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INDUSTRIES
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INTRODUCTION
AMRAVATI IS PREDOMINANTLY AN AGRICULTURAL DISTRICT with fertile soil yielding a variety of crops. About 72 per cent of its population depends on agriculture either directly or indirectly. Most of the industries in the district have an agricultural bias involving processing of agricultural produce, e.g., cotton ginning and pressing, dal mills, oil-crushing, etc. Various other industries have, however, been established recently, viz., engineering works, metal works, chemical factories, etc. The establishment of an Industrial Estate at Amravati and the recent proposals for industrial estates at Achalpur and Dhamangaon mark the beginning of an era of industrialisation in the district. In 1907 [Central Provinces District Gazetteers, Amravati District, Volume A., 1911, pp. 236-38.] cotton ginning and pressing ranked first in the district, there being then 88 such units (60 ginning and 28 pressing). Besides the cotton ginning factories, there were four other factories in the district, viz., two oil presses at Amravati, the Berar Match Company at Achalpur and the Berar Manufacturing Company at Badnera (Cotton Textile Mills). The Match Factory, started in 1906. had to face many difficulties and was, therefore, forced to close. The most important manufacture of the district was cotton yarn and cloth produced by the mills at Badnera which were started as early as in 1885. Yarn and all kinds of woven goods, both of Indian and European design and of a durable variety including dhotis, pagris, uasotis, napkins, handkerchiefs and table-cloths were manufactured. The mills steadily increased in prosperity and soon found a ready market for their products in the Central Provinces and Berar and at more distant stations.
The cotton boom during the first triennium after 1921 led to the establishment of a number of cotton ginning and pressing factories in the district. [Census of India, 1921; Central Provinces and Berar, Part I, Vol. XI.] A cotton spinning and weaving mill, viz., the Vidarbha Mills (Berar) Ltd., was established at Achalpur in 1925. The abolition of the excise duties and the imposition of successive tariffs on foreign yarn and piece goods since 1925 helped the growth of the textile industry. A further impetus was provided by the Swadeshi and boycott movements in 1930-31.
The bidi industry also received encouragement from the
Swadeshi and the boycott movements. [Census of India, 1931; Central Provinces and Berar, Part I-Vol. XII.] The district was never
an important centre for bidi-making. However, by 1931 there
were two establishments employing 50 persons or more and three establishments employing less than 50 persons.
After Independence an all-round development of the district is being sought along with other areas of the State under the Five-Year Plans.
Electrification of the district commenced late in twenties of this century. Even then only a small beginning was made. The following figures show the recent development in the power resources of the district:-
|
April 1951 |
March 1961 | |
Electrified towns |
2 |
13 | |
Electrified villages |
-- |
110 | |
Number of houses electrified |
1,820 |
10,387 | |
Large-scale industrial units |
1 |
28 | |
using high tension. |
-- |
-- | |
Electric water pumps |
21 |
2,153 | |
Annual consumption (in units) |
7,00,000 |
16,80,273 | |
Power in Kilowatts |
643 |
19,085.61 |
In 1963, electrification was extended to 123 villages of the district and about 3.500 water-pumps were worked on electricity.
The main centre of electricity generation in the district is the Khaparkheda South Thermal Grid. Its present capacity of 60,000 kilowatts will be shortly increased to 90,000 kilowatts. A part of the district will also receive its power supply from the 30,000 kilowatt-power house erected at Paras near Akola. This will provide the necessary power for various industrial units like ginning and pressing, oil mills, looms, etc.
Availability of an efficient transport system is one of the prerequisites for the development of industry and commerce. The hilly nature of the district, especially its north-eastern portion, prevented rapid progress of railways and roads in the initial stage. The last fifty years have, however, witnessed a development and quickening of transport facilities. Besides the Bombay-Nagpur-Calcutta broad gauge line passing through the district, two more railway routes have been opened, viz., the Murtizapur-Achalpur narrow gauge line and the Khandwa-Purna metre
gauge line. The latter serves the hilly tract of the district which, so far. was
without any substantial communications system. Numerous roadways emanating from
Amravati connect this cotton growing centre with various markets in the district
and outside. Amravati is connected to Bombay, Nagpur, Burhanpur, Multai. Betul, Yeotmal. Wardha, etc., by
excellent all-weather roads. Besides, a number of major district
roads have helped in the creation or a net work or communication lines.
