288.Poverty as ground of dismissal. As regards the sequin, the collection of the dues of the State cannot safely be entrusted to a man who is himself insolvent. If a headman has mortgaged his own holding, and has ceased to be the person from whom its revenue is due to govt. he ought to be dismissed unless he can make arrangement to pay off with a short time the whole mortgage debt or so much it as will suffice to release so much of the holding as will be sufficient security of the govt. revenue which passes through his hands. In such a case the headman may be allowed a reasonable period within which to recover himself if meanwhile he can furnish security of the payment of the revenue and the discharge of his other duties. But make shift arrangements of this kind should not be continued for any length of time. A headman, who is defaulter in respect of his own holding, ought not to be kept in office. The mere fact, however, that one or other of the minor processes referred to in paragraphs 520 and 521 of this manual has been employed against his need not necessarily in tail dismissal. If the estate or sub division of the estate which the headman represents has had to be attached on account of areas, the deputy commissioner may dismiss the lambardar and the same course may be followed of the attachment is made by an other of any court of law proof that a headman is heavily in debt or that the amount of unencumbered land remaining in his possession is very small at once raised the question of his fitness to retained office. In these cases much depends on the cause of the mans difficulties and the likely hood of his being able to surmount them. If the revenue is paid in punctually, no readiness should be shown the harass a headman and gratify his rivals by fishing enquiries into his private affairs. The practice which have prevailed in some places of encouraging patwari’s to report cases of indebtedness is very objectionable. No tahsidar who exercises proper control over the land revenue collection, and who moves freely among the people, has any need of such written a reports , and the acceptance of then puts the patwari in a position with reference to headmen which he has no right to occupy.
289.Punishment for neglect of duty. Neglect of the duty which is either gross or persistent, should be followed removal from office, minor breaches or rules or acts of negligence nay be punished-
(a) by the forfeiture of the whole or part of the pachotra; or
(b) by suspension from office for a term not exceeding a year.
Orders attaching the pachotra usually only relate to that due at the next harvests, and in no case should the Peachtree of more than two harvests be declared forefeet. A substitute may be appointed to do the work of a headman under suspension.
290.Commission of criminal offences as ground of dismissal - Considering that one of the chief if a headman is to aid in the prevention and detection of crime, he ought to be removed from office if convicted of any serious offence. If he is sent to jail for a year or more, the deputy commissioner has no choice be must dismiss him; otherwise he has a discretion. Every petty breach of the criminal law need not be magnified into a ground for dismissal. The conditions of life in a Punjab village are such that a man is very liable to be hauled before a magistrate for acts, or alleged acts, which are offences under the Indian penal code, but which it is an abuse of language to quality as crimes. The only rule that can be laid down is that , if the facts proved against a headman indicate that he is unfit jot be entrusted worth the duties of his post, he should cease to hold it. If he is shown to be dishonest, or to consort with bad characters, obviously he should be dismissed. A conviction of theft or cheating proves him unfit to face charge of public money; and order to give security to be of good behavior or trustworthy evidence of convidenance with relied on for help in suppressing crime or in enforcing the excise laws.
291.Filling up of vacant posts - Where the office of headman become vacant. It is the duty of the tahsildar to report without delay regarding the appointment of a successor. It is convenient to use a tabular form for such reports as information on certain points is required in every case, and any special features of a particular case can be noted in the brief remarks explaining the recommendation of the tahsildar.
323-A. Appointment to vacant posts should not be delayed - In view of the importance of the duties performed by village headman, it is imperative that when a post falls vacant, it should be filled as quickly as possible. In cases where the decease’s is to be succeeded by his heir, under land revenue rule 17(ii), and no other candidate is forthcoming, no reference need be made to the collector as the appointment is sanctioned by the assistant collector, 1st grade. It is advisable, however, that the sanad of appointment should be signed by the collector himself as this emphasizes the importance of the post and enhances the value of the sanad.
