The Gazetteers Department

The rise of lodging and boarding houses can be attributed to the increasing trade and commercial activities in the towns and market places of the district. Following the development of transport and communications, people from all over the district as also from outside frequently visit the towns and stay in lodges.

In Dhulia district, there are very few lodging and hoarding houses. Most of them are located in Dhulia town, the district headquarters, and an entrepot centre of trade. Most of the houses cater either for lodging or boarding services and very rarely for both. These services are available in some of the hotels also. Some boarding houses provide only vegetarian meals, whereas a few provide both the vegetarian and the non-vegetarian meals.

The lodging and boarding houses in the district are not so decent and clean as their counter-parts in big cities like Bombay. Poona or Nagpur. The furniture, that they have is of a mediocre type, the meals they serve are of medium standard, raid the lodging facilities they provide are not up to the mark.

The accessories consist of foodgrains., pulses of all kinds, spices, gram-flour, milk, tea, sugar, coffee, etc. The expenditure on these items ranges from Rs. 500 to Rs. 800 per month, depending on the size, turnover and location of the establishment.

Tables, chairs, benches, show-cases, cup-boards, big utensils, pans, mugs, bowls, dishes, glasses, drums, mattresses, pillows, chaddars, etc., comprise their equipment. The expenditure on them is of a fixed nature and varies between Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,500.

Consequent upon the general scarcity of foodgrains and rising cost of equipment, the business, to some extent, has been affected. Though the turnover has declined, their income is not affected as there has been a simultaneous rise in the charges for the services they render. The monthly income of a lodging house is found to be ranging between Rs. 250 and Rs. 600, and that of a boarding house between Rs. 300 and Rs. 500 per month.

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