INDUSTRIES

i-LARGE AND SMALL INDUSTRIES

Oil industry.

Groundnut is an important commercial crop grown extensively in the district. The area under groundnut cultivation has increased progressively from 62,281.985 hectares (1,53,902 acres) in 1951 to 83,203.441 hectares (2,05,600 acres) in 1960. The production of groundnut during 1960-61 amounted to 52,225.448 metric tons (51,403 tons). Of this, it is estimated that only about 25 per cent is utilised locally by 13 oil-mills in the district for oil extraction and the rest is exported after decortication. A proposal has been put forward by growers of groundnuts in the district to start new co-operative oil-mills located at various resource centres in order to utilise locally the large quantities of groundnuts which are at present exported to neighbouring districts. Of the 13 units, 7 units are engaged in oil extraction employing about 175 persons and the remaining 6 units are engaged in groundnut decortication. All the mills are situated at Sangli except three, one each at Miraj, Islampur and Tasgaon.

Raw materials.—Groundnut is the main raw material. Safflower and Sesamum are the other oil-seeds which are also used for extraction of edible oil. These are grown in the surrounding area and are purchased in the markets at Sangli, Miraj, Jaisingpur, etc. The oil-seeds are stocked by the millowners at the harvest season when their prices are usually low.

Tools and equipment.—Machines and appliances used are steam engines, boilers, big and small expellers, rotary machines, filter presses, decorticators and electrolyser for producing hydrogen gas. An oil expeller costs about Rs. 15,000, an electric motor Rs. 1,000, filter processing machine about Rs. 2,000, boiler about Rs. 3,000 and refinery tank about Rs. 6,000.

Groundnut husk, coal and firewood are used as fuel. On an average, one expeller consumes about 50 bags of husk in a day in the busy season. Electricity is very rarely used. Six mills consumed fuel power, worth Rs. 21,100 in 1962.

Production.—Most of the mills use groundnuts for expelling although some produce oil from safflower, til, karanji, etc. The production of the four mills was valued at Rs. 21,39,472 in 1962-63. Oilcake is obtained as the by-product. It is used as a fertiliser and also for feeding the cattle. The oilcake yield depends on the quality of the seeds and the process of production.

Marketing.—Oil is sold locally and also sent to Bombay, Poona and Karnatak. Safflower and sesamum oil is expelled on a small scale and is used exclusively for local purposes. The marketing of the oilcake is also carried on a large scale in the Sangli market.

Employment.—The industry is seasonal, and so the employment also. The skilled worker gets about Rs. 3 per day and the unskilled about Rs. 2. Women are also employed. A female labourer is paid about Rs. 1.50 per day.

Finance.—Generally, the large mill owners purchase and stock raw materials in the harvest season. The owners of small plants do not enjoy this advantage due to the shortage of funds. The availability of cheap credit in the busy season is the main requirement of small entrepreneurs in this industry.

Cotton Textile.

There are seventeen cotton textile factories, at present, in Sangli district, located mainly at Sangli, Miraj and Madhavnagar. Some of them are large-scale units, employing more than a thousand workers, while some are smaller having not more than ten spindles. The availability of electricity and a wide local market have, accelerated the growth of this industry in the district.

Capital.—The total investment of capital up to 1960-61 was Rs. 84.05 lakhs including working capital amounting to Rs. 34.45 lakhs.

Employment.—The number of workers employed was 2,091 in 1961. The average number of persons employed was 1,943. Besides, a number of persons were employed as jobbers, officers and clerks. The labour force was from the adjoining areas and was directly employed by factories. The wages paid amounted to Rs. 30.56 lakhs, of which Rs. 2.40 lakhs were paid as salary and remuneration to the office staff. The average daily earning amounts to Rs. 5 and Rs. 2½, for skilled and unskilled workers, respectively. However, the wage rates for skilled workers varied in dliferent factories. The wage rate for unskilled workers was more or less the same in all the fields,. Generally, a skilled worker earns Rs. 175 per month. Workers were paid bonus also.