In cases of disputed succession, the appointment is made by the collector and subordinate officail have no direct responsibilty with regard to the appointment other than the provision of such accurate information as will enable are chiefly or wholly owned by government and hereditary claims carry but little weight, the emoluments of lambardar are very considerable because of the large sums of land revenue and water-rates to be collected. The value of these posts os still further enhanced in peasant chakd by the allotment of a lambardari square or half-square, it is therefore all the more desirabble that such cases should not be delayed than of two months be permitted to occur between the occurrence of the vacancy and the placing of all the papers before the collector for his decision. The practice of subordinate officials sending repeatedly for all candidates, to examine them with regard to their claims and qualification, opens the door to opportunities of patwari to the tahsidar. An early date should then be fixed by the tahsidar or naib-tahsildaron which he will consider and investigate all the applications for the vacant post. He should, if possible, arrange to hold the investigation in or near the estate concerned. The claimants should be given an other claimants. A report should be called for from the local police station as in no circumstances should the candidates be called upon to attend the police station for the investigation for other claims or other objections to other claimants, the papers should record his opinion in the file from his own personal knowledge and from the material already collected. He should not delay the case by sending for the claimants. The papers should be then be laid before the collector should fix a date for the decision of the case, notify all the claimants and have the date proclaimed in the estate concerned. Meanwhile, he should forward the papers to the superintendent of police for and expression of that officer’s opinion. That opinion should be given by the superintendent of police from the material already collected on the file, and from his personal knowledge of the claimants.
In the case of succession to lambardari in an estate or sub-division of an estate owned chiefly or altogether by government to which land revenue rules 17(1) as amended by correction slip no. 44 dated 4th December, 1937 applies, a period of 3 months should be allowed within which papers should be placed before the collector for his decision.
292.Hereditary claims. Expert in estates chiefly or wholly owned by government, much weight is attached to hereditary claims. The eldest fit son of the late labmardar should ordinarily be appointed, and, when there is no son, the nearest collateral relation, according to the rule of primogeniture. Where there are no near collates, the necessity of regarding hereditary claims disappears.(land revenue rule17 ii a). the nearest heir may of course be set aside for any reason which would justify his removal from office if the were a headman(land revenue rule 17 ii c) whether the claims of sons should be considered where a headman had been dismissed depends on circumstances. If he ground of dismissal has been insolvency, the son will be subject to the same disqualification; if is innocent of any share in his father’s misdeeds, he will generally be under his influence. If the other reasons for excluding him seem insufficient, the mere fact that he owns no land during his father’s lifetime does not bar his appointment. The property which he will inherit on his father’s death may be taken into account as if it was already his own (land revenue rule 17 ii b)
293.Votes must not be taken. Even where hereditary claims have to be set aside, the votes of the landowners must not be taken as a mans of deciding between rival candidates. (land revenue rule 17 iv)
294.Appointment of females. Females are ordinarily ineligible. But a woman who is sole owner of an estate may be appointed and special reasons nay occasionally exist in other cases for departing from the general rule. ( land revenue rule 17 ii d)
295.Appointment when hereditary claims are set aside. Where hereditary claims do not exist, or have to be set aside, the considerations governing appointments are those mentioned in paragraph 312 (land revenue rule 17 iii)
296.Claims of transferees. Where a headman is removed because his own holding of the whole estate or sub-division of the estate for whose revenue he is responsible has no account of arrears been transferred to a solvent co-sharer, put under direct management , or leased that a farmer, the transferee, manager or farmer may, if the deputy commissioner thinks fit be appointed lambardar (land revenue rule 19 1) where a headman loses office because he has mortgaged his holding, the mortgage has usually no claim whatever to succeed him. But he may at the deputy commissioner’s discretion, be allowed to do so where the revenue of the transferred holding so more than half of the whole revenue for the payment of which the late headman was, as such, responsible (land revenue rule 19 ii) the appointment refereed to in this paragraph are not in their nature permanent. When the temporary alienation’s from which they spring come to an end, the transferee, manager, farmer or mortgage must lay down his office. A fresh selection is then made by the deputy commissioner, having regard to the regards stated in paragraph 312.
297.Reduction in headmen when number is excessive difficult. Reference has already been made to the inconvenience by the needless multification of headmen’s posts at the first regular settlements. Substantial men as heads of villages are among the most necessary instructions of a vigorous revenue and criminal administration. The framing of a general scheme of reduction requires a large amount of local knowledge, and a patient enquiry into the history of past appointments in every estate affected. The files relating to the arrangements made at the first regular settlement and those dealing with subsequent appointment must be scrutinized, and the enquirer must obtain a clear idea if the constitution of each estate and must trace the origin of its sub-division by examining the village administration paper( wajib-ul-arz)(see paragraph 295-96 of the settlement menual) and genealogical tree (shajra-nasab)( see appendix viii to the settlement manual). The time for making such an enquiry is hard to find in the throng or daily duties which he requires can be collected and put into shape for him by his officers, but, even so, the task is a heavy one.
