ECONOMIC PROSPECTS

INTRODUCTION.

IN A DEVELOPING ECONOMY IT TAKES A LONG TIME FOR A REGION OR A PART THEREOF TO REACH THE STAGE OF ECONOMIC PERFECTION, if at all such a stage could be visualised. A progressive economy implies an all-round development in the fields of agriculture, industry, trade and commerce, finance and banking, social uplift and rural development. Realisation of the targets depends upon the availability of natural resources and possibility of the exploitation of these resources in the most advantageous sectors of the economy. There might be possibilities of extensive and intensive agriculture, expansion in the output by the use of improved seeds, manures and better technique; changes in the crop pattern by introducing new varieties: introduction of new methods of farming, etc. The industrial organization could be modelled on sounder footing by starting new and hitherto unknown industries; rationalisation of production; better and faster production by a more fruitful combination of factors of production, etc. The industrial and agricultural picture of the region could be effectively changed by making available the vast unused capital resources by developing the hanking and insurance habits of the people, supplying cheap credit through co-operative institutions and by creating better and healthy labour-capital relationship with the help of proper legislation. If the aim of a planned economy is to make the country prosperous, the individual should be made the centre of interest around whom all the economic forces must reverberate. Wealth produced is meant to be consumed. The output must be made available to the common man in the cheapest and quickest possible manner and as such transport and trade have great importance in a developing economy. The material advancement has to be substantiated by social and moral uplift. The future in this connection reveals a wide range of activities. Economic welfare requires to be the watchward of any such activity undertaken by the Government. The rural masses were hitherto neglected. They require education, guidance and paternal attitude because the picture of India is the picture of rural India. The future prosperity of the country depends upon their prosperity. Such a state of affairs necessitates the closest co-operation among all the sections of population and the Government who fight with all their might to uproot the evils of poverty, ignorance and backwardness. In the following paragraphs are analysed a few such aspects in the developing economy of Jalgaon district which will make it rich in its substance and variegated in its aspects.

FACTORS DETERMINIG ECONOMIC PROSPECTS.

The factors conditioning economic prospects of a region may be natural as well as external. Availability of natural resources such as fertile land, abundant water-supply, dense forest, mineral. and labour arc the prerequisites to the prospective development of an economy. However, any endeavour for economic advancement is conditioned by the exploitation of the natural resources by means of external factors such as capital, skilled labour, machinery and tools, improved methods of cultivation, transport facilities, etc. The direction as well as the pace of economic events of a region are influenced to a considerable extent by external factors. Kconomic development of a district also depends upon the existing instilutional framework as well as the socio-economic policies of the governing authorities. Economic planning, which aims at the maximisation of the social product through the optimum utilisation of the natural as well as external factors, widens the economic prospects of a region.

Since the publication of the old Gazetteers socio-economic conditions have changed considerably. Improved methods of agricultural production, transport facilities, improved tools and equipment, and supply of capital and know-how. which were absent then, have emerged gradually since the depression of the thirties. Co-operative organisations, banking agencies, educational institutions and exhibition and demonstration farm organisations intended for more and better agricultural production have emerged. With the developments in transport and communications an economic unit like a district has assumed a national character, and as such, the economic prospects of a district are to he studied in the context of the national economy. The price mechanism, which forms the nucleus of the free market economy like ours, is national in character. However, it is interesting and useful to study the economic prospects of a unit like a district.

AGRARIAN ECONOMY.

The economy of the Jalgaon district is agrarian in nature from the most ancient, times and provides a means of livelihood to 60.6 per cent of the population. Being endowed with black alluvial as well as fertile loamy soil, a diversified agrarian economy has remained a mainstay of the district:. The lack of minerals and heavy industries has also contributed to the present structure of the district's economy. The total cultivated area is 70 per cent of the total geographical area of the district.

The economic structure being as it is, the study of the economic prospects of this district amount-; to the study of its agrarian development.

There is ample scope for increasing agricultural production if proper irrigation facilities are provided for. The contents of the soil are such that with application of doses of irrigation waters, green and chemical fertilisers, use of improved seeds and adoption of scientific methods of cultivation, a diversification of crops can be visualised. The principal crops, at present, arc cones;, groundnut, banana, jowar, bajri. pulses, wheat and coriander. In the paragraphs that follow is given an appraisal of the prospective crops.

EXTENSIVE AND INTENSIVE CULTIVATION.

Agricultural production can be increased by extensive and intensive cultivation. The former method, however, is not possible as 70 per cent or most or the total geographical area is already under cultivation. There is no further scope for the reclamation of the forest area, which is only 17 per cent. With the unscrupulous cutting of forests in the past decades their density and stretch is declining and this may be regarded as having a very bad impact on climatic conditions. As regards fallow lands, there are very few of them which can be brought under cultivation. The grassland which provides grass and fodder to the live-stock cannot be converted otherwise.

