Relief
Having been criticized for the badly bungled relief effort during the Orissa famine of 1866, British authorities began to discuss famine policy soon afterwards, and, in early 1868, Sir William Muir, Lieutenant-Governor of Agra Province, issued a famous order stating that:
"every District officer would be held personally responsible that no deaths occurred from starvation which could have been avoided by any exertion or arrangement on his part or that of his subordinates."
The Government of British India organized famine relief works in the British territory of Ajmer and in neighboring Agra Province of British India. In Ajmer, Rs. 49 lakhs were spent in the relief effort, Rs. 5 lakh in revenue remission, and Rs. 21 lakhs in a new scheme for agricultural credit. In Agra, another Rs. 30 lakhs were spent in relieving 29 million units (i.e. one person for one day). The princely states of Rajputana, however, provided very little relief: only Udaipur State spent Rs. 5 lakhs. Consequently, the immigration from the princely states into British India in the later stages of the famine began to overwhelm British efforts, and, in spite of Sir William Muir's newly defined responsibility for each district officer, the resulting mortality was great. It is thought that over 1.5 million people died all over Rajputana during the famine.
Read more about this topic: Rajputana Famine Of 1869
Famous quotes containing the word relief:
“Men always sell strawberries, women, blackberries, your all- knowing Creole friend says. ‘Why?’ you ask. ‘Ah, it has always been that way.’ When you get to know Creoles better, you realize that the phrase ‘It has always been that way’ justifies everything.”
—For the City of New Orleans, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)
““Tall tales” were told of the sociability of the Texans, one even going so far as to picture a member of the Austin colony forcing a stranger at the point of a gun to visit him.”
—Administration in the State of Texa, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)
“That the townspeople might better see him, the President was persuaded to leave his carriage by the inducement that the ladies wished to get a look at him. ‘By Gad,’ he repied, ‘I’d like to see your ladies,’ and alighted.”
—For the State of New Hampshire, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)