INDUSTRIES

INTRODUCTION

ONE OF THE MAIN FACETS OF ECONOMIC LIFE OF BHANDARA DISTRICT is its industrial economy. The term balanced economy is often used in the context of underdeveloped economies implying balance between the two important sectors of the district economy viz., agriculture and industry. In a predominantly agricultural district like Bhandara, the agricultural sector is necessarily looked upon as a feeder to the industrial sector. However, in the ultimate analysis, both these sectors are viewed as complementary parts of the district economy. Therefore a co-ordinated plan for agricultural and industrial development has to be chalked out so as to ensure a self-generating and self-sustaining economy.

The study of the industrial growth of Bhandara district shows that the district is endowed with many of the pre-requisites for a sustained growth of industries, which are mostly dependent upon the locally available raw materials. Mostly the raw materials available in the district are agricultural and forest products like, rice, oil-seeds, tendu leaves, etc. Easy availability of these raw materials has encouraged the establishment of a number of rice-mills, oil-mills and bidi factories in the district. From this point of view it is necessary to make energetic efforts to build up a relatively small scale and efficient industrial structure in the district.

Another essential requisite for industrial growth is fuel; it includes mainly electric power, coal, crude oil, diesel, firewood, husk, etc. Electric power is, however, the cheapest facility that is in existence in the district. Most of the industries in the district use electric power. Formerly the electric power supply was restricted to a few towns in the district; but with the rising demand for power, the Maharashtra State Electricity Board has started its power sub-station at Tumsar which is fed through the main Khaparkheda thermal power station near Nagpur. The district gets its supply of electricity through the Vidarbha grid system. In addition, there is another sub-station located at the site of Messers Cambata Ferro-Manganese near Tumsar; it also supplies electricity to the district. With the establishment of an Ordnance Factory at Kavadsi near Bhandara, an additional sub-station at Kavadsi had been established to meet the demand coming from the factory. The electric power has, therefore, helped to a great extent towards the development of industries in the district.

Formerly the entrepreneurial capital was not easily forthcoming. The lack of such type of capital was one of the factors limiting industrial growth in the district. But at present financial assistance is made available on liberalised terms for the purpose of purchasing factory sites, construction of worksheds, purchasing of machinery and to serve as working capital through various agencies and Government. It may be noted that persons engaged in trade and commerce employ their capital in traditional activities, such as, bidi making, manganese mining, lac manufacturing, etc., and require capital for investment in new profitable ventures.

Lack of adequate communication and transport facilities is one of the important reasons retarding the development of industries in the district. Though there are not many good metalled roads in the district, the important centres and tahsil head quarters are interconnected by metalled roads. However, many of the interior places have no connection by roads to other places in the district. The Bombay-Calcutta broad-gauge railway line via Nagpur passes through the district from west to east with a length of 82 miles. A branch line of 18 miles starts from Tumsar Road to Tirodi in Madhya Pradesh. This line traverses through the manganese producing areas of the district and facilitates the transportation of manganese ore. The Jabalpur-Chandrapur narrow-gauge line also passes through the district from north to south with a length of 73 miles. Another narrow-gauge line running from Nagpur to Chandrapur passes through the south-west corner of the district for only 6 miles. Co-ordinated development of road and rail transport would lead to rapid industrial growth in the outlying area of the district.

Besides road transport the district has 226 post and telegraph offices and 24 banking offices. The district abounds in timber, large deposits of manganese ore and iron ore. Agriculture in the district provides important commercial crops, such as, rice, oil-seeds, etc. Forests in the district provide important species, such as, teak, tendu leaves useful in bidi making, palas for propagation of lac, khair for manufacture of kath, bamboo for paper industry, etc. In brief it will be seen that Bhandara district possesses considerable potential for industrial growth. With a view to giving fillip to the industrial growth of Bhandara district, the Government of Maharashtra has adopted several measures, the most important among them being the establishment of an industrial estate at Bhandara whose description will follow subsequently.

The following table No. 1 gives the number of persons engaged in industries under Mining and Quarrying, Manufacturing, Construction, Electricity. Gas, Water and Sanitary Services in Bhandara district in 1961.

In 1961, there were 190 large and small industrial units registered under the Factories Act, 1948. The table No. 2 gives the distribution of these industrial units, employment provided by them, their productive capital and gross output.

TABLE No. 1

PERSONS ENGAGED IN VARIOUS INDUSTRIES IN BHANDARA DISTRICT 1961.

Source: District Census Handbook, Bhandara, 1961.

TABLE No. 2

INDUSTRIES IN BHANDARA DISTRICT IN 1961.

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