed in June, 1949.

30. Data pertaining to area abandoned in Pakistan is derived mainly from the individual accounts of 617,401 displaced landholders. Data pertaining to area abandoned by evacuees in East Punjab and Pepsu is derived ultimately from village lists of fields with particulars of area, class of land, rights etc., taken from the jamabandis. On both sides, the need to secure accuracy has been stressed The principal statistcs bearing upon the scheme of land resettlement are given in the Statistical Appendix.

Area Abandoned in Pakistan

31. By agreement with the Government of India it was decided in April. 1948 that evacuee land in the East Punjab-Pepsu region would be available for settlement to displaced landholders from West Punjab and displaced holders of Punjabi extraction who had abandoned. Land in Western Pakistan outside the Province of West Punjab, that is, mainly in Bahawalpur. Sind and N. W. F. P. Particulars of land abandoned have been ascertained altogether in respect of 19,164 villages, of which 17,022 are situated in West Punjab. Of 617,401 claimants who had abandoned land 606,879 held land in West Punjab. Certain rights were considered as being eligible for allotment in East Punjab and Pepsu, while others, for instance, rights of mortgage or lease, were not held to qualify for allotment. Statistics of area abandoned in Western Pakistan, therefore, relate to area under " eligible " rights and leave out area under purely temporary rights held by displaced persons:

ANALYSIS OF AREA ABANDONED IN WESTERN PAKISTAN

(A) In Ordinary Acres

Class of land	West Punjab	Outside West Punjab		Total
Nehri-perennial	2231526	324318		2535844
Other nehri	867754	141918		1009672
Chahi & abi	733151	7891		741042
Barani	667282	30014		697296
Sailab	255394	5521		260915
Total cultivated	4755107	509662		5264769
Banjar	1059983	8265		1068248
Ghair mumkin	393277	2756		396033
Total uncultivated	1453260	11021		1464281
Total cultivated & uncultivated	6208367	520683		6729050
Urban area	29849	371		30220
(b) In Standard Acres
1. Area eligible for quasi-permanent allotment			3197120	511	3197631
2. Area eligible for temporary allotment			51764	281752	333516
3. Reservation for untraced claimants.			358940	..	358940
4. Reservation for differences, jamabandis and presumed rights			34847	10197	45044
5. Total			3642671	292460	3935131
6. Urban area			20716	256	20972

Distribution and Size of Holdings

32. The manner in which holdings of displaced persons were distributed in different grades was important for determining the proportion of area to be allotted to small and large holders. Classification of holdings in ordinary acres is misleading because an acre of land enjoying perennial canal irrigation represents a very different quality from an acre of dry land- Holdings were, therefore, classified. In terms of standard acres. The distribution of holdings abandoned by displaced persons reckoned in standard acres was as follows :—

Grade	No. of claimants	Area Claimed	Percentage of claimants	Area claimed
10 standard acres or less	3688387	856280	80.3	22.2
More than 10 standard acres but not more than 30	69590	1179727	14.3	29.9
More than 30 acres but not more than 40	9591	327930	1.98	8.3
More than 40 standard acres but not more than 60	7898	382207	1.63	9.7
More than 60 standard acres but not more than 100	4712	353722	.97	8.9
More than 100 standard acres but not more than l50	1712	209294	.35	5.3
More than 150 standard acres but not more than 200	680	116517	.14	2.9
More than 200 standard acres but not more than 250	326	72980	.06	1.85
More than 250 standard acres but not more than 500	459	155607	.09	3.95
More than 500 standard acres but not more than 1000	168	113779	.03	2.89
More than 1000 standard acres	87	167098	.01	4.24

Altogether 483,611 of the claimants whose land accounts were prepared held land which had any value at all in terms of standard acres; as many as 133,790 abandoned such tiny bits of lands or land which was uncultivated, so that in standard acres their accounts recorded nil entries.

Evacuee Area in East Punjab and Pepsu

33. The statistics of evacuee area in East Punjab and Pepsu are given in detail in the Statistical Appendix. The main figures are given below:

Evacuee area in East Punjab and Pepsu

(a) In Ordinary Acres

		EAST PUNJAB		PEPSU		TOTAL
		Cult.	Uncult.	Cult.	Uncult.	Cult.	Uncult.
1.	Area available for quasi-permanent allotment including urban area	3220638	741029	648450	125193	3869088	866222
2.	Area available for temporary allotment	46064	4420	12340	771	58404	5191
3.	Area not yet available for temporary allotment	139888	20466	53441	2916	193329	23382

(b) In Standard Acre

		EAST PUNJAB	PEPSU	TOTAL
1.	Area available for quasi-permanent allotment including urban area	20708845	437025	21145870
2.	Area available for temporary allotment.	30984	8544	39528
3.	Area not yet available for allotment.	8949	33628	123037

