The Gazetteers Department

JALGAON DISTRICT FORMS PART OF THE KHANDESH DIVISION OF THE MAHARASHATRA STATE ROAD TRANSPORT CORPORATION. Nationalisation of Passenger Transport was decided upon by the State Government in August 1947 and initially the services were started departmentally in June 1948, the administration of which was subsequently handed over to a statutory corporation in December 1949, under the provisions of the Road Transport Corporation Act (XXXII of 1948). Since then the corporation has been reconstituted under the Road Transport Corporation Act (LXIV of 1950).

For administrative convenience of operating the services, the entire State was originally divided into 16 viable units (now eight after the transfer of three units to Mysore State on account of the States Reorganisation in 1956 and five units to Gujarat State after the break-up of the bilingual Bombay State in May 1960) called divisions. The Officer in charge of each division is called the Divisional Controller and he is a Class 1 Officer. He is immediately under the control of the Central Office of which the General Manager is the administrative head, assisted by the following departments and branches, viz., (1) Administration, (2) Traffic, (3) Mechanical Engineering, (4) Accounts and Audit, (5) Statistics, (6) Security, (7) Stores, (8) Civil Engineering, (9) Secretarial, (10) Legal, and (11) Central Workshop. The nationalisation of transport services was started in March 1952 in the then Khandesh district as a sub-division of Nasik Division. From August 19.52, the then Khandesh district was made an independent division with headquarters at Dhulia. Now Divisional Controller, Jalgaon Division, is the head of the division and is responsible for the operations. He is assisted by seven Class II officers who have the following functional responsibilities:—

Traffic.—The Divisional Traffic Officer is in charge of all matters relating to traffic operations.

Labour.—The Labour Officer looks after all matters relating to labour relations with the Administration and also publicity in the division.

Accounts and Statistics.—These branches are manned by two officers, the Divisional Accounts Officer and the Divisional Statistician.

Workshop.—The workshop side of the division is looked after by the Divisional Mechanical Engineer with the assistance of Divisional Works Superintendent and an Assistant Works Superintendent. Besides, there are as many Depot Managers as there are depots who are wholly responsible for the working of the depots.

The fare structure is based on what is called the stage system, the fare being 20 nP. for a stage of four miles and 10 nP. for a sub-stage of two miles. The operations in Khandesh division started in August 1952 with 54 buses plying on 32 routes. The operations have now spread over the whole of Jalgaon and Dhulia districts and the division held a fleet of 208 buses plying on 187 routes as on 31st May 1958. The buses put on road have, on an average, a seating capacity of nearly 42, exclusive of seats for the driver and the conductor. The average daily mileage operated by these buses during May 1958 was 18,442 carrying on an average 59,655 passengers per day. The average distance travelled per passenger during May 1958 was 12.47 miles.

The division also held a fleet of 12 trucks as on 31st May 1958. These trucks were operated as public carriers on a contract basis, on terms prescribed by the Corporation.

The light and heavy repairs of the buses and trucks are carried out at the Divisional Workshop, which is situated at Dhulia. After the- operation of every 12,000 miles, the vehicles are routed by the depots to the divisional workshop for maintenance and docking. In addition, there is a workshop in each of the depots for maintenance and running repairs to vehicles. These are located at Talgaon (37), Dhulia (28), Yawal (18), Chalisgaon (14). Amalner (13), Shahada (13), Nandurbar (12), Jamner (11), Sakri (11), Shirpur (11) and Chopda (10) [The figures in brackets indicate the number of vehicles attached to each depot.]. Regular daily and weekly servicing and 4,000 mile docking for maintenance are carried out in these depots.

Housing of Employees.

Under the Government of India Scheme of Industrial Housing 60 tenements have been constructed for the workers at Dhulia, 20 at Nandurbar and 10 at Jalgaon.

Sports activities are encouraged by the organisation and funds are sanctioned every year for the purpose. From these funds, sports materials are supplied to all units of the division and tournaments are arranged and prizes are distributed to the winners. Facilities for indoor and outdoor games such as chess, carrom, volley-ball and tenniquoit (ring tennis) are provided at ail the units. In addition, table tennis is also played at the Divisional Headquarters. Annual sports are held and members of the divisional stall participate in the Zonal and Inter-Zonal sports, which are held every year and the workers are encouraged to take part therein. Divisional volley-ball and table tennis teams also participate in tournaments organised by the Government Labour Welfare Centre, local private institutions and clubs.

A dispensary is run at the headquarters of the division to provide medical aid to the workers and their families. First-aid equipment is provided at Amalner, Bhusawal, Chalisgaon, Chopda, Dhulia, Dondaicha, Erandol, Faizpur, Jalgaon, Nandurbar, Nardhana, Navapur, Pachora, Parola, Sakri, Shahada, Shirpur and Yawal.

Quarterly bulletins are published in Marathi and are issued free to the workers. Libraries and reading-rooms are provided at every depot where magazines of topical interest and newspapers are subscribed to regularly. A permanent rest-room is provided at Dhulia and temporary sheds are provided at all the other units.

Labour Organisation.

A State Transport Workers' Union, affiliated to the Indian National Trade Union Congress, is functioning in the division. This Union is officially recognised by the State Transport Corporation. The representatives of the Union have an easy access to the head of the division on behalf of the workers for seeking redress to their grievances.

TOP