The Gazetteers Department

In keeping with the common pattern found in the State as also in the country, Akola district is predominantly agricultural with 81.16 per cent of its total working population engaged in agricultural pursuits as per the Census of 1971.

Natural resources required for agro-based industries are available to a great extent in the district which is clearly evident from the existence of a large number of cotton ginning, pressing and weaving units in the district. This is perhaps due to the fact that 41.07 per cent of the gross cropped area is under cotton, [ District Census Handbook, Akola District, 1961 Census.] the average annual production of which during the period 1956-60 was 1586 bales of 392 lbs. each. The main obstacle in the industrial growth of the district is the acute shortage of skilled workers. With a minor section of the working population engaged in non-agricultural pursuits and with few facilities available for technical training the district can only provide unskilled workers in great numbers.

Another prerequisite of industrialization is a change in the socio-economic outlook of the people. With the keen attachment felt for landed property, very few landlords in the district were ready to play the role of entrepreneurs due to their unwillingness to take any risks in the industrial field, when they were assured of a definite income from agriculture. A change in this respect is, however, noticed of late. The agrarian reforms have also forced a few to take to other vocations and this is expected to accentuate the pace of the industrialization of the district.

The employment in non-agricultural industries leans heavily towards village and cottage industries that work on traditional lines with the locally available raw material and which find local demand.

In Restrospect. Since long the industrial growth of the district revolves around agriculture which forms the axis. Even as per the Census of 1901, 14,237 persons were engaged under the group of textiles, an industry that received its raw materials from agriculture. The following statement gives the number of persons engaged in different activities under the group of textiles as per 1901 Census.

Category	Actual workers
Category	Males	Females	Total
Wool and fur	63	13	76
Silk	52	39	91
Cotton	6,224	4,991	11,215
Jute, hemp, textile coir, etc.	262	30	292
Dress	1,856	707	2,563
Total:	8,457	5,780	14,237

The other occupation that provided employment to a number of people was brick and tile making. It accounted for 284 persons including 186 men and 98 women as per 1901 Census.

The following account reproduced from the old Akola District Gazetteer, published in 1910, throws some light on the industries then existing in the district.

Petty manufactures. "The manufactures of Akola District have long been more important than those of some parts of Berar, but are yet very scanty. Gold and silver workers almost all belong to the Sonar caste, which numbers about 8,000; even coolies in the factories often wear gold earrings, partly perhaps as a means of saving money, while heavy silver ornaments are common among women of all castes. Early in 1909 a Kunbi boy herding cattle in Basim taluka was murdered for the sake of Rs 70 worth of ornaments which he wore. The customer always supplies the metal and watches the Sonar carefully while he is at work, for the profession has a bad reputation for making dishonest profit out of its work. Blacksmiths are needed everywhere, but the work is often done by Panchals, who wander in single families from village to village under a vow to settle nowhere till their ancient city of Chitor is restored. Carpenters are more numerous, but statistics are not available; their chief work is the making and repair of carts and agricultural implements, which contain far more wood than iron. The business of transport along the great metalled roads has been partly specialised, and the making and repair of carts gives occupation to a large number of workshops there. Ornamental work in masonry is often done by workmen especially imported for the purpose; the fronts of large house are sometimes ornamented with carved woodwork, which is frequently done by Marwaris who have settled in the District. A number of oil-presses worked by bullocks survive, but no recent statistics are available; the bullocks working a press walk round and round for hours in a dark room hardly large enough for the press to turn At Akola two steam presses for extracting oil have recently been started and seem to answer well; most of the oil-cake is exported to Europe. A few Mahars in all parts have looms for making coarse blankets, and a few Koshtis make rough cotton cloths, but the industries are already trifling, and seem steadily to decline. At Akot and Balapur carpets, some with stamped patterns and some ornamented by hand, are made by Muhammedan satranjiwalas ; the fabric is rough but strong and not without interest. Balapur has also a colony of Muhammedan Momins, who make turbans of mixed cotton and silk, such as, well-to-do men wear in the villages, but their trade is also dying out; the maker sits with his feet in a hole in the ground and the material of the turban stretched forward and backward the whole length of the house. It is said that they used to make for Nawab Salabat Khan at Ellichpur mhonda cloth so strong that Rs. 50 worth of copper could be lifted without the cloth tearing. Kagazi Muhammedans at Balapur, who alone inter-marry with the Momins, used to make paper by hand; the manufacture has only stopped during the last five or ten years. The material of manufacture was sann hemp; this was cut into pieces of about two inches in length, which were soaked in water for three days and then dipped in lime, sajjikhar, and left for the same length of time. The mixture was spread on a large stone, well beaten under water in a cistern, washed at the river, and again cleaned with a kind of soap, kharicha, containing oil, lime, and other ingredients, and the process was repeated for eight days. Finally a tatti, screen, of kaus grass was placed on the surface of the cistern, and sheets of paper formed upon it. They were taken out one by one and dried; chikki, paste made of the flour of wheat or rice, was applied; and the paper was rubbed with a smooth stone to give it a gloss. The paper thus made is of poor colour and somewhat ready to tear, but is yet quite a serviceable article. A few dyers are scattered over the District.