(c) Analysis of Area Available for Quasi-Permanent Allotment

(a) In Ordinary Acres

Class of land	EAST PUNJAB	PEPSU	TOTAL
Nehri-perennial	361373	72456	433829
Other nehri	250134	10483	260617
Chahi & abi	498758	132649	631407
Barani & Sailab	2110373	432862	2543235
Total cultivated	3220638	648450	3869088
Banjar jaded	60374	592	60966
Banjar qadim	380817	86906	467723
Ghair mumkin	299838	37695	337533
Total uncultivated	741029	125193	866222
Total cultivated and uncultivated	3961667	773643	4735310
(b) In Standard Acres
Urban area	13544	5729	19273
Deductions & reservations	21937	18000	39937
Net area available for quasi-permanent allotment	2035364	413466	2448830

Area under rights of a permanent character held by evacuees free of mortgage is considered to be available for quasi-permanent allotment Area belonging to non-evacuees but held in mortgage with possession by evacuees is reckoned to be available for temporary allotment. Area belonging to evacuees but held in mortgage with posses-sion by non-evacuees is not available for allotment until the mortgage is redeemed. Rights are thus classified from the aspect of allotment. The details of this classification are explained in Chapter VI. In studying the statistics of resettlement, the great disparity between the amount of irrigated land lost by displaced persons and that available for allotment to them should be noticed.

The Gap

34. The area available for quasi-permanent allotments represents, therefore, the final item to be compared with the area under eligible rights abandoned in Western Pakistan. Excluding land abandoned in urban areas, which falls outside the scope of quasi-permanent allotment, against 3,935,131 standard acres abandoned in Western Pakistan, 2,448,830 standard acres were available for quasi-permanent allotment. From the East Punjab and Pepsu figures 39,937 standard acres required for restoration to Muslims, extension of townships and certain other public purposes have to be excluded. In the final comparison there is a gap of 1,486.302 standard acres between area abandoned and area available for allotment. A scheme of land allotment has to be devised so as to meet this gap. It is in this context that the distribution of holdings of displaced persons in different grades, given in paragraph 31 gains special interest.

Alternative Policies

35. Three alternative courses could be considered for spreading the gap. The first course was to take the over-all proportion between area available and area abandoned, that is, 62 per cent, and to give every displaced person settled in East Punjab and Pepsu a holding equivalent in standard acres to 62 per cent. of the area abandoned by him. This proposal was considered and rejected as being harsh to the vast majority of displaced landholders and as being too greatly in favour of a microscopic minority who had large holdings in Western Pakistan. The second course was to fix a ceiling on the area in standard acres, which could be allotted to any displaced person. This would have borne harshly on a great many middle peasants who, by dint of their enterprise and skill, had built up progressive farms in West Punjab. The middle course was to evolve a scheme, which would give a marked preference to the smaller holders, would maintain the middle peasants and allow holdings not unreasonable in size to the larger holders. In particular, it was felt that the class of land-owners holding, say, between 10 and 40 or 50 standard acres, represented the heart of the Punjab peasantry, forward in outlook and methods, a source of rural leadership and yet part of the soil. Compared to this class many of the petty owners, whose holdings were in themselves uneconomic, were not dependent on agriculture alone and frequently they did not cultivate with their own hands. Because of the high proportions of displaced holders in the lowest group, in a scheme worked out on the slab system, it was found impossible to exempt holdings even below 10 standard acres from the cut.

36. The balance of considerations and the prevailing opinion, therefore. led to the following scheme of graded distribution :—

Grades	Rate of cut.	Net allotment at maximum of grade (standard acres).
Upto 10 standard acres	25 %	7 ½
More than 10 standard acres but not more than 30 standard acres	30 %	21 ½
More than 30 but not more than 40 standard acres	40 %	27 ½
More than 40 but not more than 60 standard acres	50 %	37 ½
More than 60 but not more than 100 standard acres	65 %	51 ½
More than 100 but not more than 150 standard acres	70 %	66 ½
More than 150 but not more than 200 standard acres	75 %	79
More than 200 but not more than 250 standard acres	80 %	89
More than 250 but not more than 500 standard acres	85 %	126 ½
More than 500 but not more than 1000 standard acres	90 %	176 ½
More than 1000 standard acres	95 %

The scheme of graded cuts is worked on the slab system, that is, the cut shown against each grade applies not to the total holding of an individual but only to the portion, which fails within a particular grade. The cut. it will be noticed, becomes particularly steep in the higher ranges. The ready reckoner given in Appendix VI shows at a glance bow much land is due to a displaced person abandoning a holding of a particular size.

