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BANKING TRADE AND COMMERCE
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PEDLARS
Pedlars go from village to village carrying their merchandise with them. A number of factors have affected their trade adversely during the last half a century or so. They are: (i) the growing importance of weekly bazars, (ii) the opening up of retail shops in the distant villages, and (iii) improved transport facilities providing villages an easy access to the nearby urban areas and market places. The villagers who earlier used to patronise the pedlars, now show a marked preference for periodical markets and retail shops which offer them a wide variety and choice. However, wherever places arc inadequately served by retail shops and weekly markets they play a very important part.
Pedlars still carry on their trade almost in the same old fashion. Some of them use horses, donkeys or bullock-carts to carry their goods upon. However, many carry their loads on their persons. Almost all the transactions are on cash basis. Barter takes place only when agricultural produce is exchanged for other useful articles.
Some of the pedlars belong to professional classes, e.g., oilmen, weavers, etc. Others buy goods at urban places and sell them by peddling. The goods for sale include a wide variety such as oil, cloth, fruits, grains, ready-made clothes, cloth, saris, caps, utensils, blankets, carpets, condiments and spices, etc.
Pedlars usually carry on their business in fair weather. They belong to the local areas of the district; a few, however, come from the outlying districts and occasionally from distant towns.
The local pedlars generally buy their stocks from Paratwada, Anjangaon, Bhaisdehi, Amravati, Chandur, Dhamangaon and Brahmanwada Thadi in the district and from the nearby districts of Khandwa, Akola and Nagpur.
In 1962 the number of pedlars [Based on the information supplied by the Tahsildars in Amravati district.] in the various tahsils of Amravati district was as follows: Melghat 210 (Dharni 150 and Chikhaldara 60): Amravati (100); Chandur Railway (500); Darya-pur (519); Morshi (300); and Achalpur (550).
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