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MISCELLANEOUS OCCUPATIONS
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DOMESTIC SERVICES
An indication of the growing prosperity of the urbanites is the positive increase in the number of domestic servants. Generally, the well-to-do families and those having agricultural bias employ domestic servants. In the rural areas domestic servants are employed only during agricultural season and are paid in cash or kind for their services. The position of domestic servants in the urban areas is different. They are generally employed either to do specified jobs, such as, washing or cleaning or employed as full-time servants where they have to do a manifold kind of work in a household.
The majority of the servants are employed as part-time workers and their earnings vary from Rs. 30 to Rs. 50 per month, in addition to meal, clothes, etc., which may also be provided to them. Even though there is an increase in the earnings, there is no appreciable change in their living conditions. Most of them live in one-room tenements. However, a change is visible in their economic status due to the growth of trade unionism among them and the demand coming from them for better ways and living conditions. Their children now go to schools and enjoy facilities offered by the Government to the families in the low income group.
The number of persons engaged in domestic services was put at 1,717 in the year 1951, while it rose to 2,475 in 1961. |