Revision of Statistics

37. The scheme of land resettlement was based on the statistics summarised in the preceding paragraphs. In a large operation finality is difficult and, as work proceeds, some modification is inevitable. For instance, statistics of area abandoned are modified if any new claims are established. The net area required for allotment is affected by consolidation of the claims of an individual to land abandoned in different villages. As is explained in a later chapter, one of the difficult problems was to complete each individual's land account so as to include his land in different villages. Such linking up was a gradual process, not accomplished all at once. Its effect on individuals through the application of a higher rate of cut has a bearing on the figures of total net allotment required by displaced landholders. Similarly, when fields have to be allotted and complete revision of village lists of fields is undertaken, as explained in Chapter VI, statistics of evacuee area in East Punjab and Pepsu are slightly modified. Revised statistics of evacuee area in East Punjab and Pepsu are given in the Statistical Appendix.

Individual Accounts and Net Allotment

38. The preparation of the account of an individual's land and rights abandoned by him involves the following steps :

(1) Preparation of statements of different classes of land and rights held by him in different villages in Pakistan ;

(2) valuation of his holding in standard acres in each village;

(3) consolidation of his different village accounts into a single account; and

(4) determination of the net allotment due to him after application of the graded cut

These steps were taken in each case by means of a form known as the parcha ciaim. In it were recorded general particulars concerning a claimant's area of origin, temporary allotment, preferences etc., the area and rights stated in his claim, the area and rights as orally verified in the summer of 1948, the area and rights as shown in the jamabandis received from West Punjab, the area and rights as finally assessed by a claims officer after considering all the evidence, and the calculated value of each class of land and rights assessed in his favour. The net allotment was shown in a consolidated parcha claim, with which were attached separate parcha claims for different villages. The order of the Resettlement Officer allocating the claim to a village was also recorded in the parcha claim.

Allocation of Villages

39. Having determined the net allotment due to an individual claimant, the next step is to allocate the claim to specific village. In the last analysis, fairness in the allocation of villages is the test of a good resettlement operation. The scheme of allocation of areas in East Punjab and Pepsu amongst colonists and non-colonists of different districts directed each claim to a particular district. Within that district the first consideration was whether the person to be settled already held temporary allotment in that district. As a matter of general policy, the view was taken that persons already settled in villages should not be uprooted, provided they had not occupied land which was markedly superior or markedly inferior to the class of land which was markedly superior or markedly inferior to the class of land they had abandoned and they themselves wished to continue in their villages of temporary allotment. This was the middle course between two schools of thought. One of them urged settlement of each district, tahsil and village of West Punjab in a homogeneous manner reproducing the pattern of West Punjab. The possibility of villagewise settlement attracted wide attention and no doubt on prima facie grounds there was much in its favour. The other school pointed to the consequences of extensive displacement of the settled population, the serious loss to houses and wells in villages which had already occurred, the difficulties and expense of movement and other administrative considerations. The policy, which was adopted finally, was not without its disadvantages, but it was felt that it made possible the maximum consideration of the individual merits of each claim and of each claimant's wishes.

Through elaborate directions about sub-allocation of superior and inferior claims of each district of West Punjab to superior and inferior areas of each district of resettlement, and through rules by which all villages in West Punjab and all villages in East Punjab and Pepsu were placed in different grades, it was ensured that the right of a sitting allottee to remain, if he so wished, in his village of temporary allotment did not lead to injustice to others. In the villages of the first grade in East Punjab only claimants of the first grade could be settled. In villages of other grades, a sitting allottee was shifted only if he held land of more than one grade above or more than one grade below the grade to which he was entitled. In Pepsu the latter rule applies to villages of all grades, including those of the first, partly because settlement in the States was for a long time less attractive than settlement in East Punjab, and partly because the Pepsu Government desired as little dislocation of sitting allottees as possible. In villages In the neighbourhood of towns which were either suburban or carried additional value, both in East Punjab and Pepsu, sitting allottees whose land did not fall at least in the first grade were not given allotment.

Consolidation of Close Relations

40. The desire for villagewise allotment of land was at bottom a search for strength through social cohesion and community values. Although temporary allotment had not been unsystematic and in a large measure groups had gone and settled together, yet there was much in the nature of accident in the manner in which displaced persons migrated into East Punjab and Pepsu in the period September-December, 1947. The movements were planned from considerations of transport, security and immediate relief arrangements, not from the angle of resettlement. In the subsequent months much voluntary movement and schemes of dispersal from relief camps were based on the allocation of areas for settlement, which was announced at the end of 1947. Yet, there were many instances in which close relations were settled temporarily in different villages. In the superior villages in every 'district whatever area was available was generally taken up by sitting allottees qualified for allotment who wished to remain there. To meet the natural desire of close relations to get together, it was decided that such consolidation of relations should be carried out even if it became necessary in the process to dislodge some sitting allottees. Close relations were defined so as to include specifically parents and children, husband and wife, real brothers and real brothers' widows and minor sons (less than 18 years of age). Rules were made- for overcoming difficulties of grading with a view to bringing close relations together. These rules were in addition 'to the general directions whereby displaced persons from a West Punjab village who desired settlement with the people of their original village or who wished to move from their village of temporary allotment or who had not yet received any temporary allotment or who ho had under the schemes of allocation and sub-allocation to move in any event, could be settled on a villagewise basis within the district of resettlement.