Raw materials.—The raw materials used are cotton of short, medium and long staple, a part of which is imported from foreign countries. In weaving sections, bleaching and sizing materials are required besides cloth, hooks, gunny bags, hemp twine, craft paper and paper for labels, etc., The total value of raw materials cousumed by the industry in the year 1961-62 was of the order of Rs. 88.30 lakhs. Cotton and other fibres like art silk accounted for Rs. 70.27 lakhs which was about 80 per cent of the total expenditure. Cotton yarn accounted for 15 per cent and the remaining five per cent was for miscellaneous items such as colours, packing materials and mill stores.

Products.—The principal products of the industry are yarn and cloth. Some of the factories produce only yarn which is sold to other firms. The production of yarn, in the year 1961-62, amounted to Rs. 1.25 crores and that or cloth to Rs. 54.20 lakhs. The total production of cloth was 49.14 lakh yards.

Fuel—Coal, oil, firewood and electricity are used for power and fuel. Their total value amounted to Rs. 6.64 lakhs in 1961-62, of which 75 per cent accounted for expenditure on electricity, 15 per cent for coal and the remaining 10 per cent for oil and firewood. Nearness to the Koyna Hydro Electric Project facilitated the quick availability of electricity and the process of gradual replacement of coal and firewood by electricity.

Market.—The product of the industry in the district has a wide demand and has captured important markets in Maharashtra, it is sent to Bombay, Sholapur, Nasik, Ichalkaranji, Satara, Kolha-pur and Belgaum.

Chemical Industry.

There are two chemical firms situated at Miraj. One of them undertakes the manufacture of pharmaceuticals and extrusion of polyethylene bags and lay flat tubes. It was established in 1949 and registered in the year 1960. The other firm was established in 1930 This firm also undertakes production of chemicals.

Capital.—The value of fixed capital in both the enterprises is Rs. 29,05,000. One of the firms has its own building and the other is situated in rented premises. The value of the building is estimat d at Rs. 1,25,500. The working capital of both the firms amounted to Rs. 1,21,275.

Labour.—The total number of persons employed in both the firms is 102 of whom 19 are in the office establishment. Both skilled and unskilled workers are employed by the industry. The rate of wage paid to a skilled worker varies from Rs. 3 to Rs. 4 per day, while unskilled workers are paid much less than that.

Raw materials.—The raw materials used by these firms- are chemicals, drugs, polyethylene, sugar, vitamins, etc. The total expenditure for the purchase of raw materials amounts to Rs. 2,50,000 approximately. A part of the raw materials required are imported from foreign countries. The rest is purchased in the indigenous markets. The industry also requires packing materials, glass bottles, card-boards and boxes.

Fuel.—The firms use petrol, kerosene, bursbane gas and coal as fuel. Fuel constitutes the major item of expenditure.

Products.—Both the firms produce different kinds of drugs and medicines.

The products are sold throughout the country. However, a good part of the products is consumed in Maharashtra.

Engineering Work.

There are eleven engineering firms in Sangli district. They are centred around Sangli and Miraj towns providing employment to a large number of people. Some of these factories were established as far back as 1901. Others were established in the period between 1935 and 1964.

Capital.—The total capital investment in all these factories at the time of collection of information was about Rs. 30,00,000 and the working capital was approximately Rs. 10,00,000.

Employment.—These firms provide employment to 530 persons of whom 94 are on the office establishment. Most of the labour, both skilled and unskilled, is from the neighbouring area. The amount paid as wages and salaries was Rs. 6,31,212 in 1963-64 Skilled workers are paid higher wages, than the unskilled workers.

Fuel.—For fuel and power, coal, coke, firewood, electricity, kerosene, petrol, crude oil and mobiloil are used. The consumption of electricity has been gradually on the increase and there is a marked tendency to use coal instead of firewood. The expenditure on fuel consumed by all the factories in 1963-64 amounted to Rs. 1,91,180, 25 per cent being spent on electricity.

Raw materials.—The principal raw materials used by the industry are iron and steel, brass, pig iron, cement, sand, mould and timber. This accounts for 70 per cent of the total expenditure on raw materials, the important among them being iron, steel and pig iron. Next in importance are packing materials such as hessian, craft paper, wooden cases, straw boards and other stores which account for 27 per cent. The other raw material used includes items like paints and varnishes, oxygen, borax, etc.

