AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION

RURAL WAGES

The agricultural operations in the district involve manual labour. The use of tractors in the tillage of land is hardly noticed either because of the high expenditure it implies or because of the limitations placed upon its use by the nature of the tract. Whatever be the reasons which have hitherto kept this tract away from mechanisation, it is true that the importance of manual labour in all the operations has so far been unrivalled. Petty landlords are found to take assistance of casual labourers at the various stages of agricultural operations to facilitate their timely performance. All the same, it is not unusual for big landlords too, to engage casual labour at times when it is physically impossible for them to carry out field operations exclusively with the help of the annual servants (saldars). Men. women and children can be employed for manual work, as they are useful at different stages of agricultural operations. Most of the heavy work is done by men, while lighter work is entrusted to women and children. Ploughing is carried out by male labour, whereas operations such as weeding, transplanting, threshing and the like are usually done by female and child labour. Although, however, children are employed on the farm, landlords seem to show a definite preference for male and female labour. There is no dearth of labur supply in this district, where very few cultivators have a piece of land that can assure them a subsistence. Thus, some people possess a small piece of land while others are totally landless. The problem of sub-normal economic holdings obtaining in the district is further aggravated by the poor productivity of the soil. As the operations extend over a small part of the year, the casual labour is compelled to accept household work on petty terms during rest of the time. When, however, the agricultural operations are in full swing and create a rush of work at the farm, they make a pressing demand on casual labour so that it is often difficult for the employers to secure it. Casual labour is paid mostly on cash terms, although the mode of payment partly in cash and partly in kind or wholly in kind is also in vogue in this tract. It is paid in most cases on a daily-wage basis. The emoluments to be offered to casual labour depend upon a number of factors. In fact, casual labour is engaged in the work which is by its very nature temporary and must be done in proper time. In consequence, terms offered to casual labour are found to differ widely from one part to another within the district in response to the other avenues of employment open to casual labour. In such parts of the district where new industries are being opened up or where some projects-Government or otherwise-are in progress or in places in, the vicinity of railway station or equipped with other facilities of communication, casual labour is dear, as it derives alternative operfings perhaps more lucrative than casual field operations. For instance, at Karjat, labourers secure work at the railway station, at other principal towns of the district at motor stands, while at places adjacent to Panvel, Khopoli, Pen, etc.. they can be absorbed in factories as unskilled labourers. The average wage rate of a male labourer varies from a rupee to a rupee and a quarter, of a female labourer, from eight annas to a rupee and a quarter and, of a child labourer, from four annas to a rupee per head per day. Similarly, a female hand is paid less than a male hand except at Karjat and Poladpur, while a child is usually paid at half the rate offered to a male hand. The following table gives the wages of casual labourers in 1948-49:―

TABLE No. 84.

DAILY WAGES OF CASUAL LABOURERS IN KOLABA (1948-49)

Wages According to Operations.

Wages are found to vary in accordance with the kind of agricultural operations. Usually, payments are made on a daily-wage basis at a rate which is higher for such operations as involve heavy manual work. The following table gives the account of wages paid on the basis of agricultural operations, in the district, in 1938-39, 1948-49 and 1959-60:―

TABLE No. 85.

DAILY WAGES OF CASUAL LABOURERS ACCORDING TO OPERATIONS IN KOLABA.

Annual Servants.

Annual servants (saldars) are employed in the district by those cultivators whose holdings can provide, continuous and regular employment throughout the year. A saldar is usually bound to do all types of farm work and should be available all day and night. Generally, the period of contract with a saldar extends over a period of one year and may be renewed on expiry of the period, if so desired by the parties concerned. Not infrequently do the saldars borrow large sums of money from their employers in which case accounts are settled at the end of the year. If, however, the saldar is a debtor, he has either to continue to work with his employer till the debt is paid up or to refund the out standing debt to the employer. The mode of payment to saldars is on cash basis in addition to other amenities like food, clothing and accommodation. Children and women are rarely employed as saldars. Wages-are usually paid in instalments, although in many cases a sum equivalent to an annual wage is advanced to the employees.

Balutedars.

Some artisans of the village are actively connected with the agriculturist at various stages of the operations. These are the balutedars of the traditional village economy who have survived till to-day, although in a less recognised form. Balutedars are paid annually in kind for the services they render to the employers. They include carpenters (sutar), blacksmiths (lohar), cobblers (chambhar), barbers (nhavi), rope-makers (mang) and ramoshi. Of these, the first four artisans are found to be useful in agricultural operations. Thus, the carpenter (sutar) supplies and repairs carts and farm implements, the blacksmith (lohar) makes iron mots, supplies and repairs farm implements of iron or of steel, the cobbler (chambhar) repairs and supplies leather mots, shoes, chappals, etc., and the barber (nhavi) shaves the cattle. The system of baluta payments is gradually disappearing, since there is a marked tendency to make payment in cash rather than in kind so that any person other than the hereditary balutedar can be asked to perform the job. The system has totally vanished in Sudhagad and Murud, Avhile in Pen, Panvel, Karjat, Mahad, Uran, Shriwardhan and Mangaon it seems to restrict itself to carpenters and smiths. The commodities given to balutedars by way of wages include food-grains, pulses and other cereals, bundles of paddy straw and the like items. Payment is made usually at the harvest time. The following table shows the emoluments paid to balutedars, in 1948-49 [Blanks indicate that the baluta system is not applicable.]: ―

TABLE No. 86

RATE OF ANNUAL WAGES PAID TO VILLAGE ARTISANS IN KOLABA (1948-49)

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