MISCELLANEOUS OCCUPATIONS

FLOUR MILLS

The growth of flour mills in towns and bigger villages during the last about four decades has been a boon to the house-wife who is relieved of the strenuous job of struggling with the grind-wheel. Expansion of rural electrification has made the establishment of flour mills quite easy and profitable. However, a large number of flour mills are operated on crude oil. The electricity consumption of an average flour mill amounted to Rs. 100 to Rs. 150 per month. For the establishment of a flour mill, the equipment required is an electric motor worth about Rs. 1,500, chakki costing about Rs. 500 and other accessories. The fixed capital of a small flour mill was estimated at about Rs. 4,000. Generally, the flour mills were one-man establishments, but those located in busy localities of the district employed one worker on the monthly salary of about Rs. 75. The sample survey revealed that all the flour mills in the district were small in size.

The 1961 Census grouped the persons engaged in this occupation as ' millers, pounders, huskers, and parchers of grains and related food workers' which numbered 1,085 (1,067 males, 18 females). Of these, only 199 (191 males, 8 females), i.e., 18 per cent of the total were in urban areas and the remaining in rural areas. The business of flour milling is brisk during marriage season and during festivals such as Diwali, Ganeshotsav, Sankrant, etc.

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