Punjab.

Date:: 1908

Credit: Punjab. Source: Wellcome Collection.

379/486 (page 347)

$P3ach is under the Mushir-i-ala as ex officio president, and the Bahawalpur committee has one official vice-president, who also supervises the outlying municipalities. In 1903-4 the muni- cipalities had an income, chiefly derived from octroi, of Rs. 88,000, and an expenditure of Rs. 82,000. Octroi is levied on the principles in force in British territory. The Public Works department is under the control of the Public ]\lushlr-i-tam!rat, who has a seat on the council. The prin- cipal works that have been carried out by the department are the palace at Ahmadpur, and the palace at Bahawalpur, each of which cost 7 lakhs. A new palace at Bahawalpur is in course of construction, on which nearly a lakh had been spent up to the end of March, 1904.* The total expenditure on public works in 1903-4 was 2 lakhs. In 1888 the State organized a force of cavalry (two troops) Army, and 450 infantry as Impenal Service troops; but in 1900 this force was disbanded, and an Imperial Service Silladar Camel Transport Corps raised instead. This consists of 355 men and 1,144 camels. There is also an Imperial Service (Camel) Mounted Rifle Company, with 169 officers, non-commissioned officers, and men. The State further maintains the Nizam Infantry Regiment (492 strong), an orderly troop (103 strong), and an Imperial Service Reserve Company of 80 men. There are 13 serviceable guns. The military expenditure is about 2 lakhs annually. The police force in 1904-5 consisted of 539 officers and Police and men, including 47 camel-riders and 34 trackers, under Superintendent, controlled by the MushTr-i-ala. A training school was opened at Bahawalpur in 1904. Each tahsil is divided into several police circles {thdnas), under a deputy- inspector. There are in all 30 circles, with 15 outposts. The expenditure on police in 1903-4 was Rs. 56,000. The village watchmen number 873. There is a Central jail at Bahawalpur in charge of a Superintendent, who is under the Mushir-i-ala. It contains 17 wards, with accommodation for 2,000 prisoners. Female prisoners are kept in a separate ward, and life-prisoners in separate cells. The jail manufactures include darts, carpets, blankets, and paper. Bahawalpur stands thirty-first among the Districts and States Education, of the Punjab in regard to the literacy of the population, of whom 2-8 per cent. (5-1 males and o-i females) could read and write in 1901. Higher education is confined to Bahawalpur, the capital. The State contains a college, called the Sadik Egerton College, and a high school, both at Bahawalpur,$

Punjab.

Licence and re-use

Contents