( 87A ) 



revenue to their estates. The main reasons given by the land- 

 holders for their objection to the proposal are as follows : 



(1) Want of ready mm\ey. It is a well-known fact that the 



landholders of these precarious tracts are not in a 

 sound financial position, even the larger zamindars, 

 such as the Raja of Gfursarai, being involved in debt, 

 and it would seem obvious, therefore that any scheme 

 which does not bring in an immediate return is 

 impracticable But no such objection can be urged 

 against such a scheme as that which has been proposed 

 for the zamindars in the Etawah district in which 

 Government has agreed to assume the entire financial 

 responsibility. 



(2) Disbelief in the financial success of the scheme. There 



is nothing to show the landholders that the scheme 

 is likely to be a success, as financial forecasts convey 

 nothing to them and no such scheme has hitherto 

 been attempted on a large scale. It is only when 

 they can actually see the improvement effected on 

 some ravines in their own neighbourhood that they 

 will begin to believe in the possibilities of the scheme. 

 This objection also may be met with the reply that, 

 even if proved a financial failure, a scheme such as is 

 proposed for the Etawah division would not involve 

 the zamindats in any loss. 



(8) Want of labour. In many of these tracts labour is . 

 undoubtedly scarce and it is perhaps, only natural 

 that the landholders should object to any scheme 

 which is likely to take the labourers from the fields, 

 more especially as it is a fact that the work of affores- 

 tation does require more labour just at the time when 

 agricultural operations also require it, that is at the 

 beginning of and immediately after the rains. On 

 the other hand, it should be remembered that reclama- 

 tion will provide work for labourers throughout the 

 year, and is likely therefore to check the emigration 

 of villagers to the cities and to the canal irrigated 

 tracts. 



(4) The fear of decrease of cultivation. This would at first 

 appear to be a somewhat anomalous objection to raise 

 against a scheme which aims at the prevention of loss 

 of cultivated area. In these tracts, more especially 

 in Bundelkhand, a portion of the land is cultivated 

 by tenants who live in neighbouring villages, where 

 13 