The item-wise expenditure on raw materials by these firms in 1963-64 is given below:—

Products.—The factories produce pumps, gates, septic tanks, doors or door frames, reinforced concrete spun pipes, oil engines (6 H.P.) base plates, gear casting, motor body covers, agricultural implements, like ploughs, centrifugal pumps, thrashers and cots, chairs. overhead line materials, bolts, studs, shafrs, keys, lathe machinies, etc. The total production of all these articles in 1963-64 was valued at Rs. 44,86,816.

Kirloskar Engineering Works.

The Kirloskar Engineering Works which is by far the most important manufacturing concern in the district manufactures machini tools and iron and steel agricultural implements. Besides, it produces power looms and dobbies, crude oil engines and many other iron and steel articles.

This factory established by the late Shri Laxmanrao Kirloskar in 1910 now works as Kirloskar Brothers Limited. The achievements at Kirloskarwadi in terms of major business expansion and technical advancement, are just two vital contributions to Indian enterprise. For Kirloskarwadi is the foremost example of an industrial centre developed in the countryside, an outstanding example of bow an industry can revitalise village economy and village life.

Kirloskarwadi is said to be a model township inhabiting about 2.000 people. It covers an area of 78.509 hectares (194 acres), with broad, paved and tree lined avenue running through the centre, separating the factory area from the employees' quarters. It has its own residential quarters for its employees, schools, hospital, gymnasium, well-laid system of roads, and has its own arrangement for power and electric lighting.

The company's balance sheet as on 31st July 1962 is given below:—

KIRLOSKAR BROTHERS LIMITED, KIRLOSKARWADI, DISTRICT SANGLI Balance sheet as on 31st July 1962.

Products.—The factory produces, various steel products which can be classified under three heads, i.e., (1) agricultural implements, (2) pumps and (3) steel furniture.

The following agricultural implements are produced: ploughs, disc harrows, chaff cutters, scrapers or levellers, hand cultivators, maize shellers, corn winnowers, wheel hoes, mots and mot wheels, rahats (hand and bullock driven), sugarcane crushers (bullock or power driven) and groundnut decorticators (hand and power driven).

The second category, i.e., pumps, includes the following products: shallow-well hand pumps, horizontal double-acting force pumps, deep-well hand and power reciprocating pumps for ordinary and bore wells, sprayers—single, double and triple barrel, centrifugal pumps, pumping sets directly coupled for electric drive and fast valves.

In steel furniture, they produce chairs, teapoys, shelves, cradles, sofa sets, tables, bed lockers, spring bed steads, camp cots, hospital furniture, operation tables, reversible school desks, ornamental cast iron railings, etc.

Besides, power looms, dobbies and crud oil engines are also produced.

Raw materials.—For the year ending July 1962, the total purchases made were of the order of Rs. 2,44,76,213. The factory spent a sum of Rs. 5,17,084 on power and fuel during the same period.

Employment.—In 1910, when the factory went into production the number of workers engaged was only 50. In 1960, it rose to 1,700. The total expenditure incurred on wages, salaries and bonus was of the order of Rs. 39,01,717 for the year ending July 1962. A contribution of Rs. 1,48,390 to provident fund and employees state insurance was made.

The factory has its own well-equipped dispensary for the welfare of the employees. The management spent Rs. 1,13,110 on welfare facilities during the year ending July 1962. All kinds of recreational facilities are provided to the workers. The colony has its own sports club gymnasium which is claimed to be one of the best in the Deccan. There is also a Mahila-Mandal, a branch of All-India Women's Conference. Besides, the colony has a library, a bank, a post and telegraph office, co-operative societies, etc. The company has a special Town Maintenance Department to look after the colony's buildings and amenities. Special transport facilities have been arranged for those workers coming from the unrounding villages.

Market.—The total amount of goods produced in this factory was worth Rs. 3,87,87,391 during the year ending July 1962, including the amount of discounts given to sole distributors and others. The Kirloskar products find market not only in India, but also in some African, Asian and Latin American countries.

Sugar Industry.

