§ SIR H. H. FOWLER (Wolverhampton, E.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for India what is the acreage of land in India paying land revenue; what was the amount payable in 1898 and in 1899; what was the extent of land under sugar cane in those years, and what was the amount of land revenue paid in respect of such land; and was there any difference in the rate of land revenue payable in Bengal.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR INDIA (Lord G. HAMILTON,) Middlesex, Ealing(1) The acreage in British India assessed to land revenue was, according to the latest returns—for the year 1896–97–307,000,000 acres. (2) The amount of land revenue payable in 1897–98—actual accounts—was Rx.25,684,000, and in 1898–99—revised estimate—Rx.27,679,000. These figures do not include the revenue credited to the Irrigation Department. The receipts of 1898–99 were swollen by the payments of revenue suspended during the famine year. (3) The area under sugar cane in British India during 1897–98 was 2,675,763 acres. I have not yet received the sugar area figures of 1898–99. The 439 returns do not give separately the amount paid in respect of this area, but the latest approximate estimate by the Government of India puts that amount—independent of irrigation returns—at 640,000 tens of rupees. (4) There is from year to year no material change in the amount or rate of the land revenue payable in the Province of Bengal, where most of the land is permanently settled.