History of Orissa from the Earliest Times to the British Period v2.c45.3

v2.c45.3

When Bishnumohan Mitra, the officer-in-charge of the retail godown of salt in Bhadrak, was removed from his post on account of dishonesty, Jadab Chandra was appointed to that charge by Charles Becher, the Agent of the Honourable East India Company for Salt in Orissa. Some time after his appointment Orissa was divided into three districts and Bhadrak came to be included in the district of Balasore. Sir John Downey became the Agent of the Salt Department of Balasore and a Musalman named Askari Fekrat became his *Diwan* (Manager). The name Askari Fekrat cannot be identified, but we can glean from the subsequent narrative that he was a Musalman. Askari is a Musalman name, but the correct form of Fekrat cannot be determined. Evidently Mr. Sachish Chandra Chatterji could not read this part of the manuscript. The Bhadrak retail godown being a very remunerative place, Askari Fekrat appointed his own brother to that charge and dismissed Jadab Chandra. Jadab Chandra had seven or eight thousand rupees of Government cash in his charge. When he was making over this amount to his successor, he noticed that the new *Darogha* was keeping count by counting the beads of his rosary (*Tasbih*) and instead of signing the charge sheet used his seal. These two incidents prove that the brother of *Diwan* Askari Fekrat was illiterate.