298.General schemes of reduction -(1) when a district is brought under re-settlement and the settlement officer finds that a reduction in the existing number of headman is required in the interests of good administration in a considerable number of village throughout the district or in any particular tahsils, he should in consultation with the deputy commissioner; prepare a scheme for effecting the necessary reductions gradually as vacancies occur.
(1) the main positive ground for reduction of a lambardari in an estate is that the existing number of lamberdar is excessive for the purposes of administrative efficiency, while the existence and degree of this excess will generally appear from the fact that the panchora of the post which it is proposed to reduce is insignificant as a remuneration for the duties to be discharged. It is difficult to lay down a standard figure for the whole province as much must depend on local conditions, but any individual pachotra less than Rs. 20 per annum may as a rule, and in the absence of special circumstances, such as the insignificant. The commissioner should prescribe a suitable general standard for each district in his division and in some cases it may be advisable to fix such standards for particular tahsils. It is not, however, by any means intended that every lambardari of which the pachotra os below the prescribed amount should necessarily be proposed for reduction apart from the other modifying considerations, of which some are noticed below .on the other hand, where the pachotra the amount received in respect of canal occupier’s rates(paragraph 308) should be neglected.
(2) In determining what appointment should be retained and what abolished special attention should be paid to the composition of the village proprietary body, to the circumstances under which existing appointment became vested in certain families and to the present position and influence of these families. No proposal for reduction can be fully satisfactory unless it takes sufficient account of the origin and history of the lambardari which is proposed for reduction. For instance, it is generally desirable to reduce the lambardari held by the junior branch of a family, rather than that held by the senior, and, in order that secure this, it may be advisable to forego an otherwise suitable occasion for reduction and defer the latter step until the occurrence of a more appropriate vacancy.
(3) In estates homogeneous as regards casts and tribes, reductions may properly be made more freely than in those where there is considerable diversity in these respects.
(4) Reduction is not generally advisable where its effect will be to place any considerable number of proprietors of one religion, tribe or caste under a lambardar of another patti or sub-division of a different religion etc.
(5) As a rule, it is better if the conditions permit to reduce the post of second lambardar of one tariff, patti, or other sub-division of an estate, rather than that of the sole lambardar of another taraf, etc.
(6) The proposals of the settlement officer and the deputy commissioner should be embodied in a register in the form prescribed in paragraph 5 of standing order no. 20 village headmen. They should not be announced to the villages, nor will they be submitted to higher authority for sanction. But, if there is any difference of opinion between the settlement officer and the deputy commissioner, the register, together with any connected papers relating to any lambardari about which there is such disagreement shall be forwarded to the commissioner, who will decide whether such lambardari shall or shall not be retained in the register. The register will then be made over to the deputy commissioner, with whom it will remain.
(7) Whenever a vacancy occurs in a lambardari which has been recommended for reduction in the register prepared at settlement, the deputy commissioner will, subject to what is subject to what is said in the next sentence, send up the case to the commissioner, with an extract from the register and other papers required by standing order no. 20 in the case of causal proposals, whether he agrees with the recommendation made in the register or not, but he should not, save in very exceptional cases, send up cases in which the settlement officer’s proposal would result in either the total number of lambardars in the village being reduced to one or in the passing over of an heir in the direct line, especially a minor. In the above contingencies the financial commissioner will not generally sanction a reduction. In other cases if the deputy commissioner thinks that effect should not be given to a reduction proposal in the scheme, in the special circumstances of the vacancy which considers that the occasion is not appropriate for reduction, the case may be disposed of by his order, but in the cases in which he considers that reduction should be made a reference should be made to the financial commissioner and the procedure prescribed in paragraph 332(3),(4) and (6) below will be applicable to them.
(8) A similar scheme may, at any time, for sufficient reason, be prepared by the deputy commissioner of a district not under settlement with the financial commissioner’s previous approval.
(9) To ensure that the recommendations made in a scheme prepared by a settlement officer or deputy commissioner are not over-looked, deputy commissioners of districts in which a register has been prepared should require ahlmad in charge of lambardari cases to note on all files of appointment to a vacant lambardari whether the vacant post has been recommended for reduction or not.
299. Canalled.
300.Causal proposal for reduction.
(1) Causal proposals for the reduction in the number of headman in an estate should be made by transmission of the files in original through the vernacular office, together with an English abstract in the tabular form given in paragraph 6 of financial commissioner’s standing order no.20 and a skeleton abstract of the shajra-nasib, showing the origin of each of the pattis or tarafs of the village, the revenue paid and the number of revenue payers in eaxh, and the relationship of the sun division of the village, the lambardaro of which it is proposed to reduce, to the sub-division in which it is propoesed to be absorbed as regards lambardari arrangements.
