OTHER DEPARTMENTS

DIRECTORATE OF INDUSTRIES

The work done by the Directorate of Industries in Ahmadnagar district is mainly confined to the development and progress of large-scale, small-scale and cottage industries in the district. The Department of Industries was re-organised and re-named as the Directorate of Industries in August 1960. The work pertaining to cottage industries which was looked after by the Directorate of Industries from 1st December 1960 was transferred to the Zilla Parishad with its formation on 1st May 1962.

The main functions of the Directorate of Industries which pertain to large-scale industries, cottage industries and small-scale industries are given below:-

Large-scale Industries:

(i) To process applications for industrial licences under the Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951, as amended, and to make suitable recommendations to Government of India;

(ii) To advise parties on formalities and technical matters;

(iii) To assist parties in securing land, water, power, transport facilities, etc;

(iv) To offer laboratory facilities for analysis of raw materials. finished products, etc.; and

(v) To promote industrial research by means of research grants

Small-scale Industries:

(i) To assist parties in securing land, water, power and transport facilities, etc.;

(ii) To develop suitable sites in the industrial estates so as to offer to small entrepreneurs ready-built work-sheds with power and water arrangements and with community facilities like post office, canteen, etc., on co-operative basis in suitable cases;

(iii) To grant financial assistance by way of loans under the Maharashtra State Aid to Industries Act, 1960, and the Maharashtra State Aid to Industries Rules, 1961, and subsidy on power supply and to sponsor grant of such assistance by institutions like the State Bank of India, the State Financial Corporation and the National Small Industries Corporation for purchase of machinery;

(iv) To assist parties in securing imported raw materials and controlled indigenous materials;

(v) To assist parties in marketing products by registration with the Central Stores Purchase Organisation, Director-General of Supplies and Disposals, National Small Industries Corporation and by persuading them to join Quality Marketing Scheme; (vi) To collect quarterly statistics of production and labour; and (vii) To advise parties on formalities and technical matters.

Cottage Industries:

(i) To grant financial assistance exceeding Rs. 3,000 and upto Rs. 5,000 under the Maharashtra State Aid to Industries Act, 1960, and Maharashtra State Aid to Industries Rules, 1961, to artisans and their industrial co-operatives; and

(ii) To encourage the industries by marginal preferences in State Purchase Programme. The Directorate also performs certain other functions such as

(i) central purchase of stores required by Government departments and institutions; and

(ii) enforcement of the Bombay Weights and Measures (Enforcement) Act, 1958.

The following functions of the Directorate have been transferred to Zilla Parishad from 1st May 1962:-

(i) Grant of financial assistance upto Rs. 3,000 under the Maharashtra State Aid to Industries Act, 1960 and Maharashtra State Aid to Industries Rules, 1961 and under bonafide craftsmen and backward class artisans and educated unemployed schemes; and

(ii) Organise training-cum-production centres.

Organisation: The head of the organisation of the Directorate of Industries, is the Industries Commissioner, and his office is at Bombay. Ahmadnagar district which falls in Pune region of the State is under the control of the Deputy Director of Industries, Pune. whose office is at Pune. In addition to Ahmadnagar district he is also responsible for development and progress of cottage and small-scale and large-scale industries in other districts in Pune region, viz., Pune, Satara, Sholapur, Kolhapur and Sangli. He is also Deputy Controller of Weights and Measures and exercises direct control over district level administration of the Bombay Weights and Measures (Enforcement) (Amendment) Act, 1964.

The regional organisation follows the pattern of a revenue division. Every district has an Industries Officer. The District Industries Officer is under the executive control of the Collector of the district who is also an ex-officio Deputy Industries Commissioner. The Collector and Deputy Industries Commissioner is directly responsible to the Industries Commissioner. Except the administration of weights and measures enforcement, the Regional Deputy Director of Industries is the co-ordinating agency at district level and functions as technical adviser to the Deputy Industries Commissioner.

The Ahmadnagar district is split into the following four divisions for the purpose of enforcement of Weights and Measures Act: -

1. Ahmadnagar 1st Division, Ahmadnagar, composed of half Ahmadnagar City and all villages of Ahmadnagar taluka.

2. Ahmadnagar IInd Division, Ahmadnagar, composed of half Ahmadnagar city and four talukas, viz., Shrigonda, Jamkhed, Karjat and Parner.

