Munshi Premchand wrote how regulation and taxation of the commonplace salt led to black market, illegal trade and corrupt officialdom. The opening paragraph of the famous story, नमक का दारोग़ा, read as follows:
जब नमक का नया विभाग बना और ईश्वरप्रदत्त वस्तु के व्यवहार करने का निषेध हो गया तो लोग चोरी-छिपे इसका व्यापार करने लगे। अनेक प्रकार के छल-प्रपंचों का सूत्रपात हुआ, कोई घूस से काम निकालता था, कोई चालाकी से। अधिकारियों के पौ-बारह थे। पटवारीगिरी का सर्वसम्मानित पद छोड-छोडकर लोग इस विभाग की बरकंदाजी करते थे। इसके दारोगा पद के लिए तो वकीलों का भी जी ललचाता था।
The salt satyagraha of was a turning point in the freedom struggle. The Mahatma, through his Dandi March in 1930, turned that folly of the British to his great advantage and mobilised a whole nation against foreign occupation. Non-violence protest and civil disobedience were defined for an oppressed nation and a timid mass of humanity, which found a powerful weapon to fight the mighty brutal Empire.
Do you know that this nation of timid masses still bears the cross of the Salt Inspector. The British are gone and salt tax was a not insignificant force in their ouster. Yet, cess on salt remains and its regulation is an important opportunity of discretionary use of power. A population, which threw out the largest power on earth for regulating salt still perpetuates the same tax and regulation!
Did you know that there is an All India Service called the "Indian Salt Service"? It is a Group B service, with officers posted all over, which rules the sea coasts of the nation.
The Website of the Salt Commissionerate defines some of its its function as follows:
1. Leasing of Central Government land for salt manufacture.
(How much land is owned by the Central Government, which it leases?)
2. Planning of production targets.
(Why should the government set production targets for salt? Are resources, like the sea-water, in short supply?
3. Arranging equitable distribution and monitoring the quality and price.
(Why can't the market forces do that? The government doesn't do that even for food grains.)
4. Promotion of technological development and training of personnel.
(Technology? Why does it require the government's intervention?)
5. Maintenance of standards and improvement in quality of salt.
(Really?)
6. Collection of Salt Cess, Assignment Fee, Ground Rent and other dues.
The website goes on to say:
"As per document available the salt department has been in existence prior to 1802 AD. Salt manufacturing activities were brought under licencing system by an Act containing stringent panel action .. .. The collection of salt revenue was originally vested in the Collectors of Districts; subsequently a separate Department under a Salt Commissioner on the recommendation of a commission appointed by the Government of India in 1876 was created."
Well, the Salt Commissioner, created in 1876, exists even today.
In the constitution of India, Salt is Central subject and appears as item No. 58 of the Union list of the 7th Schedule, which reads : (a) Manufacture, Supply and distribution of salt by Union agencies : and (b) Regulation and control of manufacture, supply and distribution of salt by other agencies. The Central Government is responsible for controlling all aspects of the Salt Industry through Salt Organisation.
The British Government finally abolished the "duty" on salt. And lo and behold, it imposed a "cess" on it on 1-4-47. This was subsequently ratified by the Government of Free India as Salt Cess Act, 1953.
Guess, what was the purpose of this cess. It was to meet the expenses of the salt organisation, the very organisation, which should not have existed in the first place!
Through several legislations, reports of committees and commissions, in the year 1996 the Government of India decided to de license the salt industry. But, the Salt Commissioner exists along with his sub-offices and an army of salt officials recruited in the "Indian Salt Service".
Amongst other things, the Salt Commissioner certifies if the salt being transported by rail is for Industrial consumption or human. Indian Railways carry the latter at a concessional tariff. If the concessional tariff was to be removed, the salt we eat would cost us some fifty paise extra per head per month. But, we could then get rid of the entire salt Commissionerate as a result!
Munshi Vanshi Dhar, the original Salt Inspector, must be turning in his grave.
