Report on the Administration of the Excise Revenue in the Presidency of Fort St. George for the year 1928-29

6. There were no changes in the areas for the contract supply of arrack except that the village of Oummidiguda Contract supply in the Agency portion of the Salur taluk in the Vizagapatam district was brought undei' the cotract supply system from 1st October 1928 and included in the area supplied by the Vizagapatam distillers. [...] 'I he Committee appointed to investigate the causes of the high consumption of opium in the East Godavari district to estimate the licit consumption' of the drug in that district and to study the connexion between the local conditions and the high consumption submitted its report during the year. [...] Government have deferred consideration of the Committee's recommendations pending the holding of a conference under the auspices of the tiovernment of India for the purpose of collating and comparing the results of the various local investigations instituted by Local Governments. [...] Of the 1.07 samples of beer analysed in the laboratory during the year the samples received for periodical analysis from the breweries were found to be of good quality. [...] A large number of samples (31 in number) of opium smoking prparations was called for from several officers of the department and analysed with a view to ascertain the percentage of morphine in them and thereby determine whether the limit of possession can be16 prescribed in terms of the weight of the preparations themselves.