Steam factories :—"At Akola a new step has just been taken in the opening of two steam mills for making cotton cloth, the Native Ginning and Spinning and the Akola and Mid-India Mill. The latter employs 900 hands; it is only now beginning work (early in 1909) but should give Akola a claim to be considered a manufacturing town. Factories for ginning and pressing cotton number 92 (ginning 67 and pressing 25), and employ about 8,000 hands; they have a capital of scores of lakhs, but the total cannot be ascertained. The rate for pressing is kept up by a ring. Most of the towns have on one side a belt of factories, each in its own compound, giving the place a pronounced industrial air. The number of factories has been steadily growing for several years, though alterations in the legal definition of a factory affect the statistics. Many of the larger and some of the smaller villages have single factories, but these do not seem to pay in remote places; it is true that labour is cheap, cotton can be got at a lower rate, and a large area may be brought under contribution, but on the other hand the promoters are liable to try to take too much advantage of these points, and again there is a difficulty in disposing of the ginned cotton. Cultivators are willing to go long distances to secure higher rates and fairer weights for their cotton, so that carts come to Akola from Pusad taluka and the Nizam's Dominions. Work is seldom kept up through the night, children are nominally seldom employed, the machinery is not very complicated, and few accidents have to be reported. Some factories burn wood and some coal, the latter to an increasing extent; a very few are lit by their own electricity."

Tables 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5A give the number of persons engaged in different industries as per the Censuses of 1911, 1921, 1931, 1951 and 1961, respectively.

Table No. 5 gives statistics of Annual Survey of Industries, 1966.

TABLE No. 1

Number of Actual Workers engaged in Different Industries, 1911

Industry	Actual Workers
Industry	Persons	Males	Females
1	2	3	4
1. Mines	37	22	15
2. Quarries of hard rocks	52	21	31
3. Cotton ginning, cleaning and pressing	3848	2430	1418
4. Cotton spinning	362	104	258
5. Cotton sizing	—	-	-
6. Cotton weaving	2964	1932	1032
7. Jute spinning, pressing and weaving	14	8	6
8. Rope, twine and string	45	40	5
9. Wool carders and spinners, weavers of woollen blankets, carpets, etc.	345	272	73
10. Silk spinners	—	—	—
11. Silk weavers	21	21	—
12. Dyeing, bleaching, printing, preparation and sponging of textiles	—	—	—
13. Other (lace, crepe, embroideries, fringes etc.) and insufficiently described textile industries	142	78	64
14. Tanners, curriers, leather dressers and dyers etc.	240	212	28
15. Makers of leather articles, such as, trunks, water bags etc.	31	5	26
16. Wood	5122	4062	1060

TABLE No. 1 — Contd.

Industry	Actual Workers
Industry	Persons	Males	Females
1	2	3	4
17. Sawyers, carpenters, turners and joiners, etc.	3296	3250	46
18. Basket makers and other industries of woody material, including leaves.	1826	812	1014
19. Forging and roiling of iron and other metals.	—	-	-
20. Other workers in iron and makers of implements and tools, principally or exclusively of iron.	1301	1074	227
21. Workers in brass, copper and bell-metal	189	132	57
22. Workers in other metals (tin, zinc, lead, quick-silver, etc.)	88	78	10
23. Makers of glass and crystal ware.	2	2	-
24. Makers of procelain and crockery.	—	-	-
25. Potters and earthen pipe and bowl makers.	2665	1481	1184
26. Brick and tile makers.	772	531	241
27. Manufacture and refining of vegetable and mineral oils.	43	43	—
28. Manufacturers of tobacco, opium and ganja.	6	4	2
29. Stone and marble workers, masons and bricklayers.	4067	2963	1104
30. Printers, lithographers, engravers, etc.	14	14	-
31. Bookbinders and stitchers, envelope-makers, etc.	4	4	-
32. Makers of musical instruments.	1	1	-
33. Makers of watches and clocks, and optical, photographic and surgical instruments.	7	7	—

