GENERAL ECONOMIC SURVEY

TRANSPORT

Like other economic aspects of the region, transport also shares the general backwardness of the district. The topographical conditions of the district are such as to discourage any development of a good system of transport and communications. During the last seventy or eighty years no substantial improvements have taken place in this sphere except in road transport. The mass of wild, rugged hills that surface the region have actually prevented any such improvement. There are no railways nor is it easy to construct them and make them economic. It is, however, now realized that a quick and efficient system of transport and economic progress are interdependent and steps are being taken to consider the feasibility of railway construction in the region. However, in the nature of things, road transport will have to remain the major agency of communication in the district and with the establishment of the State Road Transport Corporation the facilities of road transport have considerably improved. The Bombay-Konkan-Marma Goa-Karwar-Manglore-Cape-Camorin Road (a State highway) runs south throughout the length of the district, a distance of about 212 miles. The total road mileage in the district is 1951 of which 1034 miles are metalled roads and the remainder are unmetalled. The Buildings and Communications Department and the District Local Board look after the repairs and maintenance of these roads covering a mileage of about 357 and 1594 respectively. These roads form a network in the whole of the region. However, the hilly area still prevents the distant parts of the district from being brought within the orbit of modern amenities. In such places the bullock cart provides the only means of transport. A considerable number of creeks and seasonal rivers intersect the area but there are few bridges to cross them. At many such places sailing vessels are used in the absence of any other means of transport. In some interior parts of the district water way conveyance provides a lucrative business. As many parts of the district are inundated and submerged under water during the rainy season, the district sometimes loses its contact with the other neighbouring districts.

The latest development in the transport system was the advent of the State Road Transport Corporation. It was in pursuance of the general policy of nationalisation of road transport that the corporation was formed. A separate division was established in 1950 for the district with Ratnagiri as its headquarters. The Corporation has a number of workshops, repair sheds and garages in the district. The working of the corporation provides safe and comfortable travel to the public.

In the matter of Posts and Telegraphs the district is well served. Besides the chief receiving and distributing head office at Ratnagiri there are sub post-offices and branch offices spread over the talukas of the district. There are telegraph offices and telephone exchanges.

Air transport does not exist in the district. The district also does not possess any All India Radio Station either for broadcasting or relaying purposes.

In the following table are revealed the changes which have taken place in the occupational and livelihood pattern of the district from 1881 to 1951. It is, however, difficult to draw any definite conclusions regarding these changes because the method of classification of population adopted at different censuses is not uniform. Whereas the earlier censuses do not account for the class of working dependents and those following an occupation as a subsidiary to the principal one, the censuses of 1911 and 1921 put together the principal workers, working dependents and the censuses of 1931 and 1951 classify the population into four distinct categories viz. principal workers, working dependents, non-working dependents and subsidiary workers (The census of 1931 however omits the category of non-working dependents from the actual livelihood classification). The censuses of 1901 and 1941 omit these details altogether. Moreover, due to re-adjustments in the boundaries of the districts which have taken place during the last seventy years or so make it difficult to point out the percentage increase in the number of earners in each category and the percentage absorption of the net population increase every ten years in different categories of occupations.

Table No. 1.

The table shows that the district economy is predominantly agricultural and the major share in the production of wealth in the, district goes to agriculture. Industrialisation is taking place at a slow rate. The employment pattern in respect of trade and transport indicates an expansion in respect of these activities. The number of earners in the categories of public force and public administration shows a considerable fall. Professions and domestic services seem to have dwindled in importance.

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