ABSTRACT
The forest department sold parts of settlement lands at cheap rates to private and wealthy persons to invest their capital and provide employment for the poor in the settlements. As a general principle, government distributed among each family of settlers a block of dry land and a piece of wet land. Settlers were made responsible for cultivation of the lands. During certain parts of the year, missionaries employed agricultural maistries from old settler families. They used to instruct new settlers on the techniques of cultivation. In addition to agricultural maistries, a karanam was appointed on full-time basis to look after land records and allotment of land. Government was the sole agent for assigning and taking away land from settlers. The practice of allotting land to settlers varied from settlement to settlement. Sitanagaram Settlement was formed by the Salvation Army and an extent of 84.06 acres of land at Sitanagaram was provided to the agency.
