Government of India’s Despatch on Proposals for Constitutional Reform

We have the honour to addres.yop on the conclusion of the constitutional inquiry which Ms been Conducted by the ljultlian Statutory Commission in accordance with the prW011g of section -84-A of the Government of India Act and to forward for the consideration of His Ilajesty's Goverment alba preliminary to the discugsidns which will shortly take place at the Round Table Conference our view [...] 5. The landholders and the agricultural i classee--Pasng to the more conservative elements in the population the most important class is that of the larger landholders. [...] Wirhave already an administrative unity and our first task is to decentralize with a view to permitting the deVelopment in the itowovinees of that (levee of independent activity which should chtracterize ihe.units of a federation.* Vte are therfore in full agreement with the broad aim of the Commisiort to give to the provinces the maximum of autonomy eq.- sistent v:ith the interest of Ind [...] Such would be for in Lance' the general economic development of the Country industrial policy and 'questions of labour ; the ordii%ry aministrative.4ervices which the central Government carries out such as the management of the postal - and telegraph.systems. [...] or the customs administratioin ; the development of comthunications whether by land or air ; the co-ordination' lof those activities which form the primary concern of the prvtn.cial Governments such as education health and agsim14 tare ; the prontotion of social reform *aiol many other matters of great importance to the welfare of the community.