§ MR. REES () Montgomery BoroughsTo ask the Secretary of State for India whether the agitation in the Punjaub against the existing revenue assessment is due in a great measure to the fact that the land has, to a great extent, passed into other hands than those of the actual cultivators; whether the new landlords, who have replaced the original cultivators, object to the payment of the share due to the Government; and whether, in view of criticisms of the Government in this behalf, proceeding from representatives of such landlords, he will resist proposals to reduce the assessment now collected from the landlords for expenditure upon the general public, including the expropriated agriculturists.
1583 (Answered by Mr. Secretary Motley.) I am not aware of an agitation in the Punjaub against the revenue assessment. As I stated in the Answer which I gave to a Question on the 16th July, the amount of the land tax was mentioned as a grievance in the case of the disturbances as Rawal Pindi only, in which district the assessments had been recently revised. I am not able to say how far the objections to the revised assessments in that district were confined to new purchasers of land. The Local Government will, as I have stated, deal considerately with any genuine instance of over-assessment which may come to light, whether the complainants are agriculturists or otherwise.