(2) the mere absence of a properly qualified hereditary successor to a vacant lambardari, through it may help to render the vacancy a suitable occasion for a reduction desirable on other grounds, is not alone and of itself an adequate ground for reduction. Much should reduction be proposed solely as a penalty for delinquencies measures are available. The principles laid down in paragraph 330 should also be followed in making causal proposals for reduction.
(3)when a collector decides to propose a causal reduction, he shall intimate that fact to all the parties interested, viz; these whose names are entered in columns 5 and 6 of the form, and shall give them sufficient opportunity to bring to his notice any objection of them may think fit to urge against the proposed reduction. He shall cause his proceedings in this connection to be recorded in the vernacular files in detail, and shall also cause a detailed record to be made of such objections as are made to him. Where the collector is not himself the deputy commissioner f the district, he shall forward the file to the deputy commissioner, who shall return it with his opinion.
(1) The collector, after completing his proceedings, shall, in a case of which he considers reduction desirable, forward the papers prescribed above to the commissioners for orders.
(2) If the commissioners is of opinion that a reduction is not appropriate, he shall record his order on the papers and return them to the collector.
(3) In other cases the commissioner shall ordinarily retain the papers on his file till the expiry of two months from the date of the collector’s proposals; and, if any person has objected to the proposals, he shall give the objector or objectors an opportunity of being heard, and shall record the objections urged by them. He shall then complete the papers by recording an opinion in which he shall deal with the objections made to the proposal, and shall forward the papers to the financial commissioner for orders.
301.Chief headmen. A device which was formerly adopted in order to lessen the inconvenience caused by the excessive number of lambardars appointed at the first regular settlement was the institution of the office of chief headmen(ala lambardar) in estates with several headmen. It is generally admitted that the office of chief headmen has served no useful end, and, later a large number of ala lamberdari posts were reduced. In 1909 the gradual abolition of the ala lambardari system in the districts in which it still obtains was orders. In future, vacancies will not be filled, and the ala lambardiari of any man who is dismissed or is granted a zaildari or other inam will be resumed. All existing ala lambardiari will enjoy their present emoluments for life unless they become resembles as above. In addition to this ordinary pachotra on the revenue of the sub-division which he represents as headmen. The ala lambardar receives one percent, on the revenue of the whole estate (land revenue rule 24) orders to be carried out by a headmen may, if thought desirable, be addressed to the chief headman, and the latter is responsible that any orders issued are properly executed, and should carry them out himself if the headman responsible fails to do so.
302.Zaildars. As already remarked. Zaildars represent the chaudhris of former times. The existence and value of chaudhris was recognized at the time of the annexation of the Punjab. But the measures taken to maintain the influence of men of this class were not sufficiently definite and practical, and the position of chaudhri fell into decay. The credit of revising it and of belongs mainly to Mr. Prinsep. Almost everywhere in the Punjab, and even shoulders above the ordinary headmen, and whose influence extends not to one, but to a number of villages. If the proper men are found, and the higher officials of the district know them well and use them wisely, the work of administration is greatly assisted. In his zaildars the deputy commissioner has a ready means of getting into touch with his people, of understanding revenue and administrative work in which he can utilixw the services of the zaildars, and, above all, he has in them a powerful engine for the prevention and detection of crime.
303.Formation of Zails. In the closing paragraphs of the settlement manual the measures connected with the first introduction of the zaildari agency into a district and the principles to be followed in grouping estates into jails are described.
304.Duties of zaildars. The duties of zaildars are set forth under seven heads on the sanads (see financial commissioner’s standing order no. 21, paragraph 15, and rand revenue rule 9) which they receive on appointment. Their functions with regard to crime are within their larger spheres similar to those of headmen within their villages. They are of very great importance, but this is not the place to describe them. Like lambardars, they are bound to aid in all sorts of revenue work, and to report when geovernment buildings, roads or boundary marks are out of repair. when called to do so they notify throughput their zails all govt. orders, and use their personal influence to secure prompt compliance with them. While abstaining from personal interference with the work of lambardars and patwaris, it is their duty to see that they perform ir properly, and to inform the authorities of any failure to do so. Forbidden to intermeddle of their own motion with cases pending in the law courts, they can sometimes be employed with advantage as conciliators, or in making preliminary enquiries into criminal complaints, which appeared to be probably the exaggerated reflections of petty village or family quarrels. It is incumbent on zaildars “ to see that the headmen ….. of the zail perform their duties properly (see land revenue rule 9 ii) including of course the duty of paying in land revenue promptly. But a discreet use should be made of the rule, and zaildars ought not to be employed as if they were peons. More especially they should neither be ordered themselves to collect any sums due to govt. nor permitted to take land revenue collected by lambardars to the tahsil.