Intensive cultivation of the. existing cultivated area can be visualised, and is. in fact, the modus operandi of any programme of agricultural development in Jalgaon district. The draft of the Second Five-Year Plan of Jalgaon district rightly stresses, "the potentialities of agricultural development mainly relate to getting increased production from the lands already under utilisation. The main lines along which this development is proposed to be achieved are adoption of improved agricultural practices, agricultural research and demonstration, development of cotton, oilseeds. sugarcane, etc., and improvement through mechanical cultivation and soil conservation measures and provision for training facilities in agriculture."

PROSPECTIVE CROPS.

Production of cotton can be increased through the supply of disinfected seed, and the prevention of pests and diseases, which at present hamper the production to a considerable extent. Besides supplying better seeds, maintenance of purity by eliminating impure varieties and agmarking of cotton should be undertaken. During and prior to the First Five-Year Plan several schemes for introduction of improved varieties of cotton such as, Virnar, 170 C°2, etc., were undertaken with a view to improve the quality on the lines of the Indo-American long staple cotton. Improved seeds of these varieties were supplied to the agriculturists. Special mention may be made of the two schemes, viz., (1) the Vimar cotton seed multiplication and distribution scheme, and (2) the new Khandesh cotton breeding scheme. This endeavour is calculated to have sizeable impact on the agrarian economy of this district. Banana is also a very prospective crop, and its production can he augmented if cheap irrigation facilities, right type of manures and speedy transportation are made available. A very large proportion of the cultivated acreage is suitable for banana production. Research in order to explore ways and means to preserve it for longer time and removal of the transport bottleneck are invaluable for the export of banana to foreign countries. Sugarcane cultivation can also he increased as the soil and climate are best suited for the variety of sugarcane sown in Jalgaon district.

SOIL CONSERVATION AND MECHANISATION.

In the context of full utilisation of land resources for stepping up agricultural production, measures such as soil conservation and mechanical cultivation assume great importance. Experimental work carried out in the past has shown that loss of soil by erosion on unprotected fields might come to about 50 tons per acre in an adverse year. Such large scale erosion of top soil results in depleting the valuable ingredients of the soil and reducing its fertility which can be prevented through measures such as bunds and trenches. Mechanical cultivation with the object of clearing the waste lands of deep-rooted weeds will help increasing the productivity of land.

IRRIGATION.

Irrigation facilities are the sine qua non of the programme of intensive cultivation in Jalgaon district. When irrigated, the land would become a rich green land. The Girna Project is an endeavour towards the same. On completion, the project will bring under irrigation an area of 1,42,870 acres in the Chalisgaon, Parola, Bhadgaon and Erandol talukas, in some parts of which near famine conditions prevail.

The programme of minor irrigation includes construction of small irrigation works, construction and repairs of wells and tanks, and lift irrigation, etc. Seven small irrigation works bringing an area of about 19,675 acres under their purview were completed during the First Five-Year Plan and eight similar works with a pivoted goal of 23,300 acres were sponsored during the Second Plan.

In view of the considerable depth and the consequent cost of the wells a cheaper source of irrigation water may be sought in the tube wells which are likely to be a successful endeavour. The Tapi river, which traverses the heart of the district, is also available for irrigation facilities and there is a strong case for building a dam over it. This will exploit the economic potentialities of the surrounding areas as the soil is favourable to the production of bananas.

DEVELOPMENT OF FOREST RESOURCES.

The development and utilisation of forest resources forms an integral part of the programme of optimum land utilisation and industrialisation. The Satpuda mountain is a gift of nature, and is a source of economic potentialities and employment. In fact, forest produce is a means of livelihood to the bhila tadavis, pawaras, vanjaris and similar other tribes. Among the major and minor products obtained from the Satpudas are timber, fuel, rosha grass and its oil, catechu, bamboo, ghat-bori, tembhurni leaves, anjan leaves, charoli, etc. Due to its medicinal values and use for the preparation of perfumes, the rosha oil is a very valuable commodity and a good foreign exchange earner. It is greatly in demand in the western countries, especially France. Planned utilisation of rosha grass, better methods of oil extraction and right type of extracting agencies will elevate the produce.

With the advent of industries, more wood is required for charcoal; gums and resin are indispensable for certain chemical and manufacturing industries; barks and certain fruits obtained from the forest are required for tanning; wood pulp finds an ever increasing market in the manufacture of paper, cellulose, artificial silk, etc. With planned utilisation these raw materials can be availed of amply from the Satpudas. A programme of forest development will include teak plantation, propagation of bamboo, matchwood and lac cultivation, soil conservation, etc.

SCOPE FOR INDUSTRIAL CONDITIONING FACTORS AND PATTERN OF DEVELOPMENT.

The factors conditioning industrial development of an area are natural as well as external. Among the first category may be listed minerals, raw materials, means of power, labour, etc., while capital, machinery and tools, chemicals, technical 'know how', cheap power and transport are the external factors. Due to the lack of minerals, cheap power and indifferent attitude of the past Governments, Jalgaon district has been industrially backward. Prosperous agriculture also contributed to this phenomenon, as on the background of thriving agriculture, industry never received attention of the people it required. From the most ancient times agricultural pursuit has become a mode of life of the people in this district.