3. Sangamner Division, Sangamner, comprising Sangamner, Akola and Kopargaon talukas.

4. Shrirampur Division, composed of Shrirampur, Rahuri and Newasa talukas.

The Industries Officer, Ahmadnagar, is assisted by one Senior Industries Inspector attached to office and one Divisional Senior Industries Inspector and three Junior Industries Inspectors. One Senior Industries Inspector is attached to office for development work of industries and one Senior Industries Inspector is in charge of 1st Division, Ahmadnagar and IInd Division, Ahmadnagar. Shrirampur and Sangamner divisions are in charge of Junior Industries Inspectors Every Divisional Industries Inspector is assisted by one Manual Assistant (except the Senior Industries Inspector attached to office). At head-quarters, the Industries Officer is assisted by one Senior Industries Inspector. The regular duties of Industries Inspector are inspections, investigations, collection of revenue and enforcement of Bombay Weights and Measures (Enforcement) Act, 1964. In addition, the Industries Inspector is required to render guidance to new entrepreneurs for selection of suitable industries and for various types of assistance rendered by Government and other agencies such as land, power, machinery, finance and technical guidance.

Activities: The office of the Industries Officer, Ahmadnagar, is engaged in the following developmental activities:-

(A) Assisting small-scale units or registration of their units as small-scale industrial units in order to get the facilities offered to small-scale units by the Government. So far 602 units have been registered as small-scale industries units in this district.

(B) Assisting new units for approval of their new schemes and processing provisional registration of small-scale industrial units which are in effective possession of land, building and machinery Only a very small number of entrepreneurs has so far registered.

(C) Assistance in obtaining machinery through National Small Scale Industries Corporation and Maharashtra Small Scale Industries Corporation. So far 122 units have received machinery required by them.

(D) So far 140 industrial units have been registered for obtaining subsidy on power consumption and subsidy is regularly paid to the applicants.

(E) Incentives offered to small-scale industries in under-developed or industrially-backward areas. Three units have been registered from this district under this scheme.

(F) Marketing Assistance and Export Products: The units of this district are being pursued for registration and five units have been registered under C.S.P.O. and D.G.S.D.

(G) Raw materials: Thirty-three applications are processed from S.S.I, units for imported and indigenous raw materials. Most of the registered fabricators are getting regular quota from M.S.S. I.D.C. for scarce raw materials like iron and steel, etc.

(H) Industrial estates: Three industrial estates working in the district are in progress as under:-

(i) Industrial Estate, Ahmadnagar: There were 104 shareholders whereas share capital collected was Rs. 59,000.

Land admeasuring 32 acres and 39 gunthas was handed over to the society in July 1967 and plans have been prepared by the Town Planning Department. The detailed scheme has been submitted by the society to the head office. Work of development of roads, compound walls, and factory sheds was started in May 1968. Matching contribution and L.I.C. loan has been asked for from Government.

Projects of two more units of manufacturing cement pipes are in progress.

(I) There is one demonstrator for leather industries who gives technical guidance to the leather co-operative societies in the district.

(J) Financial assistance to S.S.I, units :

(a) In the year 1968-69 a sum of Rs. 3,500 was disbursed under S.A.I. Rules, 1961.

(b) During the year 1968-69 Rs. 37,434 were disbursed through Maharashtra State Financial Corporation.

(K) Four talukas, viz., Sangamner, Shrigonda, Parner and Akola of this district are included in the Rural Industries Project sponsored by Government of India.

(L) Directorate of Industries has carried out the survey of industrial potentialities in Rahuri taluka with the help of S.I.S.I, and S.I.E.T., Hyderabad.

Rural Industries Project: In addition to above, the Directorate has Rural Industries Project at Sangamner. The details of the project are as under:―

Among the main objects of the Third Plan in implementing programmes for village and small industries were the promotion of the growth of industries in rural areas and small towns, promotion of small-scale industries as ancillaries to large industries, organisation of artisans and craftsmen on co-operative lines and improvement of the productivity of the worker through positive forms of assistance. Specific reference was, therefore, made to the importance of evolving a programme of rural industrialisation which would take into account the various aspects of development in each area and ensure close cooperation of various institutions and agencies working in the area. The Planning Commission has set up a Rural Industries Planning Committee for reviewing the progress of industries in rural areas, advising on problems of policy and planning relating to them and recommending programmes for intensive development of village and small industries in rural areas.

Objectives: The primary objective of the projects is to bring about a co-operative agro-industrial economy. This involves all-round progress in regard to agriculture, irrigation, communications, industries, social services, etc. For this purpose, the initiative and effort of local communities has to be stimulated and mobilised to the fullest extent. Among the most important measures for diversification of rural economy is establishing industries based on agriculture and other resources and development of non-agricultural alongwith agricultural occupations. The most difficult problem in the rural areas is to create, maintain and expand non-agricultural employment and the success of efforts in other directions also depends on progress achieved in building up industries suited to rural areas. The projects are, therefore, required to direct themselves to industries which can be developed in rural areas and activities ancillary to them.