305.Duty of attendance on officers visiting their zails. They must attend on govt. officers who pass through their zails, this is a duty which is usually cheerfully performed, and which should always be enforced. A deputy commissioner ‘s should try to see all his zaildars at least once a year in or near their zails, and should encourage them to visit him from time to time at headquarters. If they find that the district officer talks freely to them on matters of local interest, and encourages a frank expression of their views, they are sure to value these opportunities of meeting him.
306.Percentage of land revenue allotted for remuneration of zaildars an inamaders. For the remuneration of zaildars a sum os set aside out of the land revenue amounting usually to 1 percent. If inamdars, as well as zailsars, are appointed an additional ¼ per cent is allowed. This deduction is made from assigned, as well as from khalsa, revenue. In the case of assigned revenue, the higher contribution that can legally be taken is 1 ½ per cent. But the usual rate s 1 ¼ per cent as noted above, and more than ¼ per cent should not be devoted to the remuneration of inamdars. ( section 28 (2) of act xvii of 1887. Land revenue rules 3 and 11 financial commissioner’s standing order no. 21)
307.Methods of remuneration. There are two ways of treating the sum devoted to thepayment of zaildars. Each zaildars may receive 1 per cent of the land revenue of his own circle in the form of an inam paid out of the jama of some particular estate, generally that in which he himself is headman. Thus, if the zaildar is assessed at Rs. 24900 the inam will be Rs. 249, and the zaildar will keep back that sum when the revenue of his village os paid to govt. a better paln is to have inams arranged in different grades, the total being equal to 1 per cent, of the land revenue of the tahsil or district. (land revenue rule 12)
308.Advantages of grade system. The grade system gives the officer who fixes the limits of zails a much free hand. It secures a fairer distribution when zaildars are first appointed for it by no means follows that the zails which yields the biggest revenue is either the largest in area or the most troublesome to manage. Above all it enables the deputy commissioner to recognize good work by promoting deserving men on the occurrence of vacancies and now and then to punish slackness by reducing a zaildar appointed to fill a vacancy should always be put in the lowest grade. Even where the plan of graded inams is in force, the zaildar gets his pay in the shape of an inam out of the revenue of some village. The reason is that to indian minds this seems a more honorable form of payment then the receipt of many from the tahsil treasury.
309.Inam first charge on revenue of village from which payable. The zaildar’s inam is a first charge in the revenue of the estate from which it is paid. Partial sustentions or remissions therefore do not affect the zaildar so long as the balance is large enough to cover his inam. If it is not, the deficiency should be made up to the zaildar from the revenue of some other village. ( Punjab govt. no. 222 dated 11th November 1903-revenue proceeding no. 6 of November 1903)
310.Zaildar must as a rule be headman. In choosing a zaildar, the field of selection is usually confined to the headmen. Occasionally, the most able and influential man in a zail may be a landowner or government tenant, perhaps a jagirdar or pensioned Indian officer, who is not lambardar. On a vacancy occurring, such a man may be appointed if the commissioner of the division has previously accepted him as a suitable candidate(land revenue rule 4) care must be taken in putting forward names that a pushing newcomer is not taken at his own valuation, and allowed to thrust aside deserving men of the old chaudhri class.
311.Qualification of candidates. It is true that it is a settloed rule that “ in the appointment of zaildar regard shall not be had to any alleged hereditary claim” but, as two of the chief matters to considered are “ the candidate’s personal influence and the degree in which he is by race or otherwise fitted to represent the majority of the agriculturists who resale in the zail” and the “ services rendered to the state by himself or by his family,” it is obvious that questions of descent cannot be wholly excluded, influence is very commonly hereditary in certain families, and a man who has done nothing to forfeit the respect in which his ancestors have been held in the countryside may assuredily be allowed to urge in his own behalf the services they have rendered in the past as chaudhris and zaildars. The other points for consideration are-
(a) personal character and ability.
