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right to purchase the landlord's share also on terms to be settled by a Partition Committee. This class of tenant could thus become a peasant proprietor in the true sense of the term. In Saurashtra the Government issued an Ordinance conferring on the landholder the right to reserve Garkhed land according to a prescribed scale, the remaining portion of his land continuing with the tenants. There was strong agitation against this Ordinance on the part of the landholders. On general grounds it was felt that it would not be appropriate to embark on such important legislation without a comprehensive enquiry by a Fact Finding Committee. The Saurashtra Government are taking steps to appoint such a Committee. In Travancore-Cochin a Committee consisting of non-official members has bеen appointed to enquire into and report on the integration of the land tenure system and on certain problems connected with agrarian reforms.
Internal Customs Barriers.—With the integration of States into Unions customs barriers as between the integrating States were abolished. In Rajasthan and Madhya Bharat after the abolition of the barriers within the Unions steps were taken to introduce uniform rates of duties leviable on the frontiers of the Unions. Similar action was taken in Saurashtra. The problem was more difficult in Travancore and Cochin as the total abolition of internal customs barriers involved a loss of revenue of over rupees ten millions. It was, therefore, decided to shift, as an interim measure, the customs barriers around the Travancore State to the boundaries of the United State. In the light of the recommendations of the Indian States Finances Enquiry Committee and having regard to the convenience of the general public it was later decided to abolish these barriers with effect from 17th September, 1949.
Constitutional Relationship with the Centre
175. On the formation of the Dominion of India, the States acceded only on the three subjects of Defence, Foreign Affairs and Communications. With the formation of the Unions of States the necessity of enlarging the content of the accession of States was more acutely felt. In the Covenant establishing the second United State of Rajasthan, therefore, a permissive provision was made for extending the Dominion's legislative powers over the Union. In all subsequent Covenants, this provision was made mandatory. All the Rajpramukhs (including the Rajpramukhs of Unions in whose Covenants a provision in this behalf was not included) subsequently signed fresh Instruments of Accession (Appendix XLIX) by which they acceded to the Dominion of India in respect of all matters specified in the Federal and Concurrent Legislative Lists, excepting those