Sugar manufacturing is one of the major industries in Sangli disirict. There is a great scope for the expansion of this industry, if raw materials and capital are made available. Formerly, sugarcane was mainly used for the manufacture of gul in the distriet. In 1948, an attempt was made to establish a sugar factory near Sangli. In 1956, "The Shetkari Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Ltd." was established at Sangli on a co-operative basis. The factory which employs about 800 persons works for about 5 to 6 months in a year.

Raw materials.—The main raw material required is sugarcane which is grown in about 8,903.092 hectares (22,000 acres) of land in the neighbouring areas. The other requirements are lime, sulphur, phosphate, caustic soda, gunny bags, washing soda, etc. The fuel consists of furnace oil, wood and electricity. The value of the raw materials and fuels excluding sugarcane was Rs. 5,35,482 in the year 1962-63. The chemicals are purchased from Bombay.

Tools and equipment.—The factory had an investment of Rs. 1,12,83,125 in plant and machinery, and of Rs. 18,03,948 in buildings and lands. Tools and equipments used are varied and range from a spanner to a crushing mill consisting of rollers, vacuum-pans, boilers, centrifugal pumps, etc. The production capacity of the plant is 1,270 Metric Tons (1,250 tons) of sugarcane per day.

Process.—Sugarcane is cleaned from trash and mud before being loaded in a cane carrier which takes it to the mills for crushing, ft is cut into pieces by two sets of knives and is prepared for milling. These preparatory devices are very necessary before cane is crushed. The cane is crushed in a mill consisting of three rollerss. To ensure complete extraction of juice, hot water is macerated before 5th mill. The bagasse goes to boiler as fuel where steam is generated for processing purposes.

The extracted raw juice after being weighed in automatic scales is passed through one set of juice heater where it is heated from 70°C to 80°C. It is then taken to sulphitation tanks where milk of lime and So., gas are added. The flow of lime and So₂ gas is adjusted according to the rate of flow of incoming juice. The treated juice is then passed from the juice sulphitation tank to the second set of juice heater where it is heated up to 1000°C. Then it is again led to a big vessel called Dorr, consisting of five chambers. Here sulphited juice is allowed to settle.

Decanted juice or clear juice is sent to one quadruple set consisting of four bodies, where clear juice is boiled under vacuum and then concentrated. The muddy juice is passed through Oliver Filter with a rotatory drum under vacuum. Due to its vacuum, it catches, mud, where it is washed by a spray of hot water in order to ensure less loss of sugar in mud. Mud with very low sugar content escapes from the drum where there is no vacuum. The heavy and light filtered juice is again led to the weighed juice reservoir lank. The mud is thrown outside by means of a screw conveyor. This mud is weighed for chemical control and is used as a fertiliser.

The syrup (thick juice) is again sulphitcd in a syrup sulphitation auk. Three varieties of massecuite are boiled in pans which are under vacuum from syrup and molasses. 'A' massecuite is mainly boiled on syrup only. 'B' massecuite is boiled on the molasses which are obtained from 'A' massecuite. 'C' massecuite is boiled on the molasses of 'B' massecuite. From pans, massecuites are dis-charged into crystallizers from where it is passed to centrifugals for centrifuging. Here sugar crystals are separated from the mother liquor or molasses which has sugar contents left in it. Molasses are then boiled twice to extract the remaining sugar content. The sugar obtained in the centrifugals, is washed and then dried in a different set of centrifugals by superheated steam. Marketable sugar which is then passed into a sugar grader, through an elevator, where different varieties of sugar are separated according to the size of crystals.

Different varieties of sugar crystals are bagged and marked like 29D, 29E, etc. The total production in the year 1962-63 was l,52,400 Metric tons (1,50,000 tons) of sugarcane in the district. On an average, one quintal sugar is obtained from one ton of sugarcane.

Marketing.—The sugar produced in the district is sold mainly in Maharashtra. The price of sugar depends upon the variety of sugar produced. Good quality sugar is also exported to foreign countries through the State Trading Corporation.

Employment.—The sugar industry is a seasonal industry providing employment for about 5 to 6 months in a year. There are also many permanent workers most of whom are on the technical or clerical staff. In 1962-63, the factory employed 753 skilled persons. Unskilled and semi-skilled temporary workers numbered 271. Their total wage bill in 1962-63 was Rs. 5,09,180. The wages of temporary men amounted to Rs. 4,38,077 in 1962-63. A skilled worker is paid Rs. 6.74 per clay whereas an unskilled worker gets Rs. 3.75 a day. A semi-skilled worker receives Rs. 4.10 a day. Housing is provided to the permanent employees.