TABLE No. 2

Number of Actual Workers engaged in Different Industries, 1921

Industry	Actual Workers
Industry	Persons	Males	Females
1	2	3	4
1. Mines	1	-	1
2. Quarries of hard rocks	83	63	20
3. Cotton spinning	153	57	96
4. Cotton sizing and weaving	1440	1016	424
5. Jute spinning, pressing and weaving	12	6	6
6. Rope, twine and string	36	18	18
7.Wool carding and spinning	—	—
8. Weaving of woollen blankets	51	29	22
9. Weaving of woollen carpets	—	—	-
10. Silk spinners	8	8	—
11. Silk weavers	—	—	—
12. Dyeing, bleaching, printing, preparation and sponging of textiles.	159	129	30
13. Lace, crepe, embroideries, fringes, etc. and insufficiently described textile industries.	4	1	3
14. Tanners, curriers, leather dressers and leather dyers, etc.	89	71	18
15. Makers of leather articles, such as, trunks, water-bags, saddlery, harness, etc., excluding articles of dress.	6	6	—
16. Wood	3934	3208	726
17. Sawyers	33	32	1
18. Carpenters, turners and joiners, etc.	2666	2595	71

TABLE No. 2-Contd.

Industry	Actual Workers
Industry	Persons	Males	Females
1	2	3	4
19. Basket-makers and workers in other industries of woody material including leaves, thatchers and builders working with bamboo-reeds or similar materials.	1235	581	654
20. Forging and rolling of iron and other metals	—	—	—
21. Other workers in iron and makers of implements and tools principally or exclusively of iron.	1011	906	105
22. Workers in brass, copper and bell metal	132	115	17
23. Workers in other metals (tin, zinc, lead, quick-silver, etc.)	16	16	—
24. Makers of glass bangles, beads and necklaces and glass ear-studs, etc.	—	—	—
25. Makers of procelain and crockery	—	—	—
26. Potters, and earthen pipe and bowl makers.	2810	1615	1195
27. Brick and tile makers	552	347	205
28. Manufacture and refining of vegetable oils	50	37	13
29. Manufacture and refining of mineral oils	5	3	2
30. Manufactures of tobacco, opium and ganja	—	-	—
31. Stone cutters and dressers	267	168	99
32. Brick layers and masons	586	395	191
33. Printers, lithographers, engravers, etc.	10	10	—
34. Bookbinders and stitchers and envelope makers	—	—	—
35. Makers of musical instruments	3	1	2
36. Makers of watches and clocks and optical, photographic, mathematical and surgical instruments.	—	—	—

TABLE No. 3

Number of Total earners (Principal Occupation) engaged in Different Industries, 1931

Industry	Total earners (principal occupation)
Industry	Persons	Males	Females
1	2	3	4
1. Non-metallic minerals	709	456	253
2. Cotton ginning, cleaning and pressing	3305	2257	1048
3. Cotton spinning, sizing and weaving	2844	2338	506
4. Jute pressing, spinning and weaving	89	59	30
5. Rope, twine, string and other fibres	45	37	8
6. Wool carding, spinning and weaving	92	69	23
7. Silk spinning and weaving	1	1	—
8. Dyeing, bleaching, printing, preparation and sponging of textiles.	190	162	28
9 Lace, crepe, embroideries, fringes, etc. and insufficiently described textile.	23	19	4
10. Working in leather	644	573	71
11. Wood	3997	3407	590
12. Sawyers	60	60	—
13. Carpenters, turners and joiners	2820	2800	20

TABLE No. 3-Contd.