41. Cases of claimants who were widows were dealt with under special rules. Their wishes for settlement either with their parents or with their in-laws were considered or frequently accepted. Where permission for settlement with any relation was given to a widow, provided the area did not exceed five standard acres, allotment could be made irrespective of the grade of village to which she was entitled.

42. As supplements to the general scheme and principles of allocation, there were special schemes for allotment in suburban areas, allotment of land carrying additional valuation (in the neighbourhood of towns), allotment in villages earmarked for defence and ex-defence personnel, allotment in villages earmarked for garden colonies and also for villages earmarked for the settlement of widows.

Allotment of Fields

43. When a number of claims are allocated to a village, the next stage is the demarcation of fields. Ordinarily, in the village this task takes a great deal of time and leads to disputes and corruption. The demarcation of fields was done at the headquarters of the Rehabilitation Department under a careful and detailed procedure. This procedure laid down for each village the manner in which different fields were to be graded, the proportions in which land of different grades was to be given to each person, and the order in which the allotment of fields was to be made. The methods evolved for the allotment of fields, although not free from criticism, have broadly stood the initial tests and ensured impartiality. They constitute a new chapter in the experience of revenue administration. The order of allotment issued to an individual contains not only his complete land account, but also details of fields allotted to him.

Subsequent Stages

44. The issue of allotment orders is followed by delivery of possession under the terms of the land resettlement legislation. New land records have to be prepared and instructions to this end are given in Chapter VIII. Procedure and machinery are provided also for the review and revision of allotments. Allotments may have to be reviewed either before possession has been delivered or subsequent to the delivery of possession. Applications for review after possession fall into four categories :

(A) Those which relate to the record, assessment and valuation of land and rights held in Pakistan by parties, including cases of disputes between parties ;

(B) Those pertaining to allocation of areas for the purpose of resettlement and allotment to villages ;

(C) Those which relate to allotment of fields within an allocated village ; and

(D) Applications for exchange.

Restoration of the Rural Economy

45. The completion of land allotment marks the end of a critical stage in the resettlement of the rural population. It paves the way to the administrative effort required for the restoration of the rural economy. The partition of the Punjab and the transfer of population to which it gave rise dislocated the economy of East Punjab and Pepsu in a number of ways. It denuded the countryside of a large proportion of its artisans and village servants, especially weavers, blacksmiths, potters, dyers and those who lived by the slaughter of animals and sale of their hides, skins and bones. In the second place, in a number of districts, the outgoing population, which had a high percentage of peasant workers and agricultural labourers, was replaced by a population a substantial proportion of which did not work on the land. These non-cultivators had their lands tilled mainly by Muslim tenants and had developed for themselves a kind of composite economy in which they engaged in small trade and money-lending in the service of Muslim peasants and landlords. Their own holdings were as a rule exceedingly small and served only an ancillary purpose. Whole villages consisting of non-cultivators are indeed a new phenomenon in the rural economy whose effects in terms of production will be felt for many years to come. These effects will be particularly marked' in riverain areas and in certain hilly and insecure tracts, where conditions of living and production are difficult except for those who, through long tradition and training, have become part of the environment itself. The new populations will have difficult problems of adaptation and a proportion at least of the settlers, unable to carry on the struggle, will be driven off the land.

46. The movement of population was accompanied by some destruction and loss of property, but even greater ravage was done in the subsequent period. There was vandalism enough on tlie part of local residents as well as displaced persons. Houses and wells suffered extensive damage. Sixteen months after tlie partition, 34 per cent of evacuee houses in East Punjab were beyond repair; 19 per cent were still fit for repair; and only 47 per cent were intact. With wells, nearly 26 per cent stood in need of new well-gear; 12 per cent needed repair of masonry as well as new well-gear; and 62 per cent were in working order. To heal these scars, to provide for milch-cattle and bullocks to thousands of families now being reestablished in new surroundings, to replace tlie ordinary agricultural capital now seriously depleted, and to fill the gaps in the rural economy are, therefore, the essential tasks if the newly settled population are to be on their feet again, able to move forward with their own skill and enterprise to a better future.

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