GENERAL ECONOMIC SURVEY

TRANSPORT

During the last seventy years the transport system in the district has undergone a considerable change both as regards roads and railways which is reflected in their spreadover in the district and the total traffic turnover. The construction of railways was started as early as 1852 and the district has now a net-work of railways covering about 232 miles with 36 stations. During 1956-57 more than 53,89,597 (C.R.). 12,34,099 (W.R.) outward passengers, and 19,32,667 B.Mds. (C.R.) and 7,72,940 B.Mds. (W. R.) of goods were booked from these stations. The railways according to the census of 1951 gave employment to 7,955 persons in the district.

The road transport system has also developed a great deal and almost all areas in the district have been connected with the major cities and towns. The district has a total road length of 1,576,2 miles, of which 88.4 miles are covered by the Surat-Dhulia-Jalgaon-Nagpur National Highway, 247.4 miles by the State Highways, 212.4 miles by Major District Roads, 316.2 miles by Other District Roads, and 717.7 miles by village roads. Of the total mileage 630.4 is metalled and the rest unmetalled. This works out at one mile of road to 933 persons of the population and to an area of 35 square miles on an average. Besides, there are 81 and 86.1 miles of metalled and unmetalled roads, respectively, in charge of different municipalities in the district. There are 18 major bridges and causeways over the roads and 50 ferries to carry passengers, goods and vehicles over rivers where bridges are not in existence. To facilitate the government officers touring the district on duty and the travelling public, at all important centres rest houses such as district bungalows, travellers bungalows, and dharamshalas, etc., numbering about 35 are provided in the district.

The district is well served in respect of posts and telegraphs. Besides the main receiving and distributing centre located at Jalgaon, there are 33 sub-post offices and 148 branch offices spread over all the talukas of the district. There are 22 telegraph offices and five telephone exchanges situated at Jalgaon, Bhusawal, Amalner, Chalisgaon and Pachora.

The latest development in the field of transport is the nationalization of the road transport system in the State as a result of which State Road Transport Corporation was formed in 1949 under the Road Transport Corporation Act of 1948. In pursuance of this policy, nationalization of services was started in March 1952 in Khandesh, and from August 1952 Khandesh was made an independant division with headquarters at Dhulia and jurisdiction extending over both Jalgaon and Dhulia districts. The Corporation has a number of workshops, repair sheds and garages in the district. Since the taking over of the transport system by the Corporation, the public has been well served with a cheap, better and safer mode of transport.

The rural listeners in the district get the benefits of the Rural Broadcasting Contributory Scheme sponsored by the Government of Maharashtra. This scheme covered about 92 rural and urban centres up to June 1958.

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