To encourage small industrialists in establishing industrial units, an Industrial Estate was established at Amravati in 1960. Initially it is controlled by the Government and is looked after by the Community Project Officer and the Industries Officer, Amravati. Once the Industrial Estate starts working smoothly, the management will be handed over to a co-operative society. The aim is to undertake the provision of facilities to the small industrial units operating within the estate such as work sheds, water supply, electricity, marketing of products, posts and telegraphs office, etc. A sum of Rs. 10,50,000 has been sanctioned for the implementation of the scheme. So far, 30 sheds have been constructed and allotments made to various small scale establishments in the district.
The industries are granted financial assistance under the State Aid to Industries Act and Rules and under various other schemes. Thus grants to individuals under the said Act amounted to Rs. 15,000 in 1962-63. In the same year the Maharashtra State Financial Corporation granted a loan of Rs. 52.000 to two parties. A Government loan of Rs. 2,00,000 was sanctioned to Messrs. Banarse Plastic Industries, Amravati. Besides, the Zilla Parishad made a loan of Rs. 14,333 under the State Aid to Industries Rules.
Attempts are made to encourage co-operation in the field of industry by propaganda and by organising industrial cooperatives.
These steps have resulted in the opening up of a number of industrial concerns in the district. The district has at present two textile mills, one at Badnera and another at Achalpur, which employ about 2,350 persons. Besides these, at Achalpur there are the following concerns, viz., the Dyeing and Printing Works, the Vishnu Weaving Shed and the Onkar Powerloom Works.
Cotton occupies about 3,24,000 to 3,64,500 hectares of land (8 to 9 lakhs of acres) in the district. Naturally cotton ginning and pressing provide considerable industrial opportunities. At present there are 43 such units consisting of 38 large-scale and five small-scale units registered under the Factories Act. Of these 12 are pressing units. 26 ginning units and five are engaged in both ginning and pressing. Besides, there are four farmers co-operative cotton ginning and pressing establishments at Pathrot. Karanjgaon. Anjangaon-Surji and Amravati.
Next to cotton, oil-seeds feature as an important each crop of the district. With about a lakh of acres under oil-seeds, the oil-crushing industry offers good prospects. The district has at present 12 oil mills (nine large-scale and three small-scale).
The district grows a rich crop of pulses which cover about(1,20,000 acres) 48,600 hectares of land. Among pulses tur is
important and has a considerable demand, both inside and outside the district. The district has eight dal mills registered under the Factories Act. Of these two are large and six small.
Of the other industrial units in the district could be mentioned the Indian Hume Pipe Company, Ltd., Amravati, producing cement pipes and grates. Besides, there are nine printing presses, four metal works and ten engineering establishments of which three produce spare parts, one agricultural implements and the rest are concerned with general engineering. In addition, there are five kumkum manufacturing establishments, one gur factory, one synthetic twisting and weaving unit and three motor repairing and motor-body building establishments.
There is a bicycle manufacturing factory situated three miles from Amravati. The unit when fully developed will turn out 12,000 bicycles every year.
The Banarse Plastic Industries on the Amravati-Badnera Road produces electrical appliances.
The following statement gives the number of persons engaged in Industries under " Mining and Quarrying ", " Manufacturing ", " Construction " and " Electricity, Gas, Water and Sanitary Services " in Amravati district in 1961.
TABLE No. 1
PERSONS ENGAGED IN VARIOUS INDUSTRIES, AMRAVATI DISTRICT, 1961
Classification of Industries |
Total Workers |
Workers in Household Industry |
Workers in non-Household Industry | |
-- |
Persons |
Males |
Females |
Persons |
Males |
Females |
Persons |
Males |
Females | |
Division 1 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- | |
Mining and Quarrying |
642 |
350 |
292 |
5 |
4 |
1 |
637 |
346 |
291 | |
Divisions 2 and 3 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- | |
Manufacturing- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- | |
Foodstuffs |
3,891 |
3,512 |
379 |
994 |
766 |
228 |
2,897 |
2,746 |
151 | |
Beverages |
122 |
121 |
1 |
5 |
5 |
-- |
117 |
116 |
1 | |
Tobacco Products |
146 |
86 |
60 |
91 |
42 |
49 |
55 |
44 |
11 | |