The pattern of future development both of large and small scale industries will depend on the results of survey of agricultural developments, minerals, schemes for power supply, transport facilities, etc. With the advent of these facilities, the prospects of establishing small manufacturing units will considerably brighten. One of the principal reasons arresting industrial growth in Jalgaon district is the absence of adequate power supply. As the chain process of industrialisation sets in, it may become necessary to take up schemes for stepping up capacities of the existing generating plants. The thermo electric plant proposed at Khaparkheda may be calculated to change the economic face of the district.

However, in the district the prospects of industrial development are bright especially for the industries requiring raw materials which are supplied by agriculture.

Jalgaon district being a producing centre of long staple cotton, one more spinning mill can be visualised at Bhusawal as it is a very good distribution centre with respect to handloom weaving centres in the district and Burhanpur. Availability of electric power, water-supply, rail transport and concentration of weaving industry would justify Bhusawal as a prospective centre for this industry. Short staple cotton, cotton waste and linters can be profitably used for manufacture of surgical cotton for which there is considerable demand in the country and in foreign markets. Cotton seed, besides being a nutritious cattle feed, yields very valuable oil, and is a foreign exchange earner. One cotton seed oil extraction plant may be started in the district as there are numerous cotton ginning factories.

In view of the availability of rosha grass, rosha oil distillation industry might be regarded a prospective one. This oil is usually exported to European countries, especially to France, where it is utilised in the manufacture of sweet perfumes, soaps and medicines. The present method of distillation is very crude. Small improved units for distillation of the oil can be located at some places near the sources of grass and water, and a central unit for fractionation and rectifying the oil can be located near a place like Jalgaon.

The value of banana production, calculated to he a foreign exchange earner, can he elevated by establishing an industrial unit for preserving banana in the form of powder. This powder is a very nutritious food. Distillation of day-stuff from the juice of banana plant can he regarded as an important small industry. The cost of distillation may be presumed to be very low while the dye-stuff would be a valuable onc. A research centre and industrial unit is rightly proposed in this district.

The climate in this district appears to be favourable for the growth of khair (catechu) and salai wood. A catechu extracting plant, and another one for the manufacture of pulp, and a good number of saw mills to manufacture shooks for packing cases, laminated boards appear prospective.

Bhusawal being an important railway junction, and in view of the proposed electrification of the Igatpuri-Bhusawal railway line, a bigger railway workshop and a spare parts manufacturing plant is visualised.

ROAD DEVELOPMENT.

Industrial and commercial development in this district, as in others, is conditioned by the improvement and asphalting of roads and construction of bridges. The bridge on the Tapi near Bhusawal, which is under construction, will have a very favourable elfect on the commerce of this district. The district is served beneficially by railways. However, much remains to be done re-grading roads. The Faizpur-Bhusawal road and Yawal-Bhusawal road have a great commercial importance. Hence, there is a very strong case for their asphalting.. There is a strong case for black-topping or asphalting an important state highway like the Shirpur-Raver-Burhanpur road as it is subject to several interruptions in the monsoon.

CO-OPERATIVE CREDIT AND BANKING.

Easy credit and development of co-operative banking may be calculated to have a very beneficial effect on the agrarian economy of the district. For centuries the rural population was exploited by the moneylenders. With the advent of money-lending legislation the urge for co-operative credit has cropped up. for strengthening the movement large-sized primary units and central banks should he sponsored.

EMANCIPATION THROUGH REGULATED MARKETS.

Better functioning of regulated markets and sponsoring co-operative marketing facilities will make convenient the profitable disposal of agricultural produce. Emancipation of the agriculturists vis-a-vis the fluctuations in prices caused by speculative activities of the traders will have a far reaching impact on the agricultural economy of the district. The programme of emancipation includes provision of credit to the agriculturists, cooperative warehousing and marketing, etc.

Taking an overall picture of the economic structure of Jalgaon district, it seems probable that prospects of the agrarian economy are bright. There is also scope for industries, mainly requiring agricultural commodities as raw materials.

SOCIAL UPLIFT.

Besides the aforesaid paraphernalia of economic life, economic progress is also conditioned by education, cultural advancement, social amelioration of the down-trodden and the marginal social advantages accruing to the people. As such an ail-round economic programme has to include them. Though the district is not educationally backward, technical as well as adult education is calculated to have, a beneficial effect. The Sarvodaya Kendra at Khiroda is doing a lot for the cultural advancement and amelioration of the down-trodden However a more tangible and wider programme is to be visualised. Public health is one of the most neglected fields, and any progress in this field would result in elevating the efficiency of labour.

Labour relations in the rural areas have never received attention of public authorities. Agricultural labourers are a disorganised and isolated group without being assured fair wages, employment and human conditions of work in this district as in others. Efficiency and morale of the workers would be increased through the establishment of labour markets in the towns and villages so that there bargaining position will be improved.

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