(b) Extent of property in the zail, and freedom from debt.( land revenue rule 5)
312.Appointment of minor. It sometimes happens that the only suitable candidate is a minor. It may be found, especially in the hills, that to take the zaildar from any family but one involves a breaking up of old ties and a weakening of the means government has of influencing the people. In such a case, if the representative of the family is a minor, one of two course may be followed. The minor may be made zaildar, and a substitute nay be appointed to discharge during his nonage the duties of the office, or, if it is through expedient, the post may be left unfilled for a time.(land revenue rule 7)
313.Votes of headmen may be taken. To assist him in deciding between rival candidates, the deputy commissioner nay, if he thinks fit, have the votes of the headmen taken in his own presence at some place within the zail (financial commissioner’s standing order no. 21,paragraph 3.) this course, through not suited for general application, may be usually and appropriately adopted where there are two or more candidates of nearly equal marit. It may also be followed in other cases of a special nature the circumstances of which appear to demand it. Such cases will probably increase in number with the lapse of time. Care, however should be taken that the special procedure for taking votes is not so used as to encourage the idea that the post of zaildar is one dependent merely on popular fervor, and did not rather a distinction received from the representative of government, and in this connection it should be noted that the deputy commissioner is not bound to appoint the candidate who secures most votes.
314.Inamadars. In many districts ir has been throught expendient to supplement the zaildari agency by setting up a class of inamdars or safedposhes. The servies required of an inamdar are within his own sphere of the same type as typse remdered by a zaildar, but he receives a much smaller inam. And has no defined group of estates put under his charge. He should clearly understand that he is bound to assist in every possible way the zaildar in whose zail he resides. Occasionally services of a special kind are required by the condition on which the inam was originally granted. the or ders regarding appointment loss of office and succession are the same for inamdars and zaildars subject in the case of the former to any special conditions imposed by government when the inam was first granted. in jhelum district and in the talagang tahsil of attack district which tahsll was formerly a part of old jhelum district, special rules exist which will be found in the land revenue rules. Some of the inams are of a seemi-hereditary nature. Such inamdars, who sometimes are called ilaqadars of halkdarsw parform all the duties of zaildars”.
315.Punishment and dismissal of zaildars and inamdars and appointment of subsstitutes. The order regulating the punishment and dismissal of zaildars and inamdars,and the appointment of substitutes to perform their duties, are practically identical with the corresponding orders in the case of headmen. A zaildar must be deprived of office when-
(a) he ceases to be a landowner in the zail, or has mortgaged his holding and deliver possession to the mortgagee;
(b) His holding has been transferred, or its asseessment annulled, on account of failure to pay land revenue;
(c) He is sentenced to imprisonment for one year or upwards.3
316.Zail books. Wherever the zaildari agency exists, zail books `wherever the zaildari agency exists,zail books should be maintained. One volume should ordinarily be kept for each tahsil, and should contain in a pocket a map of the tahsil showing the zails concerned. The book should be of foolscap size, and a map of each zail should be bound into the objet in the proper place , together with statistical tables showing the information prescribed in the Financial Commissioner’ s Standing Order No. 21. Whenever a new zaildar is appointed, an abstract of the order passed by the candidates, and the reasons why the collector has selected or reheated them. The results of appeals should similarly be shown.
Zail books should be treated as strictly confidential and kept in the personal custody of the collector. copies of entries in the book should on account but given other to the persons concerned or to anyone else. It will thus be possible for the collector to record remarks in these books, expressing frankiy his own opinion about the zaildar and various matters connected with the zail. These remarks will be of the greatest use to his successors. Ordinarily, the collector should arrange to record a note once a year about each zaildar and inamdar so that the record may be kept up to date.
Are confidential official records although they are allowed to remain in the custody of zaildars in order that all authorized officers may be able to record notes in them. They are bit tge orioerty of the persons to whom they are given, and shoulsd be surrendered when thosee persons cease to hold the appointment for which the books has been granted to them. The book should contain a map of the zail and the statistical information required by financial commissioner’s Standing Order No.21. where an inamdar has beeb made spcially responsible for a portion of the zail, this should be noted in his book. An abstractt of the order of appointment of the zaildar of inamdar should be copied in to the book. The collector should insist on seeing all such books at least once a year, and should make a point of recording an entry at elast once a year in each book and should make a point of recording an entry at elasst once a year in each book and of seeing that the Superintendent of police has had a similar oportunity of recording his remarks. No entry should be made in the book by an officer below the rank of an Excise officers, Deputy superintendents of police, assistant registrars of Co-operative societies and Deputy Directors of Agriculture, and, in hhorse-breeding circles, district remount officers should be encouragedbciyraged to make entries in these books. Divisional and District inspectors of schools may also wrte their remarks when a zaildar presents his book for the purpose. They are not, however, empowered to call for these books or to insisst on the attendance of zaildars. A zaildar should do all that he can to co-operative witgh Educational inspectors in the development of schools. Divisional inspectors of panchayata may also record remards in these books’.