Industry	Actual Workers
Industry	Persons	Males	Females
1	2	3	4
14. Basket makers, and other industries of woody materials, including leaves and thatchers and binders working with bamboo reeds or similar materials	1117	547	570
!5. Smelting, forging and rolling of iron and other metals	28	27	1
16 Blacksmiths, other workers in iron, makers of implements	1256	1106	150
17. Workers in brass, copper and bell metals	178	178	—
18. Workers in other metals (except precious metals)	178	171	7
19. Potters and makers of earthen wares	1587	1120	467
20. Brick and tile makers	300	245	55
21. Manufacture and refining of vegetable oils	137	128	9
22. Manufacture of tobacco	60	46	14
23. Printers, engravers, book-binders, etc.	75	73	2
24. Makers of musical instruments	12	12	—
25. Makers of clocks and surgical or scientific instruments, etc.	29	28	1

TABLE No. 4

Number of persons engaged in different Industries, 1951

Classification of Industry	Persons	Males	Females
1	2	3	4
1. Mining and Quarrying	46	42	4
1.1 Coal mining.— Mines primarily engaged in the extraction of anthracite and of soft coals such as bitumenous, sub-bitumenous and legnite.	4	4	—
1.2 Stone-quarrying, clay and sand pits—Extraction from the earth of stone, clay sand and other materials used in building or manufacture of cement.	42	38	4
2. Processing and Manufacture-Foodstuffs, Textiles, Leather and Products there of—	11167	10197	970
2.1 Food Industries otherwise unclassified.—	492	476	16
2.11 Canning, and preservation of fruits and vegetables.	1	1	—
2.12 Slaughter, preparation and preservation of meat	445	435	10
2.13 Other food industries	46	41	5
2.2 Vegetable oil and dairy products.—	847	792	55
2.21 Manufacturers of hydrogenated oils	1	1	—
2.3 Sugar industries.—	58	54	4
2.31 Gur manufacture	21	17	4
2.32 Other manufactures and refining of raw sugar, syrup, and granulated or clarified sugar from sugarcane or from sugar beets	37	37	—

TABLE No. 4—Contd.

Classification of Industry	Persons	Males	Females
1	2	3	4
2.4 Beverages —	73	73	—
2.5 Tobacco —	74	52	22
2.6 Cotton textiles —	5680	5059	621
2.61 Cotton ginning, cleaning and pressing	4835	4255	580
2.62 Cotton spinning, sizing and weaving	745	711	34
2.63 Cotton dyeing, bleaching, printing, preparation and sponging	100	93	7
2.71 Manufacturers of hosiery, embroiderers, makers of crepe, lace and fringes	17	12	5
2.72 Hat makers and makers of other articles of wear from textiles	52	52	—
2.73 Makers of other made-up textile goods, including umbrellas	31	28	3
2.81 Jute pressing, baling, spinning and weaving	29	29	—
2.82 Wollen spinning and weaving	20	19	1
2.83 Manufacture of rope, twine, suing and other related goods from cocoanut, aloes, straw, linseed and hair	15	14	1
2.9 Leather, leather, products and footwear—	1306	1250	56
3. Processing and Manufacture-Metals, Chemicals and Products there of	1726	1674	52
3.1 Manufacture of metal products, otherwise unclassified	1235	1190	45
3.11 Blacksmiths, horse-shoers and other workers in iron and makers of implements	1031	988	43
3.12 Workers in copper, brass and bell metal	94	92	2
3.13 Workers in other metals	74	74	—
3.14 Cutlers and surgical and veterinary instrument makers	36	36	—
3.2 Non-Ferrous metals (basic manufacture) — smelting and refining, rolling, drawing and alloying and the manufacture of castings, forgings and other basic forms of non-ferrous metals	9	9	—
3 3 Transport equipment	134	134	—
3.4 Machinery (other than electrical machinery) —including engineering workshops engaged in producing machines and equipment	250	244	6
3.5 Basic industrial chemicals, fertilisers and power alcohol	42	41	1
3.51 Manufacture of basic industrial chemicals, such as, acids, alkali, salts	23	22	1

TABLE: NO. 4-Contd.

Classification of industry	Persons	Males	Females
1	2	3	4
3.52 Dyes, explosives and fireworks	19	19	—
3.6 Manufacture of chemical products otherwise unclassified	53	53	—
3.61 Soaps and other washing and cleaning compounds	40	40	—
4. Processing and Manufacturing not elsewhere specified	5087	4907	180
4.1 Manufacturing industries otherwise unclassified	819	806	13
4.2 Bricks, tiles and other structural clay products such as, bricks, tiles, etc.	200	191	9
4.3 Cement, cement-pipes and other cement products	1	1	—
4.4 Non-metallic mineral products	867	801	66
4.5 Wood and wood products other than furniture and fixtures	2982	2894	88
4.51 Sawyers	40	38	2
4.52 Carpenters, turners and joiners	2613	2590	23
4.53 Basket makers	314	262	52
4.6 Furniture and fixtures	7	7	—
4.7 Printing and allied industries	209	205	4
5. Electric supply.	118	118	—

TABLE No. 5

Statistics Relating to Annual Survey of Industries, Akola district, 1966.

