36. It is necessary, however, to compensate the provinces concerned for the loss of this item of revenue, and we recommend that, for a period of ten years or till the export duties on jute and jute products are abolished whichever may be earlier, fixed sums as set out below be paid to these Governments as compensation every year.

Province                                           Amount

Rs.

West Bengal                                     100 lakhs

Assam                                               15 “

Bihar                                                 17 ”

Orissa                                               3 “

In arriving at these figures which we have based on the figures of pre-war years, we have taken all relevant circumstances into account, and in particular the concentration of manufacture in West Bengal. If at the end of ten-years, which we think should be sufficient to enable the provinces to develop their resources adequately, the provinces still need assistance in order to make up for this loss of revenue, it would no doubt be open to them to seek grants-in-aid from the Centre, which would be considered on their merits in the usual course by the Finance Commission.