The Gazetteers Department

THE WORK OF THE DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRIES is mainly confined to the development and progress of small-scale and large-scale industries in the State, as its control over the development of cottage industries was, in December 1946, transferred to the Department of Industrial Co-operatives and Village Industries and its control over technical education and the various schemes related to it was, in June 1948, transferred to the Director of Technical Education.

Organization.

The officer directly in charge of small-scale and large-scale industries in the Kolhapur district is the Assistant Director of Industries (Class I State Service), who has his headquarters in Poona, and whose jurisdiction also extends to the districts of North Satara, South Satara Sholapur, Ratnagiri and Poona. He works directly under the Director of Industries, Maharashtra State. He is also in charge of work connected with the administration of the Bombay Weights and Measures Act (XV of 1932) and the Industrial Statistics Act (XIX of 1942). Besides collecting statutory statistics under the Industrial Statistics Act, 1942, he collects industrial and commercial information on a voluntary basis. He conducts commercial and industrial surveys required by the State or the Union Government and undertakes investigation in connection with references and complaints received from Indian embassies abroad and foreign embassies in India. He also conducts investigations in connection with the Merchandise Marks Act (IV of 1889) and reports cases of improper use of names and emblems specified in the schedule to the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper use of) Act (XII of 1950), for trade, business, calling Or profession etc. Purchase of stores is another subject under his jurisdiction. Under the State Aid to Industries Rules, he is empowered to sanction loans up to a limit of Rs. 1,000 in each case to applicants in his jurisdiction, subject to the condition that the total amount sanctioned by him does not exceed Rs. 5,000 in any one year. His miscellaneous duties extend to investigating into applications (made for industrial purposes) from parties in his area for land acquisition and erection of buildings and for essentiality certificates in connection with the import, export and purchase of controlled materials, such as iron and steel, cement, etc.

The Assistant Director is assisted in his work by an Industries Officer stationed at Poona, one Senior Industries Inspector, three Junior Industries Inspectors, four Manual Assistants and a small ministerial staff. This technical staff attends mainly to the work in the Kolhapur district and the Miraj and Jath talukas of South Satara district.

The duties assigned to Inspectors of Weights and Measures under the Bombay Weights and Measures Rules are carried out by the Industries Inspectors. The main purpose of the Bombay Weights and Measures Act is to provide for the adoption and compulsory use of standard weights and measures in the State. No weight or measure or weighing or measuring instrument may be sold, delivered or used for trade, unless it has been verified or reverified in the manner prescribed by Rules made under the Act and stamped by an Inspector with a stamp of verification. Fees are fixed for the verification, stamping, etc. It is the duty of the Inspectors to carry out the verification and stamping and collect the fees.

The Industries Inspectors have also duties assigned to them under the Industrial Statistics Act. This Act is applicable to all factories registered under Sections 2m (i) and 2m (ii) of the Factories Act, 1948, but the scope of the Census of Manufacturing Industries conducted under this Act is at present (1957) limited to 29 of the 63 industries classified under the Census of Manufacturing Rules, 1945 and to factories working with power and employing 20 or more workers. The occupiers of factories are required to submit returns in the form prescribed. The Inspectors have to ensure that the factories concerned maintain proper accounts and registers and make their returns by the due date.

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