| caption: |
Different methods of revenue assessment for isolated villages; peg-tops at Tezatsimi |
| text: |
30/1/1926 Via Kotesimi to its offshoot Tezatsimi, the most easterly Angami village, not even excepting Jessami in the Manipur State. Both their villages I reassessed on the "tikka" plan, fixing a definate number of houses on which revenue would be paid until reassessment, and thus doing away with the vexations and ineffectual system of tin checks under which the Gaonbura has to come in to return a tin when anyone dies and to get a new one when even anyone marries. If the gaonbura does his duty he has to come into Kohima 3 or 4 times a year at least, and as a matter of fact in these distant villages he simply doesn't bother. He retains the tins that die out as long as possible and puts off taking out fresh ones as long as he dare. I observe the revenue receipts are given for the net revenue payable to Government after the deduction of the amount repaid to the gaonbura as commission. Also a receipt for the commission paid is taken from the gaonbura. This seems to be wrong. Since a separate receipt should be given for the whole amount of the revenue including commission. Otherwise it would surely facilitate the commission of fraud by deducting the commission twice over. At Tezatsimi I watched the young men playing a game with huge peg tops the size of cocoanuts. |
