AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION

RURAL WAGES

Nearly 30 per cent of the agricultural population was returned at the 1951 census as agricultural labourers. Compared with the usual employment pattern found in other districts, this proportion appears to be rather high. The predominance of this class of population in the Jalgaon district is probably due to the heavy demand for labour for the cultivation of cash crops like cotton and groundnut, which require fairly larger labour force to tend and harvest than millets. This is counterbalanced by the heavy density (234 in 1951) of rural population and there is usually no need to obtain labour from outside.

The terms and conditions of engagement of the labour force are net always the same. Some are appointed as mere casual workers. Others are employed to perform specific field operations, while others are paid wages on an annual basis. The payment of wages differs not only from one category to the other, but from taluka to taluka also. Further, marked variations can be observed in the wages paid during past few decades. The following paragraphs bring out the variations in the wages paid to labourers for different kinds of work in 1938-39 (pre-war), 1948-49 (post-war) and 1957-58 in the talukas of Jalgaon district.

Casual Labour.

Casual labour is recruited as and when farm work arises. Usually, men are employed for heavy work while lighter work is entrusted to women. Child labour is also employed for light work. The labourers are paid on daily basis and payment is generally made in cash. The following table shows the rates of wages of casual labour in Jalgaon district: —

TABLE No. 43

RATES AND WAGES OF CASUAL LABOUR IN JALGAON DISTRICT

N. A.=Not available.

TABLE No. 43 - continued.

In the pre-war period, male labour was paid between four and live annas, female labour between two and three annas and child labour upto two annas. These limits rarely differed except in Parola, Raver and Yawal talukas where higher rates were pre- valent. Thus, a man was paid eight annas a day in Parola and Raver and twelve annas in Yawal. Female labour was paid at half the rates offered to males. The post-war year (1948-49) presents a picture of marked variations between one taluka and another. They also depended upon the type of labour employed, in most of the talukas, male wages rose by two or three times, though in Bhadgaon, Erandol and Jalgaon talukas the rise was nearly four or five times. Female wages doubled in most of the talukas. The difference between the wages paid to female and child labour continued to be small in most cases.

Wages according to operations.

Payment of wages according to the nature of agricultural operations', is made in cash on daily wage basis in almost all the talukas. In case or cotton and groundnut, there also obtains a practice of entrusting harvesting on piece-rate basis. Additional facilities are rarely given. In Raver taluka, payment is made in kind for harvesting and threshing of grains.

TABLE No. 44

RATES OF DAILY WAGES ACCORDING TO THE NATURE OF AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS IN JALGAON DISTRICT, IN 1938-39, 1948-49 AND 1957-58.

TABLE No. 44 - continued

The labourers are paid high wages for operations involving heavy manual work. Usually, highest wages are paid for operating implements. Harvesting and threshing also command high wages. Highest wages obtained at Jalgaon, Pachora, Erandol, Amalner and Raver.

Annual Servants (Saldars)

Annual Servants are employed usually by those cultivators whose holdings can provide continuous and regular employment for the whole of the year. The contract with saldar is generally for a year and may be renewed, if both the parties so desire. He is supposed to do all types of farm work and be available for serving his master for all the day. Sometimes, these saldars borrow large sums of money from their employers and, in such cases, they have to remain with the latter till the debt is paid up. Children are occasionally employed as saldars. In some places a saldar is provided with, besides cash wage, facilities like food, clothing and accommodation. Normally payment to the saldar is made in instalments, but sometimes an annual wage in advance is also given. When the amount is paid in instalments, the final balance is paid at the end of the year.

TABLE No. 45.

RATES OF WAGES PAID To SALDARS (ANNUAL SERVANTS) IN JALGAON

Balutedars.

There was a time when balutedars (village artisans) were considered to be the backbone of our village economy. In spite of the decay of the village economy in its old form, the baluta system has not disappeared. The necessity of these village artisans is naturally felt more in villages which are far away from towns and where the means of communications are very difficult. The conspicuous among them are the carpenters, blacksmiths, cobblers and the barbers.

TABLE No. 46

ANNUAL PAYMENT TO VILLAGE Balutas (ARTISANS) IN JALGAON DISTRICT, IN 1938-39, 1948-49 AND 1957-58.

TABLE No. 46—contd.

N. A.—Not available.

Most of these balutedars are paid on annual basis, usually in kind. Cash payment to village balutas seems to be prevalent in Pachora taluka. Carpenters repair farm implements. Their rate of payment varied between 45 and 60 lbs. of grain, till about 1948-49. However, it has gone up in recent years. There also appears to be a tendency to pay wages in cash. Where the work is of a different nature, payment is made on a daily basis. In the case of blacksmiths, there are no annual contracts. Cash payment is usually made on daily basis. Cobblers are paid in kind, about 50 to 60 lbs. of grain for repair to leather mots and footwears. Barbers are paid in kind. Whenever a barber attends some religious function for hair dressing, etc., he is paid on the spot both in cash and in kind.

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