neglect by the Central Government their province, in spite of its superiority in numbers as well as its capacity to earn more foreign exchange, was far behind the other part of the country in the field of development. Such propaganda met with success, as the people, having emerged out of a condition of utter dependence, saw and heard that in West Pakistan the progress in the industrial field was greater than in their own province. During the British days, the policy of the undivided Bengal government seems to have been not to industrialize East Bengal. It is remarkable that, although that province is the main jute growing area, ali the jute mills, were, at the time of Independence, in and around Calcutta. In the Punjab, on the other hand, industrial development had gone on and a number of non-Muslims, who had established factories, migrated to India when the division took place and the evacuee property was occupied by the refugees as well as by local persons who started working the existing industries. As a result of there already being industries in existence in West Pakistan, further industrial progress was quicker in that area than in the East where they had to make a start for the first time. Having regard to the fact that the work of industrialization could be handled more rapidly in the West than the East, larger amounts were allocated by the Centre to the Western wing. From information laid before us it is seen that in 1948-49 and 1949-50 though 8 crores and 21 lacs were allotted to East Pakistan as against 13 crores and odd given to the West, nothing was drawn by the East Pakistan government whereas West Pakistan utilized about 11 crores out of the amount allotted to them. In 1950—51, 1951-52 -and 1952-53, East Pakistan utilized fully the amount given to them, but in 1953-54, 1954-55 and 1955-56, the amount that was actually drawn by the government or East Pakistan out of the amount allotted came up to only about 50%. In 1956-57, while 20 crores and 69 lacs was the amount sanctioned, the amount drawn was only 8 crores 47 lacs. In 195758, it was a little higher. It is significant that, in the budget speeches for 1949-50 and 1950—51, there was no real complaint against the Centre with regard to these allotments. On the other hand, speaking on the budget estimates of 1951-52 the then Chief Minister acknowledged the help rendered by the Central Government to meet the financial difficulties, but in the speeches of the subsequent years there was a note of discontent.
61. There is a feeling in East Pakistan that the Centre delayed the financial sanction of the schemes in order to prevent the province utilizing the allotments fully. The official point of view, on the other hand, is that there were, no doubt, cases of delay by the Centre, but the main reason for the province not having been able to use the full amount allotted to it was the delay in the preparation of schemes coupled with the fact that the provincial ministers did not consider promptly those schemes in which they, or their party, were not interested. In this connection, it was pointed out that the development of North Bengal was so badly neglected in the past by the party in power that the people of that region went to the extent of demanding that their part of East Pakistan should be made a separate province with a separate Governor. It was explained that schemes submitted to the Centre were defective owing to the dearth of experienced officers and that, on account of those defects, sanction was naturally delayed as the Centre could not allow expenditure without the central co-coordinating authority certifying that the schemes were in accordance with the plan.