Textile-Cotton |
7,810 |
5,576 |
2,234 |
2,513 |
1,402 |
1,111 |
5,297 |
4,174 |
1,123 | |
Textile-Jute |
180 |
87 |
93 |
148 |
61 |
87 |
32 |
26 |
6 | |
Textile-Wool |
15 |
9 |
6 |
14 |
9 |
5 |
1 |
-- |
1 | |
Textile-Silk |
8 |
7 |
1 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
4 |
-- | |
Textile-Miscellaneous |
5,458 |
4,714 |
744 |
2,426 |
1,825 |
601 |
3,032 |
2,889 |
143 | |
Wood and Wooden Products |
5,371 |
4,524 |
847 |
3,800 |
2,969 |
831 |
1,571 |
1,555 |
16 | |
Paper and Paper Products |
10 |
10 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
10 |
10 |
-- | |
Printing and Publishing |
353 |
333 |
20 |
17 |
17 |
-- |
336 |
316 |
20 | |
Leather and Leather Products |
1,767 |
1,644 |
123 |
1,329 |
1,236 |
93 |
438 |
408 |
30 | |
Rubber, Petroleum and Coal Products |
42 |
42 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
42 |
42 |
-- | |
Chemicals and Chemical Products |
160 |
132 |
28 |
42 |
41 |
1 |
118 |
91 |
27 | |
Non-metallic Mineral Products |
2,800 |
2,021 |
779 |
2,187 |
1,584 |
603 |
613 |
437 |
176 | |
Basic Metals and their Products |
2,228 |
2,113 |
115 |
1,384 |
1,284 |
100 |
844 |
829 |
15 | Machinery and Electrical Equipment |
319 |
319 |
-- |
48 |
-- |
-- |
271 |
271 |
-- | Transport Equipment |
954 |
953 |
1 |
70 |
70 |
-- |
884 |
883 |
1 | Miscellaneous Manufacturing Industries |
1,125 |
1,093 |
32 |
490 |
468 |
22 |
635 |
625 |
10 |
TABLE No. 1-contd.
PERSONS ENGAGED IN VARIOUS INDUSTRIES, AMRAVATI DISTRICT, 1961-contd.
Classification of Industries |
Total Workers |
Workers in Household Industry |
Workers in non-Household Industry |
|
Persons |
Males |
Females |
Persons |
Males |
Females |
Persons |
Males |
Females | |
Division 1 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- | |
Mining and Quarrying |
642 |
350 |
292 |
5 |
4 |
1 |
637 |
346 |
29 | |
Division 4 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- | |
Construction |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- | |
Construction and Maintenance of Buildings |
3,012 |
2,596 |
416 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
3,012 |
2,596 |
416 | |
Construction and Maintenance of Roads, Railways, Bridges and Tunnels. |
714 |
598 |
116 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
714 |
598 |
116 | |
Construction and Maintenance of Telegraph and Telephone Lines. |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- | |
Construction and Maintenance of Water Ways and Water Reservoirs and other Agricultural Works. |
85 |
78 |
7 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
85 |
78 |
7 | |
Division 5 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- | |
Electricity, Gas, Water and Sanitary Services |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- | |
Electricity and Gas |
611 |
605 |
6 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
611 |
605 |
6 | |
Water Supply and Sanitary Service |
161 |
90 |
71 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
161 |
90 |
71 |
In 1962, there were 97 industrial units registered under the
Factories Act, 1948. Of these 40 units were laree-scale and 57
were small-scale, besides these there were 17 small-scale units
which were not registered under the Factories Act. Further there were five large-scale industrial units which had not yet started production. The category-wise distribution of these industrial units and employment provided by them are given below:-[Details collected from the Commercial Directory of Industries in Maharashtra, 1962, Parts I, II and III.]
Category (1) |
Number of units
(2) | Number of workers engaged (3) | |
[Industrial units registered under the Factories Act, 1948, and Industrial (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951.] Large-Scale- Yarn and cloth |
2 |
1,845 | |
Cotton Ginning and Pressing |
31 |
6,279 | |
Oil Crushing and Oil cake |
6 |
672 | |
Maintenance and Repair of Motor Vehicles |
1 |
52 | |
2. [Industrial units registered under the Factories Act, 1948.] Small-Scale- |
-- |
-- | |
Pulses |
8 |
144 | |
Food Products |
1 |
20 | |
Art silk Yarn |
1 |
5 | |
Cotton Ginning |
3 |
468 | |
Printing Presses |
10 |
206 | |
Oil and Oil cakes |
5 |
112 | |
Metal works: utensils and implements |
2 |
7 | |
Electrical goods |
1 |
6 | |
Buttons |
2 |
10 | |
Stationery and miscellaneous goods |
1 |
2 | |
3. [Licensed units not gone into production.] Large Scale Units- |
-- |
-- | |
Cotton Yarn |
3 |
-- | |
Chemicals |
1 |
-- | |
Vegetable oil |
1 |
80 |
[Industrial units not registered under the Factories Act.] Besides these there are a number of units which have not as yet been registered under the Factories Act.
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