Memoir on Thar and

1852-53, together with the value and quantity of the larger items of merchandise crossing
the frontier, and the aggregate value of the less important ones, to show the total amount
of goods exported and imported in one year.
123. The Thurr contains a salt lake, capable of exporting large quantities of self-produced
salt of good quality. In 1844-45, 21,074 Indian maunds of this article were exported from
the Mokye Salt Lake, such being its name; while in the following season, up to the date
of its being closed, i. e. from 1st May 1845 to 16th March 1846, 60,928 Indian maunds
were exported. The duty levied on it, however, was trifling, being at the rate of Rs. 25¾
per 100 bullock loads, or about two annas per Indian maund. Subsequently, the
Marwarrees, who were the exporters, offered to pay one Ukosy Rupee per bullock load,
or about seven annas per Indian maund, if allowed to export it. Their offer was refused,
on the grounds that the export of salt from the Thurr, at such a small rate of duty, would
interfere with the general revenue derived from the salt monopoly.
124. There is no doubt that the revenue derivable from the Mokye Salt Lake, if worked at
the rate proposed by the Marwarrees, would be considerable * , even allowing for a greatly
decreased export, as compared with 1845-46, above alluded to, consequent on the
increased duty. Under these circumstances, as it suits our policy to prohibit the working
of the Mokye Salt Lakewith the vie wof protecting the general revenue derived from the
monopoly of that article, it would appear but fair to give the Thurr and Parkur
Collectorate credit for an amount of revenue that it is capable of yielding, but which we
keep in abeyance.
125. The Commissioner in Sind, in a report to
Government noted m the margin, makes the
following observations on this subject:—
Report of Thurr and Parkur, to the Right
Honorable the Governor, No. 48C. of
1856, dated 21 st January
“From the enquiries I have made on the spot, I am convinced that Colonel
Roberts and Lieutenant Raikes are right in supposing that the Mokye salt might
be allowed export at a reduced scale of excise, so graduated as not in any way to
interfere with the salt of our own pans at Patree or Joonjawarra, and that a
considerable revenue might thus be realized. The only parties really benefitted by
* Consequent on the salt monopoly, it is difficult to ascertain what value should be attached to the Mokye Salt Lake as
a source capable of yielding revenue; whence the cause of its being spoken of as “considerable.” The monopoly gives a
fictitious value to the article in this as in all similar cases; and it may therefore be argued that only the amount of
revenue derived therefrom, supposing the monopoly to have ceased, and the salt of the Thurr to be brought into
unrestricted competition with the salt produced elsewhere, can be considered as the value of this source of revenue. On
the other hand, large quantities of salt were formerly exported from the Thurr, yielding a considerable revenue; now the
export is prohibited, with the view of protecting and increasing the demand at our other salt works. The increase
therefore of revenue, consequent on an increased demand, if there be any, should at any rate partially be attributed to
the closing of the Thurr salt lake, and a liberal credit allowed to the Thurr for having thus benefitted indirectly the
general revenue from the salt monopoly. If, however, there is not an increased demand at our salt works, consequent on
the closing of the Thurr salt, it becomes a question how far the working of the Thurr salt lake would affect our other
works. All that I wish to maintain is, that the closing of the Mokye Salt Lake either benefits the general revenue derived
from the salt monopoly, or it does not: in the former case, the Thurr and Parkur Collectorate appears entitled to credit
on this account; in the latter, the natural inference is that the working of the Thurr salt lake would not interfere with our
salt works generally, and go far to make up the deficit in the Thurr and Parkur revenue.
<strong>Memoir</strong> on the Thurr and Parkur Districts of Sind. Copyright © www.panhwar.com
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