Page:White Paper on Indian States (1950).pdf/83



173. Judiciary.—The Judicial organisations existing in the States were in varying stages of development. Soon after the creation of the new Chief Commissioners' Provinces steps were taken ta reorganise the pre-existing judicial machinery. Courts of Judicial Commissioners presided over by competent judicial officers have now been established in all these areas.

Legislation.—The initial notifications under the Extra-Provincial Jurisdiction Act creating the Chief Commissioners' Provinces provided for the continuance of the pre-existing laws of the integrating States. Thereafter, until the coming into force of the Order under Section 290A of the Government of India Act, 1935, the Government of India issued necessary notifications repealing obsolete laws and applying the more important Central and Provincial laws.

Agrarian Reforms.—The problem of agrarian reforms needed urgent attention in Himachal Pradesh and Kutch. In Himachal Pradesh there existed a special class of tenants called "bethus" who were under an obligation to render personal service to the landowners in return for certain cultivating rights. Occupancy rights have now been conferred on all "bethus" who were in cultivatory possession of the land for three generations, on payment of rent equal to one and one fourth times the land revenue and cesses on the land. In Kutch more than one-half of the cultivable land did not pay revenue to the State and was in the hands of jagirdars and alienees. Steps have been taken to reorganise the Revenue Department in Kutch and to apply the necessary revenue laws. A Land Revenue Code, Tenancy laws and the laws designed to deal with alienated lands and jagirdars have been drafted and are being examined by the Government of India.

Communications.—Special attention was given by the Government of India to the improvement of communications in the newly created Chief Commissioners' Provinces. The problem was specially important in Himachal Pradesh and Tripura. The development of Himachal Pradesh depends entirely on the improvement of communications; steps have been taken to improve the existing roads and to construct new roads connecting the main centres in Himachal Pradesh with each other and with the rest of India. After partition, the people of Tripura had to depend on West Bengal and other parts of India for their essential civil supplies needs. Urgent steps are being taken to connect the area with the main communications system