Section 33 in Rajasthan Tenancy (Government) Rules, 1955
33. Classification of fields and estimate of loss.
(1)It is impossible to base the relief given to cultivators on estimates of the damage caused to individual fields and no attempts should be made to do so. Estimates of damage must be made for classes of fields as a whole and not for individual fields. The classification of fields for this purpose must depend on the nature of calamity. It may be that the loss is uniform over the unirrigated fields and that the loss, if any, in the irrigated fields is also uniform, in which case it will be necessary only to make for each village an estimate of the loss on the irrigated fields as a whole and on the unirrigated fields as a whole. In other cases the loss may very according to the crop. If so, it will be necessary to mark for each village an estimate of the loss on each crop. It may also be necessary to distinguish not only between crops, but also between irrigated and unirrigated fields of the same crop. In other cases, such as hail or flood, a part only of a village may be damaged or different parts may be damaged to different extents. In such a case it will be necessary to mar off the damaged portion, or the portion damaged to varying extents, on the village map and to estimate the damage done in such portion or in each of such portions. It may be necessary in this case also to distinguish between the different crops in each of such portions. Definite orders must be passed by the Collector in the case of each village affected by the calamity as to the damaged suffered by each class into which he has ordered that the fields be divided. For this purpose if the area damaged is extensive, it will generally be advisable to group villages. It is essential that the system on which fields are to be classified for the purpose of determining the loss be laid down before any attempt is made to work out detailed calculations. Once the classes have been decided on by any authority, no lower authority has any power to very the estimate of loss as between fields of the same class.(2)In deciding on the classification to be adopted the Collector must remember that the estimates of loss can only be approximate and that too meticulous a classification defeats its own purpose as it delays the preparation of relief statements and causes harassment to the cultivators.(3)In framing his estimates of loss, the Collector should remember that the normal crop that is to say the crop which has suffered the normal amount of damage in a season which is not exceptionally good, is generally reported as being a 12 or 13 annas crop. It is only in years in which the crop has escaped any damage that the crop is reported as 16 innas. Such years are exceptional and not normal. The instructions however, assume that the normal crop, is a 16 annas crop, i.e. in the instructions loss means loss in excess of the normal loss. Unless care is taken this may lead to an over-estimate of the loss particularly in the case in which the damage is not very great.(4)Collectors cannot be too careful to guard against a general tendency that exists in the subordinate staff to over-estimate losses as a precaution against possible objections by cultivators. Government desire o impress upon Collectors the imperative need for a thorough and careful checking by the superior staff of estimates of losses with a view to prevent exaggerated estimates and consequent loss of Government revenue.
