OTHER DEPARTMENTS

DIRECTORATE OF INDUSTRIES

Organisation.— The work of the Directorate of Industries in Bhandara district is mainly confined to the development of cottage, small scale and large scale industries. The Department of Industries was reorganised and the Directorate of Industries was formed in 1960. The control of cottage industries was transferred to the Directorate of Industries with effect from December 1, 1960.

Structure.— The head of the organisation of the Directorate of Industries is the Industries Commissioner and his office is at Bombay. Bhandara District which falls in the Vidarbha Region of the State is under the control of the Joint Director of Industries (Class I, State Service) whose office is at Nagpur. In addition to Bhandara District, he is also responsible for development and progress of cottage, small scale and large scale industries in other Districts in Vidarbha Region, viz., Akola, Amravati, Buldhana, Yeotmal, Chandrapur, Wardha and Nagpur. He is also the Deputy Controller of Weights and Measures and exercises direct control over district level administration under 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 Joint Director of Industries is the coordinating agency at District level and functions as technical adviser to the Deputy Industries Commissioner.

Bhandara district is split up into the following divisions for the purpose of enforcement of Weights and Measures Act: —

(i) Bhandara tahsil and western half of Sakoli tahsil under Senior Industries Inspector (M) with headquarters at Bhandara.

(ii) Gondia tahsil and eastern half of the Sakoli tahsil under Junior Industries Inspector (M) with headquarters at Gondia.

The Senior Industries Inspector is assisted by one junior clerk and other assistants, while the Junior Industries Inspector is assisted by one manual assistant. At the district level the Industries Officer is assisted by a Senior Industries Inspector and other necessary staff.

Inspection, investigation, collection of records and enforcement of Bombay Weights and Measures (Enf.) (Amend.) Act, 1964, are undertaken by Industries Inspectors. In addition, the Industries Inspectors are also required to render guidance to entrepreneurs for starting new industries.

In the sphere of promotion of large scale industries, the functions of the Directorate are restricted to processing of applications for industrial licences and offering suitable recommendations to the Government of India, under the Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951, developing areas with facilities of power, water, transport, etc., for location of large scale industries, providing facilities for industrial research by giving grants and export promotion.

In the development of Small Scale Industries the Directorate plays a major role by assisting entrepreneurs in the following ways: —

(i) securing land, water, power, (ii) organisation of Co-operative Industrial Estate, (iii) giving financial aid, (iv) assistance for importing machinery, spares and raw materials, (v) assistance for obtaining machinery on hire purchase basis, (vi) assistance for securing indigenous raw materials, (vii) marketing of products through Central Stores Purchase Organisation for buying requirements of State Government, (viii) quality marking of products of S.S.I., (ix) export promotion, (x) providing research facilities through Industrial Research Laboratories and research grants, (xi) imparting training to craftsmen, (xii) organisation of resource-based small and cottage industries through Government sponsored industrial co-operatives to stimulate industrialisation in industrially underdeveloped areas, etc.

The development of cottage, village industries and handicrafts is the responsibility of the Zilla Parishad. However, the Directorate gives technical guidance to the institutions under the Zilla Parishad.

Industries Officer.— Functions : Approval of Schemes.—Since July, 1968 the Industries Officer is empowered to approve the schemes which are not in the list of banned industries. On receipt of such approval the entrepreneurs are permitted to take steps to establish the industry.

Registration of Industries: A small scale industrial unit is required to get SSI registration from the Directorate, if it desires any help from the Government. An industrial unit can be registered provisionally if the proprietors of the unit have taken effective steps to establish the unit, such as purchase of land, building, machinery, etc. A provisionally registered unit on starting production within one year of such registration is eligible to get permanent registration. The total number of registered units up to March 1969 were 167.

Registration of SSI units for obtaining power subsidy: The small scale industrial units registered with this Directorate if using motive power could obtain a subsidy subject to the maximum of 2,000 units per month, provided the total connected load does not exceed 20 H.P. For Co-operative Societies there is no such limit. Such units after registration can apply every three months for claiming subsidy. 16 units have been registered under this Sheme.

Registration for Electricity Duty exemption: As per the Duty Act, 1951, a small scale industrial unit could be exempted from payment of electricity duty for a period of 5 years only.  One small scale industrial unit has been registered under this scheme.

Assistance in obtaining machinery on hire purchase basis through Maharashtra Small Scale Industries Development Corporation and/or National Small Industries Corporation : A small scale industrial unit registered with the Directorate of Industries can avail of machinery on hire purchase basis. However, industries of low priority are not normally considered. Only one small scale industrial unit has secured machinery under this scheme.

Registration for Incentives: New units which are established within the district are accorded various incentives as declared by the Government from time to time. No unit has so far been registered in the district under the scheme.

Import of raw material and machinery: Applications from small scale industrial units for imported raw material and machinery and also indigenous scarce raw materials are processed. Items such as parafin wax, mutton tallow, coconut oil, ferrous and non-ferrous metals are distributed through Maharashtra Small Scale Industries Development Corporation. Assistance rendered in this respect during the years from 1964-65 to 1968-69 is as under:—

Assistance in procuring land : Land for proposed industrial estate is acquired under the Land Acquisition Act for handing over to the Industrial Estate Co-operative Society, Bhandara. Action under sections 6 and 9 of L. A. Act has already been completed.

Financial Assistance : Applications for financial assistance under State Aid to Industries Act, and through the Bank of Maharashtra or Maharashtra State Financial Corporation are processed by this office. Seven Small scale industries have received financial assistance to the tune of Rs. 41,000.00 from the Bank of Maharashtra.

Similarly 606 goldsmiths have received financial assistance to the tune of Rs. 3,84,100 for business purposes as rehabilitatory measures subsequent to the enforcement of the Gold Control Order, 1963.

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