Since the book is not the property of the zaildar of inamdar it should be clearly explained to him that he should not paste nito it any sanads or certificates. He should by warned not to have copies made of remarks recorded in the book without the express permission of the Deputy commisseoner. He should also be strcty forbidden from showing the book ti any person other hen an officer authorized to record his opinion in it.
BOOK
III
Agricultural stateilstics and record of rights in land\
HARVEST
INSPECTIONS
317.Harvest inspections. It is one of the chief duties of a patwari spect the crops of each harvest field by field before they are cut. This inspection is known as the girdawari. It usually begins on 1st October for the kharif, and on 1st march, for the rabi, harvest, but the commissioner of the division can change these dates after consultating with the director of land records when the special circumstances of any district make others more suitable. When for any reason the ripening of the crop is later than usual the deputy commissioner may postpone the inspection for a period not exceeding fifteen days. A few crops, chiefly melons and tobacco, are sown very alte in the rabi season and are gathered some time.
After the other crops of that harvest are got in. in village where these extra Rabi crops are grown a separate inspection of them is made about the middle of April. In some districts a crop inspection intermediate between the kharif and the Arabi Girdawati has been found necessary.
318.Object of harvest inspections - The object of harvest inspections is to collect accurate information regarding-
(a) crops,
(b) changes in rights, rents and possession of land,
(c) amendments required iln the village map.
The first is indispensable for the assessment and collection of land revenue in a province where half the land is cultivated by the owners and the greater part of the remaining half by tenants paying rent kind; the second and third are aids to the maintenance of a true records of rights in the soil. Only such changes need be noted in the harvest inspection register as must under the rules be embodied in the record of rights. Others should be entered in the patwari’s diary.
319. Cancelled
320.Record of ailed crops essential. It is essential to distinguish betwwen crops which ripen and those which fail. The latter are classed as “ kharaba” the instruction regarding which as follows:-
“when crop is sown and dries up, or is destroyed by calamity, it should be returned as kharaba. Very careful attention must be given to partially failed crops, that is, crops if which the yield appears to be much below average. When the actual yield as a whole of the crop grown in one khasra number no. is estimated by careful inspection to be not more than 75 percent of the usual or average yield, then a deduction from the whole area of the crop should be made ; for example, an inferior filed of wheat, area 4 kanals, may be returned as, but this should only be done when the actual yield of the whole crop ils estimated to be not more than 75 per cent of the average, and the kharaba allowed should be only as much as is necessary to raise the shole crop of the area returned as under crop to the average of an ordinary harvest. The average yield is that adopted by the settlement officer at the prvious settlement for the assessment circle in which the village is included, unless some other yield has been specially perscribed in the dastur-ul-amal or else-where. The crops for which average yields are not fixed at settlement are generally unimportant. The revenue officials concerned should judge for themselves what yield should be regarded as separately in different portains of one shasra number the above procedure should be applied separately to each of such distinct crops. Deduction for kharaba made under this instruction should, unless some other special local scale has been prescribed by proper authority, be enteed as far as is reasonable practicable in accordance with the following scale taking 16 annas as the average yield of a crop:-
yield more than 12 annas no deduction
yield more than 8 annas but duduct ¼ of the sown area.
not more than 12 annas.
Yield more than 4 annas but
Not more than 8 annas deduct ½ of the sown area.
Yield not more than 4 annas deduct whole sown area.
Jowar which fails in the year should be entered not as “ jowar kharaba” but as ‘chari pukhata’ the same details should be given for failed crops as for matured crops.
321.Khababa in canal colonies. In the lands irrigated by the upper and lower chenab. Upper and lower jhelum and lower bari doab canals, and in lands under fluctuating assessment in some tracts which have recently been resetted, new rule for the record of kharaba have been introduced. Tables showing the ‘’standard’’yield of the croqs are prepared. A croq which reaches that standard is called a sixteeen-anna crop. Whether the standard is to represent an ‘’average ‘’ crop or a ‘’ good’’ crop can hardly be said to have been yet decided. When seed fails altogether to germinate or the crop is worse than a four-anna one, the whole area is returned as kharaba. When it is equal to, or better than a four-anna, but wores than an eight-anna crop half is entered as kharaba; no education is allowed when it is equal to or beter than, an eight anna crop.
