Sadar Patel had merged the kingdoms of 554 kings of India into India. When the kings were seen leaving their kingdoms, they started hiding the wealth kept in their palaces, treasuries and royal buildings. Many kings also usurped the royal property. The kings of the princely states of Hyderabad and Bhopal and Patiala etc. uprooted the gold and silver plates on their palaces, cars, carts and palanquins.
Gold and silver vessels were melted and converted into metals. The diamonds and jewels on the roofs of the palaces disappeared. Precious stones, beads and gems kept in the treasures were taken out from the palaces and transported elsewhere. Some kings declared themselves as tenants and occupied agricultural lands. The precious lands of the state were given to their slaves and slaves and dogs and cats.
Due to these actions of the kings, the Congress workers became restless and various complaints against the kings from all over India started reaching Sardar Patel. Patel had a deep understanding of the human mind. They knew it was not unusual. Who wouldn't do that human with apprehension of the future! That's why Patel made this statement assuring the kings that I want kings' kingdoms, not their wealth.
Patel generously allowed the king's palaces, carriages, cars, gold and silver and gems to remain with him. Even this did not satisfy the hunger of some kings. They started raising various problems. Still, Sardar Patel solved the problems of the kings very generously.
The Maharawal of Banswara claimed the state's forests as private property and complained to the Government of India that the tribals were also cutting down the forests falling in the private property of the kings, vandalizing the buildings located in the forests and harming the agricultural sector. Maharaja Jaipur demanded that the cost of equipment, livestock and men located in his Jaipur Bhawan in Delhi should be borne by the government. Jaipur Bhawan was considered to be the private property of the Maharaja, so the government refused to bear this expenditure.
When Maharajrana of Jhalawar demanded the reimbursement of electricity expenditure of his palaces, then the princely department wrote to Maharajrana that the palaces and buildings which have been declared as personal property of kings, their electricity expenditure and electrical installation etc. are in the prince's privypers. to be done from the State expenditure and not from the State expenditure. Some princely states like Tonk and Kishangarh gave jagirs to the Rajmatas (the ruler's mother, widowed aunt or grandmother) just before the merger in Rajasthan so that the Rajmatas could get maximum allowances. The princely department ordered to get these cases investigated.
The princely department headed by Sardar Patel directed the chief secretaries of all the provinces that complaints are being received from the princes of many former princely states that their allowances are not being paid on time. Therefore, information should be sent to the rulers and princesses about what action is being taken on this subject. The rulers of the former princely states included in various union units informed the princely department that due to the closure of the princes who were getting allowances from the state treasury in the past, the rulers are being paid from their privypers.
Allowances should be paid separately to the members of royal families, especially the Rajmatas. The princely department decided that the members who were already getting separate allowances should be paid the allowances from the revenue of the state and not from the privypers of the rulers. Only the children and wives of the ruler have been included in the privypers of the ruler. These allowances should be given for life.
After the unification of Rajasthan, the Jaipur Maharaja claimed some gold, which was worth one crore rupees. Chief Minister Hiralal Shastri refused to give it, saying it belonged to the state. The matter went to Sardar Patel. Sardar Patel asked Chief Minister Hiralal Shastri that whose gold belonged to him? To this Shastri replied that the gold must have belonged to the king at first, but later it was recorded in the state budget.
So now the state has to believe. Sardar asked what is your opinion? Shastri said that in my opinion the gold should be given to the Maharaja. Why did Sardar say? Shastri said that you have taken such a huge kingdom from someone. Why should you hesitate to give so much gold? The Sardar gave permission to give the gold to the Maharaja.
In the year 1927-28, Jaisalmer Maharawal had deposited an amount in the treasury for the construction of a library building with his personal funds. After the merger of the princely state of Jaisalmer, Maharawal demanded that the library building is being used for the offices of the special department, so the amount given by Maharawal to build this building, along with interest, should be returned to the Maharaja. The government decided that if such claims were accepted, the princely department would be flooded with claims demanding money from the rulers.
Therefore, this claim of the Maharaja deserves to be rejected. The ruler of Jhalawar claimed that the powerhouse located in the palace complex was the ruler's own personal property. Also, the old machines located in the powerhouse of this palace cannot be auctioned by the Rajasthan government as they come in the personal property of the Maharaja. The Government of India informed the Government of Rajasthan that no action should be taken on this matter until VP Menon himself disposes of the matter.
Tonk Collector decided to auction some property of the former Tonk princely state which included horses, carriages, cars, stables etc. as government property. On this, the Tonk Nawab requested the government to stop the auction until the final decision regarding the personal property of the Tonk Nawab was taken. The land situated on an island situated in the middle of the Mahi river under the authority of the Dungarpur Maharawal was called Banka (Sohan Beed).
It was a vast land in which the water of Mahi river was available in abundance for irrigation. Maharawal wrote a letter to the princely department, demanding that this land be given to Maharawal only for the cultivation. The princely department wrote a letter to the Chief Secretary of Rajasthan recommending that the said land should be given to Maharawal for cultivation on the basis of proper assessment. Thus Sardar Patel took sympathetic decisions on most of the demands of the kings.