( 68A ) 



33. With regard to the steps to be taken by Government in 

 the immediate future the following are the writers' recommenda- 

 tions : 



(1) In their opinion the first and most important step is the 



recruitment and training of a sufficient number of sub- 

 ordinate officers and they go so far as to say that, until 

 the staff has been thus strengthened, reclamation work 

 can be undertaken in no ravines other than those already 

 under the control of the Afforestation officers. 



(2) The writers recommend that Government should instruct 



District Officers to ascertain definitely the" willingness or 

 otherwise of the landholders in the blocks recommended 

 for reclamation in the appendix, (a) to reclaim and affor- 

 est their ravines at their own expense under the manage- 

 ment of Afforestation officers, (b) to hand over their land 

 for reclamation at the expense of Government on terms 

 similar to those proposed to the Btawab zamindars, 

 (c) to lease their land to Government, or (d) to sell their 

 land. If the zamindars are willing to adopt any of these 

 courses the writers recommend that definite arrangements 

 should be made so that when a Sufficient staff has been 

 trained the work of reclamation can begin without delay. 

 If there is any landholder with whom no settlement can 

 be effected, the writers think that, in view of the im- 

 portance of the objects to be attained, Government 

 should acquire the land. 



(3) The writers would like to recommend the immediate 



transfer of the forest reserves along the Dhaaan river to 

 the Afforestation division, because, situated as they are 

 at various points along, the river, they are particularly 

 well-adapted for demonstrating to the zamindars the 

 possibilities of raviue-reclamation, while in their present 

 state they constitute an excuse for zamindars for refrain- 

 ing from participation in any schemes on the ground that 

 Government is doing nothing to improve the land which 

 it already controls. But they are convinced that it is 

 not possible to manage these areas satisfactorily until the 

 establishment has been strengthened. They recommend 

 therefore that these blocks should be transferred as 

 soon as a sufficient staff of upper subordinates has been 

 trained. 



A. W. FREMANTLE. 



E. A.^COURTHOPE. 