Sr.No	Industries	No. of regist-ered factories	Productive capital (Rs. '000')		Employ-ment	Gross output (Rs.'000')	Value added (Rs. '000')
1	2	3	4		5	6	7
1.	Manufacture of grain mill products and sugar confectionery		5	495	81	2,952	105
2.	Manufacture of miscellaneous animal oils and fats (except edible oils)		21	12,889	1,123	93,320	7,901
3.	Spinning, weaving and finishing of textiles		44	8,276	3,559	40,689	7,443
4.	Manufacture of cork and wood products not elsewhere classified		4	356	58	676	109
5.	Printing, publishing and allied industries		3	488	99	964	348
6.	Manufacture of structural clay products, metal products (except machinery and transport equipment)		4	355	71	825	177
7.	Manufacture of machinery except electrical machinery; Repair of motor vehicles; Electric light and power		4	422	130	1,045	309
	District Total		85	23,281	5,121	1,40,471	16,392

Source: Annual Survey of Industries

Note: The figures are based on actuals of the reporting census sector factories and estimates of sample sector factories.

TABLE No. 5-A

Number of persons engaged in different Industries, 1961

Classification of industry	Total workers			Workers in household industry		Workers in non-household industry
Classification of industry	Persons	Males	Females	Males	Females	Males	Females
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
1. Mining and Quarrying	869	604	265	36	—	568	265
2. Quarrying of stone (including slate), clay, sand, gravel, lime-stone	865	600	265	36	—	564	265
3. Manufacturing	27480	23364	4116	9817	2682	13547	1434
4. Foodstuffs	3834	3460	374	811	217	2649	157
5. Production of rice, atta, flour, etc., by milling, dehusking and processing of crops and foodgrains	1120	1029	91	225	53	804	38
6. Slaughtering, preservation of meat and fish and canning of fish	456	451	5	83	1	368	4
7. Production of edible fats and oils (other than hydrogenated oil)	538	503	35	37	4	466	31
8. Production of hydrogenated oils (vanaspati).	692	638	54	—	—	638	54
9. Production of other food products, such as, sweet-meat and condiments, muri, murki, chira, khoi, cocoa, chocolate, toffee, lozenge.	690	626	64	351	48	275	16
10. Beverages	129	128	1	10	—	118	1
11. Tobacco products	79	63	16	4	2	59	14
12. Manufacture of bidi	76	60	16	4	2	56	14
13. Textile-cotton	5289	4019	1270	480	422	3539	848
14. Cotton ginning, cleaning, pressing and baling.	2227	1554	673	10	16	1544	657
15. Cotton spinning and weaving in mills.	2028	1875	153	—	—	1875	153
16. Cotton weaving in handlooms	473	272	201	206	184	66	17
17. Textile-jute	100	85	15	25	12	60	3
18. Textile-wool	10	4	6	3	4	1	2
19. Textile-silk	4	4	—	3	—	1	—
20. Textile-miscellaneous	4275	3715	560	1618	419	2097	141
21. Making of textile garments including raincoats and headgear.	4060	3532	528	1566	390	1966	138
22. Manufacture of made-up textile goods except wearing apparel, such as, curtains, pillow cases, bedding materials, mattresses, textile bags.	117	107	16	33	13	68	3
23. Manufacture of wood and wooden products.	5120	4545	575	2881	547	1664	28
24. Manufacture of wooden furniture and fixtures.	1140	1136	4	472	3	664	1
25. Manufacture of structural wooden goods (including treated timber), such as, beams, posts, doors, windows.	1399	1397	2	1033	1	364	1

TABLE No. 5-A Contd.