Finance and co-operation.—The factory has been established on a co-operative basis and the farmers have contributed to the majority of its shares. The Government has also extended credit facility to the industry through various agencies. The productive capital of the factory, in 1960, was Rs. 3,02,40,022. The value of the buildings and lands owned by the factory was Rs. 18,03,948 and the working capital was Rs. 1,60,84,783.

The sugar industry represents an agro-industrial venture. The instance of integration of industry and agriculture shows what lasting benefits can he achieved when industrial managements choose to bring their superior techniques to the farms. This region even today can boast of cane yields comparable to those of the world s best areas. There is at present a proposal to start two more co-operative sugar factories one each at Shirala mahal and Walwa. The sugarcane grown in the neighbouring areas feeds the present factory.

Printing and Book-binding.

There are two firms in the district, one at Miraj and the other at Saudi stablished in 1923 and 1930. respectively, doing printing: and allied work.

Capital. -The total investment in them in 1962 was Rs. 16,70,000, including Rs. 81,000 as working capital.

Raw materials.—Raw materials used are paper, printing ink, different tvpes of stationery and binding materials. Almost all of these have to be brought either from Poona or from Bombay. The value of the raw materials purchased in the year 1962 amounted to Rs. 79,500.

The mechanical equipment consists of printing machines, cutting and stitching machines, treadles, perforating and binding machines and cylinder machines.

Fuel. — Thy consumed electricity worth Rs. 1,700 in 1962.

Employment.— The total number of persons employed in both these firms was 22 and the total wage bill amounted to Rs. 42,500 in 1962. The figure includes wages' which were given to the workers mployed on a contract basis. The total number of workers engaged in printing and allied works was 239 in the year 1961.

Product.—One of the firms produced printed forms, booklets, labels, potters, etc., the value of which was Rs. 30,000 during 1962. Another firm did job work. The total value of orders placed was Rs. 1,25,000 in 1962. These firms receive orders from Sangli, Kolhapur and adjoining areas

Printing Press.

Besides, there is one more press where a Marathi daily, "Navasandesh'' is printed. The total investment in the press was Rs. 60,000 out of which Rs. 15,000 represented the working capital. The total number of persons employed was 35 of whom 15 were skilled and the rest unskilled. In 1962, the wages paid came to Rs. 60,000. It used newsprint worth Rs. 32,400 in 1962. The newspaper bad a circulation of 6,000 and was priced at 7 paise. Its circulation is mainly in the districts of Sangli, Kolhapur and Satara.

Bidi-making and tobacco processing.

In 1951 there were 15 bidi karkhanas at Sangli and 5 at Miraj. About 5,000 people were engaged in this industry. It is estimated that at present there are about 20 establishments engaged in bidi making and tobacco processing in Sangli and 7 in Miraj. There were 2,545 persons engaged in this profession in 1961. Sangli and Miraj are the main centres of the industry though there are some small establishments scattered at taluka places in the district.

Raw materials.—The raw materials consist of tobacco, pan (dry leaves) thread and packing paper. In addition to what is grown in the district, tobacco is imported from Belgaum, Nipani, Sadalga and Jaisingpur. Dry leaves are obtained from Chanda, Raipm and Gondia. Thread and paper are purchased in the local market or at Bombay. For packing, khala is prepared from maida which is also purchased from Sangli and Miraj markets.

Tools and equipment.—The tools required are a pair of scissors and furnace with metal trays for heating. The tobacco processing and snuff making are carried with the help of stone grinder (Jate), sieve, baskets and winnowing fans. Most of the work is done by hand processes.

Production.—The process of bidi making is a very simple one. Leaves are soaked in water for one night to make them soft. Then they are cut to the desired size. The required quantity of tobacco is put into the leaf, which is then wrapped with both the hands and thread is wound on it.

