Page 436 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (IV)_Neat

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A few sales of open land for cultivation were made, open land is sold by “Maghras,” this
being the space required for one date palm, 324 square feet. Open land in the neighbourhood
of the Budaiya road was sold at prices varying from Rs. 4/8 to Re. I/- per Maghras.

East Rafaa Development.—Since the provision of a water supply by the Bahrain Petroleum
Company and the establishment of a Municipality in Rafaa there has been considerable develop­
ment in that town. The Government gifted to the new Municipality a site for Municipal
buildings on the north of the town and some land inside the town ; it also allocated a large
space to be reserved for playing fields. Building plots, of uniform depth, were laid out on both
sides of the road approaching the town from the north and 13 of these plots were sold, at the
rate of 2 annas per square foot. At the end of the year many more applications were received
from people wishing to buy land at Rafaa. When selling the land the Government stipulated
that it should not be disposed of by the purchaser for ten years.
Building Loan Plan for Government Employees.—At the end of the year the Government
prepared a loan plan to assist Government employees to build houses. The arrangement
allowed employees to borrow up to 20 month’s pay, without interest, to be repaid in instalments
of 15 per cent, per month of the borrower’s basic pay. Various conditions were attached to the
concession, applicants were required to mortgage the land with the Government, plans of the
building had to be approved and payment was made by instalments as the building progressed.
Air Survey.—About twenty years ago the Land Department carried out a survey and
produced town plans of Manama and Muharraq. The tremendous development which has
taken place since then, especially in and on the outskirts of Manama caused the old town maps
to become out of date. It was decided that a new survey of both towns was required and for
two yearsefforts were madetoobtaina number of Indian surveyorsand draftsmen, for this purpose,
but with no success. During 1371 arrangements were made with Messrs. Hunting Aerosurveys,
who were engaged in similar work in Kuwait and in Iraq, for an aerial survey to be made of
Manama and Muharraq and the country around them and for the preparation of the following
maps and mosaics :—

Manama town to a scale of 1/1200.
Southern Quadabiya and Umm al Hassan to a scale of 1/2400.
Muharraq town to a scale of i/1200.
Muharraq Island to a scale of 1/1200.
Controlled Mosaic of Manama town including Quadabiya etc., to a scale of 1/5000.
Controlled Mosaic of Muharraq Island to a scale of 1/5000.
Controlled Mosaic of Muharraq town to a scale of 1/2400.

The air work was carried out during December, 1951, but the production of the maps and
mosaics was not completed before the end of the year.
Land Revenue.—Rents from Government land, long and short leases, amounted to Rs.
17,000 and rents of shops and flats amounted to Rs. 44,200/-.

SUNNI WAQF DEPARTMENT
(From the Report ol the Superintendent of the Department, Shaikh Atiyyatallah AlKhalifah)

The total income of the Department for 1372 was Rs. 3,23,919. This included a loan from
the Government of Rs. 100,000. Garden leases produced Rs. 34,571, rents of shops and houses
produced Rs. 1,15,783, and contributions amounted to Rs. 32 056. Included in the last item
was a donation of Rs. 13,550 from His Highness for repairing mosques, Rs. 1,996/- from
H.R.H. the Regent of Iraq to be given to the poor, and payments from the Government of
Rs. 8,260 towards the salaries of the teachers in the Religious School, which is under the
Management of the Department. In addition to this payment the Government paid for
three young men who are studying religion at a school in Mecca. Other miscellaneous revenue,
including old debts which were recovered, rents paid in advance and proceeds of sales and
exchanges amounted to Rs. 39,852.