Classification of industry	Total workers			Workers in household industry		Workers in non-household industry
Classification of industry	Persons	Males	Females	Males	Females	Males	Females
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
26. Manufacture of wooden industrial goods other than transport equipment, such as, bobbin and similar equipment and fixtures.	1044	1033	11	797	6	236	5
27. Manufacture of materials from cork, bamboo, cane, leaves and other allied products.	1067	526	541	504	526	22	15
28. Printing and publishing	312	300	12	3	1	297	11
29. Leather and leather products	1814	1696	118	1214	103	482	15
30. Manufacture of shoes and other leather footwear.	1327	1266	61	1004	53	262	8
31. Repair of shoes and other leather footwear.	416	372	44	162	38	210	6
32. Rubber, petroleum and coal products.	57	54	3	3	2	51	1
33. Chemicals and chemical products	108	99	9	9	2	90	7
34. Non-metallic mineral products other than petroleum and coal.	2619	1738	881	1261	713	477	168
35. Manufacture of structural clay products, such as, bricks, tiles.	994	748	246	511	120	237	126
36. Manufacture of earthenware and earthen pottery.	1414	838	576	675	551	163	25
37. Basic metals and their products except machinery and transport equipment.	1913	1673	240	942	207	731	33
38. Enamelling, galvanising, plating (including electroplating), polishing and welding of metal products.	297	293	4	151	1	142	3
39. Manufacture of sundry hardwares, such as, G. I pine, wire-net, bolt, screw, bucket, cutlery.	1355	1125	230	715	203	410	27
40. Machinery (all kinds other than transport) and electrical equipment.	65	64	1	3	—	61	1
41. Transport equipment.	684	684	—	61	—	623	—
42. Repairing and servicing 0; motor vehicles.	356	356	—	6	—	350	—
43. Repairing of bicycles and tricycles	310	310	—	49	—	261	—
44. Miscellaneous manufacturing industries.	1054	1025	29	485	25	540	4
45. Manufacture of jewellery, silverware and wares using gold and other precious metals.	763	757	6	403	6	354	—
46. Construction	4929	4146	783	—	—	4146	783
47. Construction and maintenance of buildings. including erection, flooring, decorative constructions, electrical and sanitary Installations.	3525	3079	446	—	—	3079	446
48. Construction and maintenance of roads, railways, bridges tunnels.	703	531	172	—	—	531	172
49. Electricity and gas	1442	1361	81	—	—	1361	81

In 1961, the only large-scale industries in the district employing 50 or more workers and using power were two cotton spinning and weaving mills and a hydrogenated oil (vanaspati) mill. All the three units were located at Akola. The hydrogenated oil mill is known as the Berar Oil Industries and produces hydrogenated oil besides non-fatty vegetable oil and soap. In addition to the oil hydrogenation plant, there are a number of ginning and pressing units combined with oil-milling providing work almost all the year round.

During the same year there were 202 small-scale establishments like dal mills, oil presses, confectionery, bidi factories, saw mills, printing and book binding works, soap making units and metal plating, general jobbing and engineering works. Cement bricks were also manufactured in the district during 1961.

According to the Census of Manufacturing in 1959, the manufacturing industries in the district had a combined fixed capital of Rs. 37.3 lakhs and working capital of Rs. 75.5 lakhs. The total value of annual production was Rs. 656 lakhs and the value added on manufacturing was Rs. 76.5 lakhs. The value added on manufacture in the district in 1959 was only 0.38 per cent of the total for the State.

Table No. 6 gives the statistics relating to the factories in the district for the year ending December 1961.

TABLE No. 6

Factory statistics for the year ending December 1961 [Source.— Chief Inspector of Factories, Bombay.]

Sr. No.	Description	No. of working factories.	No. of average daily workers employed in the working factories submitting returns.	Estimated average daily employment in the working factories not submitting returns.
1	2	3	4	5
1.	Processes allied to agriculture	44	3054	639
2.	Manufacture of grain mill products	2	27	—
3.	Manufacture of sugar confectionery	1	14	—
4.	Manufacture of miscellaneous food preparations.	22	542	48
5.	Spinning, weaving and finishing of textiles.	2	476	1200
6.	Manufacture of wood and cork except manufacture of furniture.	3	29	—
7.	Printing, book binding etc.	5	78	15
8.	Petroleum refineries	2	17	—
9.	Manufacture of structural and clay products.	1	30	—
10.	Manufacture of metal products (except machinery and transport equipment).	2	33	—
11.	Electric light and power	1	777	—
Grand Total		85	5077	1902

The following arc the figures of industrial and mineral production of important items in the district during 1960 and 1961.

TABLE No. 7

Industrial and Mineral Production of Important items in Akola District,

(1960 and 1961).