322.Checking of kharaba. The entry of kharba is a matter which ra-quires both honesty and sound judgment on the part of the recorder, and this branch of the patwari’s work should be carefully tested by all supervs-ing officers. But where the record has been made with care and is generally sound, it is well to refrain from making petty alternations here an dthere which affect but slightly the main result. More than ordinarly care is of course required in tracts under fluctuating assessment, where the amoun to fthe demand at each harvest depends directly on the area of matured crop. There are specail rules as to the check to be exercised over the record of kharaba in such cases.
323.The khasra-girdawari. Entries respecting uncultivated soils. The harvest inspection book is known as the khasra girdwari; in this register and in the record of rights uncultivated land is classified as banjar jadid banjar kadim and ghair-mumkin. The exact meaning pf each of these terms is explained in the 267th paragraph of the settlement manual. Lan dwhich is not under crop. But which has not lain fallow long enough( e.g. for four harvests) to be described as banjar jadild, is called khali (empty)
324.Taradaddi. By a fefinement, which serves no very useful purposes, another class is recognised under the name of taradaddi, i.e. under tillage. This term is applied to a field which bears no crop ceonging to be harvest under inspection, but “has been ploghed for the next harvest, or is occupied by trees or plains, which will fruit in the coming harvest.” Examples are fields of cotton or cane in the rabi. Cane which is planted about march, and occupies the ground for ten or eleven months, is treated for statistical purposes as a kharif crop. Land is ploughed for cotton, another kharifstaple, in the cold weather, and, where irrigation is available, the sowings also often take palce before the rabi crops are cut. Orchars which fruit in spring are shown as taradaddi on the kharif.
325.Classification of crops and cultivated soils. The terms barani, sailab, abi, chani, nahro, by which cultivated fields, and the crops grown on them are distinguished are explianed in the 259th paragraph of the settlement manual. Where the moisture on which the crop depends is derived from a double source, two of these terms may have to be combined, e.g. chani-nahro, chahi-sailab.(see paragraph 442 and 451 of the settlement manual.) fields are classified according to their permanent characters and crops according to the actual facts of their cultivation in theharvest under insepction. For example, chahi fields are often put uner barani crops, and the converse sometimes happens(see paragraph 260 of the settlement manual)
326.Entries relating of wells. As it is important to have a record of wells at work and out of use a remark showing how the matter stands os entered against each field in which a well is suited. When a new well has been sunk the fact is noted.
327.Entries of owners and tenants. There are columns in the harvest insepction register in which to show the ownership and cultivating occupancy of every field. Changes should be noted with care. It is only through the khasra girdwari that alterations in tenancies-at-well find their way into the record of rights.
359(a). The patwari should intimate to the gram panchyat concerned, within 15 days of finishing the girdawari, the following changes of cultivating tenancy made by him in khasra girdawari so that the latter should inform the persons concerned about these changes :-
(1) when there is a change in cultivation from a tenant that the landlord;
(2) when there is an addition of a tenant to the existing tenant;
(3) where there are two or more than two tenants and the name of one or more tenants is removed from entry in the khasra gidwari.”
328.Changes In Fields. Where one filed has been divided into two, or the boundry of a field has from any cause undergone change, the patwari should make a rough measurement sufficient for the crop entries, and put a red cross opposite the filed number in the remarks column to remind him that a correction of the village map is required.
329.The crop abstract. When all the entries for a village finished. The toals for each frop must be made out and entered in the crop abstract of the estate before work is started in another village. The uses of this very important statement will be descrived in a later chapter(see chapter xvi of this manual paragraph 307 of the settlement manual and paragraph 7 of the financial commissioner’s standing order no. 22) a statement in the same form os the chief of the sateistical returns included in the village revenue register or note-book. As soon as the crop abstract has been checked and signed by the filed kanungo, the patwari copies the entries into the corresponding form in this reglister, and sends the original to the tahsil. Promotitude in filling these returns is a matter of prime necessity, if any question regarding the suspension of any part of the land revenue demand is likely to arise. The kharif statements should, if possible, all reach the tahsil by the 1st november, the rabi statements by the 1st of april, and the extra rabi stements by the 1st of june.