GENERAL ECONOMIC SURVEY

INDUSTRIES

Industrially Jalgaon is a backward district. It docs not possess coal, iron or such other mineral deposits which could be mined commercially, Basic industries like hydro-electric power have not developed. As the economy of the district is predominantly agricultural the industrial development is confined to processing of agricultural produce like cotton, groundnut and sugarcane. The Census Report for 1951 returns 1,11,153 persons as engaged in industries (i.e., processing, manufacture, construction, and utilities) including self-supporting persons and earning and non-earning dependents. The mechanised group of industries is represented by cotton ginning, pressing, spinning, and weaving, hosiery and art silk, general engineering, saw mills, rice mills, printing presses and oil crushing factories. Of these cotton ginning, pressing and cotton textiles constitute the largest group employing about 13,599 from a total of 39,791 persons employed in the industries. This group is followed by metal and chemical industries employing about 4,150 workers, and by construction and utilities group of industries employing about 4,115 persons. There were in 1958, about 128 ginning and pressing factories, three cotton textile mills, 26 oil factories, three general engineering works (including one ordnance factory and a Central Railway Workshop) and three printing presses, all registered under section 2 (m) (i) of the Factories Act, 1948 (i.e., factories employing ten or more workers and using power). All these industries had a total capital investment of 3.55 crores in 1958 of which the cotton ginning and pressing, cotton textiles and oil mills accounted for the major share. The chief products of the industries are cotton bales, gray cloth, coloured shirting and coating, art silk fabrics, sewing thread, groundnut oil and cakes, cotton-seed oil, sesamum oil and cakes, etc. The total value of all the manufactured goods was reported to be Rs. 5.7 crores in 1958.

Among the small scale industries carried on without aid of power, handloom weaving of cotton is by far the most important which is in keeping with the position of the district as a cotton producing tract. According to the census of handlooms carried out in Bombay State in 1946 there were 7,000 handlooms, engaging about 8,000 artisans. The main products of the industry are khans, saris, carpets and zoras which are sold both inside and outside the district. Other cottage industries carried on without the aid of power are hand-made paper making, leather working, pottery, tanning, wool weaving, bidi-making and bamboo working, which are in existence for a long time and are carried on in their own traditional way. Of these carpentry employing about 3,885 persons, hand-made paper making employing in all about 100 families, leather working employing 4,141 persons, oil crushing engaging about 1,457 artisans and wool weaving employing about 225 persons deserve a special mention for the indigenous nature of their products.

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