Sr. No.	Item	Unit	Year
Sr. No.	Item	Unit	1960	1961
1	2	3	4	5
1.	Cotton yarn (mill-made)	Lakh lbs.	10.20	42.72
2,	Cotton cloth (mill-made)	Lakh yards	18.03	83.88
3.	Sugar	'000 tons	9	10
4.	Soap	Tons	939	910
5.	Coal	'000 tons	Nil	Nil
6.	Manganese ore	'000 tons	Nil	Nil
7.	Other important items —
	(a) Hydrogenated oil	'000 tons	15.5	15.1
	(b) Non-edible vegetable oil..	'000 tons	5.8	5.3

The industrial workers per lakh of population in the district numbered 663 in 1963. The number of factories increased from 85 in 1961 to 89 during 1962, but decreased to 87 in 1963. The average daily employment similarly increased from 6,979 in 1961 to 8,072 in 1962 but decreased to 7,888 during 1963.

Table No. 8 gives the number of industrial establishments registered under the Factories Act and average daily number of persons employed therein during 1961, 1962 and 1963.

TABLE No. 8

[Source—Chief Inspector of factories, M. S., Bombay.]
No. of Factories and Average daily Employment in Akola District.

Industry	1961		1962		1963
Industry	No. of working factories	Average daily employ-ment	No. of working factories	Average daily employ-ment	No. of working factories	Average daily employ-ment
1	2	3	4	5	6	7
1. Cotton ginning, baling	44	3,693	43	3,646	43	3,326
2. Spinning, weaving and finishing of cotton textiles	2	1,676	2	2,841	2	3,034
3. Knitting mills, cordage rope, twine industries and manufacturing of textiles not elsewhere classified.	—	—	2	79	3	119
4. Rice and dal mills	2	27	2	30	3	49
5. Manufacture of edible oils.	19	541	21	565	17	382
6. Hydrogenated oil industry.	2	28	1	416	1	467
7. Food (other than beverages).	2	35	2	45	3	82
8. Saw mills	3	29	4	38	3	27
9 Manufacture of bricks and tiles.	1	30	1	26	1	31
10, Products of petroleum and other non-metallic mineral products not elsewhere classified.	2	17	2	16	2	19
11. Metal products (other than machinery and transport equipments).	2	33	2	30	3	41
12. Machinery (other than electrical machinery).	—	—	—	—	1	32
13. Other industries	6	870	7	340	5	279
Total	85	6,979	89	8,072	87	7,888

The textile establishments provided employment to 838; 1,420 and 1.517 persons on an average during 1961, 1962 and 1963, respectively. The hydrogenatecl oil industry provided employment to 467 persons on an average in the same years. The ginning and pressing factories were next in providing employment to 85, 84 and 77 persons per day during 1961, 1962 and 1963, respectively.

Large-scale factories, i. e., factories having 50 or more workers and run on power; or 100 and more workers run without power, numbered 30 out of 87 total registered factories in the district during 1963. All these large-scale factories were power operated and on an average a factory provided employment to 219 workers. Of the 57 small scale factories, 54 were power operated and 3 were non-power operated. On an average power operated small-scale factory employed 22 persons per day as against 39 persons employed by a non-power operated small-scale factory.

The number of registered factories in the district again rose to 88 in 1964 from 87 in 1963. In 1964 there were 7,752 factory workers in the district giving a proportion of 651 workers per lakh of population. Cotton ginning and baling units accounted for 50 of the working factories and engaged about 38 per cent of the total factory workers in the district. The other important factories which could be noted for the same year were 19 oil-mills, 4 saw mills and 4 dal mills.

Table No. 9 gives the distribution of working factories according to working strength in the year 1965 in the district.

TABLE No. 9

Distribution of Working Factories, Akola District, 1965.

Strength	No. of factories	No. of workers
1-9	5	36
10-19	21	294
20-49	28	837
50-99	9	668
100-499	15	2541
500-999	—	—
1000-4999	1	1856
5000 and above	—	—
Total	79	6232

This chapter is divided into three sections, viz., Large and Small Industries, Cottage Industries and Labour Organisation. The first and the second sections give the information about the particular industries in the district while the third gives the information about labour organisations, labour disputes and other connected matters. In what follows is given in brief the description of a few of the industries found in the district based upon the findings of a sample survey of large and small-scale industries carried out in the district.

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