[Extracts from the Report of the Indian Irrigation Commission, 1903.] 

 Fart I, Chap. VI, Pages 59-70. 



LOANS FOR AGRICULTURAL IMPROVEMENTS. 



182. TJie takavi system. Of all the methods by which Govern- 

 ment is able to stimulate and assist private irrigational improvements, 

 the most convenient and obvious is the system of State advances to the 

 cultivating and land-owning classes, known as takavi. We propose, 

 therefore, to consider briefly what use has been made of this system, 

 and how far such use is capable of extension and the system capable 

 of improvement. This system has existed in India from time 

 immemorial, and is now regulated by special laws, namely, the Land 

 Improvement Loans Act (19 of 1883) and the Agriculturists' Loans 

 Act (12 of 1884) for the whole of India, and by rules under these 

 Acts, framed ;for each province by the Local Governments, and 

 sanctioned by the Government of India. Under the former Act 

 money is advanced for specific purposes of land improvement, and 

 under the latter, for seed, cattle, and other miscellaneous agricultural 

 purposes. But the objects of the two Acts are closely connected, 

 for it will often be the case that in order to make efficient use of his 

 improvement the cultivator will find it necessary to provide himself 

 with cattle and manure, well-gearing and the like, if not with seed. 

 * * * # 



184. It will be seen that in this period (i.e. 10 years ending 

 1900-1), 625 lakhs of rupees have been advanced by Govern- 

 ment, 348 lakhs as agricultural loans, and 277 lakhs for the 

 specific purpose of land improvement. Of this latter sum, 202 

 lakhs are returned as having been advanced for wells and 

 irrigation, including in these categories, tanks, wells, temporary dams, 

 irrigation channels, and the like. The remaining 75 lakhs are 

 returned as having been advanced for other purposes. But out of 

 this sum a considerable amount has actually been expended on 

 irrigation. Thus, 10 lakhs at least have been given in the Punjab 

 for village water-courses in the Chenab and Jhelum colonies, and at 

 least 30 lakhs have been allotted in Bombay for field embankments 



and similar works. Out of the total advanced under the Land 







Improvement Loans Act, therefore, at least 242 lakhs, or about 



