Page 271 - Bahrain Gov annual reports (V a)_Neat

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MINORS ESTATES DEPARTMENT
(Report by Mr. Mohammed Downghcr, Superintendent of the Department).
Income Expenditure
Proceeds of estates and com Maintenance allowances etc. Rs. 1,36,241 3 0
pensations Rs. 1,62,542 3 8 Purchase of properties 89,283 0 0
Rents collected 2,79,188 10 0 Upkeep of buildings and addi­
Refund of loans 3,588,743 0 0 tions .. 1,41,294 2 5
Interest on loans 2,63,490 2 0 Loans advanced 3,730,554 0 0
Deposits 1,03,503 8 8 Payments to beneficiaries etc. 4,26,892 6 1
By sale of properties 26,420 0 0
Debts recovered .. 20,799, 0 0
Totals .. .. /tr. 44,44,686 8 4 Total .. .. Rs. 45,24,264 11 6
Balance in the Eastern Bank Balance in the Eastern Bank
from 1954 1,50,480 0 10 at the closing of year 70,901 13 8
Grand Total .. Rs. 45,95,166 9 2 Grand Total .. Rs. 45,95,166 9 2

Estates and Compensation cases. The department dealt with 14 estates and 27 com­
pensation cases, the total receipts were Rs. 1,62,542 as against Rs. 2,94,190 in 1954. The compen­
sation cases were the distribution of payments made by the Government and by the Bahrain
Petroleum Company on account of employees who lost their lives in the service of the Govern­
ment or the Company.
Rents and Leases. The number of properties under the administration of the department
was the same as in the previous year. 553 properties including gardens, shops and houses.
Collections or rents amounted to Rs. 2,79,188 as against Rs. 2,31,429 in 1955. The increase
was due to adjustments in rents.
Loans and Deposits. The sum of Rs. 35,88,743/-, being money out on loan, was refunded
during the year. Interest on this amount was Rs. 2,63,490 as against Rs. 1,88,936 in the previous
year. The average rate of interest paid by persons taking loans from the department was
Rs. 7/5/2^ per cent. The department charges a much lower rate of interest than the normal
bazaar rates. In the bazaar the lowest rate of interest is 20 per cent, though the Sandoq A1
Tawidat, the local vehicle insurance organisation, has recently started giving loans on interest
at the rate of 15 percent. New loans amounting to Rs. 3,730,554 were advancedduring the year,
against securities of immovable properties whose title deeds are surrendered to the department
as mortgages for the loans, and loans amounting to Rs. 3,487,334 were outstanding from 1954
thus making a total of Rs. 7,217,888 on loan to the public. On these loans the department
received as interest Rs. 263,490/-.
Funds deposited with the department during the year, in which is included the Rs. 40,000
contributed by the Government towards the maintenance of the department, amounted to
Rs. 103,503 as against Rs. 377,309 during the last year. The Khalifah family committee, an
organisation which deals with the financial affairs of the Ruling Family, deposited with the
department certain funds belonging to the minor heirs of the late Shaikh Mohammed bin
Abdulla bin Isa.
Sales and purchases of property, etc. Property belonging to the heirs of Abdulla A1 Zain
consisting of a house and a Majlis in Muharraq together with some common shares in certain
properties were sold by the department which received in payment for them, before the end of
the year, Rs. 26,420. Property including two houses and four shops and another house, in
Manama, and three pieces of land in Manama and Muharraq were purchased for Rs. 89,283.
The department built two flats with shops below in Muharraq, a house in Manama and
two houses in Quadabiya, it also carried out repairs to a number of houses under its adminis­
tration. Payments for purchasing property and expenditure on repairs and upkeep totalled
Rs. 1,41,294.
Maintenance of orphans and payments to beneficiaries. The department had in its charge
483 orphans at the beginning of the year, who were receiving allowances. During the year 35
of these took over their property and at the end of the year there were 553 in receipt of allowances.
Payments under this heading totalled Rs. 1,36,241.