MISCELLANEOUS OCCUPATIONS

FLOUR-MILL

A dawn accompanied by sweet songs of women as they sit at the grinding wheels is fast becoming a scene of the past. For, everywhere, grinding wheels are being replaced by modern flour-mills. Especially during the last decade the spread of flour-mills in the district has been wider than ever before.

A sample survey of eleven flour-mills operating at Bhir, Ambejogai and Parali towns has revealed some of the important features of the occupation in the district. It was found, for example, that unlike other occupations, the installation of flour-mills entails a heavy initial expenditure to its proprietor. The machinery of a mill consists of several large and small parts including an oil-engine or electric motor, a pair of grinding stones, leather strap and other tools and appliances. The entire set costs from Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 5,000, depending mainly upon the capacity of the engine. In addition, the flour-mill requires for its repairs such accessories as hammers, spanels, wrenches, etc. which cost about Rs. 80.

The flour-mill is generally housed in a building or shade either constructed by the proprietor himself or hired by him. In the latter case he has to pay rent. The mills surveyed in the district had to pay from Rs. 30 to Rs. 100, per month for the accommodation. The location of the mill was selected with a view to acquiring a large demand for its services as well as to facilitating the work of customers. Generally their site was near the market place or an important square in the towns.

The flour-mills can work on electricity or on crude and mobile oil. Of the eleven establishments surveyed in Bhir district all except one were found to have been working on electricity. The cost of operation varied from Rs. 200 to Rs. 300 per unit.

Except one large establishment at Parali-Vaijnath, most of the flour-mills had employed one or two labourers. They were paid, each of them, from Rs. 30 to Rs. 40 per month. Their working hours were nowhere fixed and certain but usually they had to work from morning till night with a few hours rest in between.

The rates charged for milling flour varied slightly from place to place. The demand for the services was mostly from the local residents and on weekly bazar days from people from adjacent areas. In Bhir district, the net monthly income of about half the number of units surveyed ranged between Rs. 125 and Rs. 150. The rest of them earned between Rs. 200 and Rs. 300. It is likely that the growing habit of people to utilise the services of flour-mills, would enlarge their business and consequently increase their profit-margin.