ECONOMIC TRENDS

MIDDLE INCOME GROUP

The families with an income of between Rs.1,000 and Rs. 3,000 were included in this group. The average family was composed of four adults and two children making five units. There were about one to two earners per family. Out of 62 families surveyed from this group from the rural areas 35 were living in owned premises while in urban areas 14 out of 34 were living in owned houses. Only 6 from the urban areas had landed property worth Rs. 1,32,500 in aggregate. From the rural areas 27 families owned landed property worth Rs. three lakhs. Very few families owned property in other forms than houses and landed property. Only 37 families in the group disclosed their cash savings which amounted to Rs. 77,916 in aggregate giving an average of about Rs. 2,100. Besides, many families had savings in the form of provident fund, insurance, etc. Out of 96 families about 49 families had contracted debts to the extent of Rs. 60,120 in aggregate giving an average of Rs. 1,200 per family. Besides, many families purchased the necessities on credit facilities provided to them by their respective grocers. The loans were generally obtained on personal credit, many a times from friends without any interest. Those who had contracted loans from the co-operative bank were paying an interest of around 7 per cent per annum. The average annual income of a family in this group was Rs. 2,800.

The following statement gives the maximum and minimum monthly expenditure incurred by a family in rural and urban areas of the district:-

Besides this a family spent some amount on clothing, religious matters, medical attention, social obligations and travelling and miscellaneous expenditure which is accounted on yearly basis. The maximum and minimum expenditure incurred on these items by families in rural and urban areas of the district is given below: -

The average expenditure incurred by a family over the purchase of cereals and pulses was Rs. 60 per month. They generally spent on an average Rs. 16 on oil and ghee. For many, clarified butter (ghee) was a home product. They spent about Rs. 13 per month on vegetables, eggs, mutton, etc. In many cases it was supplemented by home produce. The expenditure on lighting per month came to Rs. 6 on an average. In urban areas 24 out of 34 families employed domestic servants and paid them Rs. 524 in aggregate giving an average of about Rs. 16 per month per family. In rural areas 54 out of 62 families were found employing domestic servants and paid them about Rs. 1,130 in aggregate giving an average of Rs. 20 pet month. In rural areas the servants were employed on full-time basis while in the urban areas, in many cases, they were employed for doing specific jobs like cleansing utensils, washing clothes, etc About 22 families from urban areas (75 per cent of the families surveyed) spent Rs. 557 on education of their children while in rural areas 41 families (68 per cent of the families surveyed) spent about Rs. 250 on education. Entertainment expenditure of 27 families in the urban areas was about Rs. 270, as against Rs. 250 by 37 families in rural areas. The average expenditure on the consumption of milk in the rural areas was Rs. 14 while the expenditure over the same item in the urban areas was Rs. 19. In rural areas 34 out of 62, i.e., 56 per cent of the families surveyed were living in rented premises and were found to be paying an average rent of Rs. 12 per month. In urban areas, the average expenditure incurred on rent was Rs. 22. It was found that 50 per cent or 17 of the 34 families surveyed were living in rented premises.

The average annual expenditure incurred on clothing by the families in this group was Rs. 400 in both rural areas as also in urban areas of the district. Generally people were religious-minded. About 83 per cent of the families in this group both from rural as well as urban areas spent on an average Rs. 40 per annum towards the same. Of the 62 families surveyed from this group, as many as 84 per cent of the families numbering 52, spent about Rs. 7,000 in aggregate on medical expenses giving an average of Rs. 135 per family. In urban areas 30 out of 34 families surveyed, i.e., 88 per cent, incurred medical expenses of Rs. 3,300 in a year, in aggregate, giving an average of Rs. 110 per family.

The average expenditure of a family in meeting social obligations; was Rs. 74 per year. About 66 per cent of the families in this group spent on an average Rs. 69 per year on travelling and miscellaneous  items.

The family possessions of the families in this group consisted of a few tolas of gold in the form of ornaments and some brass, copper, and earthen wares besides crockery and a few stainless steel articles, A few pieces of furniture like a chair, a stool or a table were also seen. Their bedding usually consisted of blankets, chuddar and minimum number of mattresses required for a family. Many of them had a radio set also. Children in this group generally were educated, many getting secondary and a few getting collegiate education.

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