Organisation: In furtherance of the above objective, the Planning Commission set up the Rural Industries Planning Committee in 1961. This Committee lays down the over-all policy and issues directives relating to the programme for rural industrialisation. The Government of India selected 49 areas in the whole country as Pilot Rural Industries Projects and of these, four were allotted to the Maharashtra State. Sangamner is one of these project areas consisting of four talukas, viz., Sangamner, Akola, Parner and Shrigonda. The project population is 5,31,711.

The entire funds are provided by the Centre by way of loans and grants. The latter covers expenditure on establishment, contingencies, training, study tours, common facility centres and other extension services.

In policy matters, the projects have also to be guided by the directives received, from time to time, from the Development Commissioner, New Delhi. Schemes on various industries are also available from his office.

When the funds are provided by the Centre, the entire scheme is entrusted to the State Government for implementation within the general frame-work of the policies laid down by the Centre. The Industries Commissioner, Bombay, is in over-all charge as head of the department and the projects are actually headed by the Joint Director of Industries (Rural Industries), Bombay.

At the State level, there is a State level executive committee of which the Secretary to the Government, Industries and Labour Department, is the Chairman and the Industries Commissioner and Deputy Secretary, Finance Department (Rural Industries Project Section), are the members. The Joint Director of Industries (Rural Industries) is the member-secretary. Programme is finally approved by this Committee which decides all policy matters, reviews progress made and schemes scrutinised by the Project Level Executive Committee. In recommended cases, loans above Rs. 10,000 and upto Rs 25,000 are sanctioned by the Industries Commissioner, above Rs. 25,000 and upto Rs. 1 lakh by the State Level Executive Committee, and above that amount by the State Government.

District Project Area: At the Project level, the State Government has appointed Project Advisory Committee. The Minister in charge of the district and the President of the Zilla Parishad are the chairman and vice-chairman respectively of this committee. Rural industrialisation is closely connected with the all-round development of agriculture, irrigation, communications, power supply, credit facilities, social services, etc. and as such, it forms a part of a wider and well coordinated plan of local development. In addition, it is necessary to associate popular representatives having intimate knowledge of their areas and who can properly put forward the urges and demands of the people in a realistic manner. Keeping in view all these essential and democratic aspects, the body of members of the Project Advisory Committee consists of the Collector, Chief Executive Officer of the Zilla Parishad, District Deputy Registrar of the Co-operative Societies, Chairman of the Co-operative Bank, Manager of the State Bank Chairmen of all the Panchayat Samitis, representatives of Khadi and Village Industries Board, industrialists, etc. The Regional Deputy Director of Industries is also a member of this committee and the Assistant Director of Industries in charge of the Project is the member-secretary. All programmes of the Project are placed before this Committee which discusses them and makes suitable recommendations. For executing the decisions taken by the Project Advisory Committee a small body called the Project Level Executive Committee has been created. The Chairman of the Committee is Minister or Deputy Minister in charge of the district whereas the Regional Deputy Director of Industries, the Collector and the Chief Executive Officer are the members of the committee, while the Assistant Director of Industries in charge of the project is a member-secretary. All cases, are to be put before this committee for further decision. This committee is authorised to sanction loan upto Rs. 10,000.

The Assistant Director of Industries, Officer in charge of the Project, is assisted by two Industries Officers and two Senior Industries Inspectors besides a small office staff. He is also provided with one jeep for intensive touring in the rural area. The Project Officer does all the spade-work and prepares the programmes which are put up before the Project Advisory Committee and subsequently before the other bodies. It is the responsibility of the Project Officer to execute all the decisions taken by the competent bodies and to ensure that all departmental formalities are properly gone through in all cases.

Rural Industries Project, Sangamner : This project was initiated in the year 1963. A rapid potential survey was started in the year 1962 and completed in the year 1963.

The project has assisted entrepreneurs as well as traditional artisans to start agro-based industries or modernise their traditional industries and to start demand-based industries. During the last five years the project has assisted 331 cottage and small-scale units by way of providing financial assistance for purchase of raw materials, machinery etc. Following units put in broad categories were given assistance by the project during the years from 1963-64 to 1968-69:-

Financial assistance: Figures of year-wise assistance by way of loan are given below:-

Training: The project lies in industrially under-developed area and hence the necessity of in-plant training was felt to create entrepreneurship, as there was no educational institution like an Engineering College or a Polytechnic, etc., in the Project.

During the six years from 1963-64 to 1968-69, 78 candidates were got trained in technical subjects. The break-up is as under:-

Study-tours: Study-tours were arranged to industrially-developed places like (1) Bombay, (2) Pune, (3) Kolhapur and (4) Sangli.

Year-wise number of candidates deputed for study-tours arranged by this Project is given below:

Common Facility Centres: Common facility centres as shown below were established to acquaint artisans with modern machinery and render various services at economic rates:-

TOP