For snuff making, liquid containing water, gul, lime and sonakhar is sprinkled over tobacco. This mixture is kept in a basket till it gets a specific taste, smell and colour. It is then ground and sieved through cloth. The fine powder obtained is called snuff.

Marketing.— The market for bidis is wide as it is the common man's means of smoking. It has a local market and it is also exported to Ratnagiri, Kolaba and Karnatak. Manufacturers move from place to place to sell their products. Jarda, snuff and bidi are sold on a large scale in the fairs. These manufacturers market; their products in the big fairs of Yallama, Kharsutidi, Chinchali etc.

Employment and labour.—Most of the workers are paid on the basis of piece-rate in bidi manufacturing. The rate of wage paid for 1,000 bidis ranges from Rs. 1.50 to Rs. 2. Women workers are found predominantly in this work as it provides a supplementary source of income to those women who can do this work in their spare time at home. In 1961 of the total number of 2,545 persons employed, 2,291 were women. On an average a woman worker produces 1,000 bidis per day and a man about 1,500 bidis per day. In snuff manufacturing also women workers are found to a large extent This is a seasonal industry as they cannot do this work in the rainy season.

Finance.—A majority of the bidi concerns in the district are owned by the well-to-do people. They have large units operating in the market. The annual sale proceeds of a concern in Sangli (Musa Vidi) came to Rs. 18,12,463. The company had paid Rs. 43,382 by way of wages in 1964.

There are no co-operatives in the bidi industry of the jarda and snuff industry. Co-operative effort will be of great help to the small entrepreneurs in this field.

Sugar products and confectionery.

There are at present two small-scale confectionery and sugar products manufacturing units in the district. One is situated at Miraj which started production as early as 1936. After the establishment of the co-operative sugar factory, the other unit commend d its production in 1956 at Sangli. The two units provide employment to 50 persons throughout the year. These are the only two units of this type in Southern Maharashtra.

Raw materials.—The products are prepared from sugar which is purchased in Sangli market or from the factories nearby. The other requirements are citric acid, essences, cream of tartar, etc.. which are purchased at Bombay and Ahmedabad.

The units are equipped with plants, crushers and pans. The estimated value of tools and equipment for one unit could he placed at about Rs. 30,000.

Production. —The annual installed capacity of the units is estimated at Rs. 26 lakhs. The products consist of sugar candy. white sugar (Lissa), toffees, sweets, etc. The total production of the two t nits was valued at Rs. 19.5 lakhs during the year 1961-62, of which nearly half was accounted for by white sugar (Lissa) and the rest was composed of sugar candy (khadisakhar) and confectionery. The value of annual fuel consumption of a unit for which information was available amounted to Rs. 11,983.26 in 1961-62.

Marketing. -Nearly 90 per cent of the products of the two units is sent to consumers in adjacent districts like Belgaum, Kolhapur. Satara. Ratnagiri. Bagalkot, Sholapur, etc. The current consumption of these products in the district is estimated at Rs. 2 lakhs. The demand for these products is on the increase in the district as elsewhere.

Employment.—In one unit. 18 persons were employed and they were paid Rs. 4,850.17 in 1961-62 by way of wages. Besides, many workers are employed in the brisk season on a temporary basis. Wages ae usually paid at piece-rate. An unskilled worker gets about Rs. 1.50 to Rs. 2 per day.

Finance.—The two units have a total investment of Rs. 3.11 lakhs of which Rs. 2,65,000 is in working capital and the rest is in land, buildings, plants and equipment. Sufficient supply of sugar and chemicals at reasonable price is the prime necessity of the industry for its smooth working. There are no co-operative efforts in the industry as the existing units enjoy a fair degree of financial -stability.

There docs not appear to he any immediate scope for new units as the capacity of the existing units itself, if fully utilized, will be sufficient to meet the growing demand for some time to come.

Industrial Estate.

Industrial growth requires a scientific approach particularly in a developing economy. The objectives of establishing industrial estates are to develop the industries in a district to provide economic incentives to entrepreneurs, to exploit available labour and capital potentials and thus to help establish small-scale as well as large-scale industrial units. With these objectives in view, two industrial estates have been established in Sangli district, one at Sangli and the other at Miraj.

Sangli Industrial Estate Co-operative Society.—Situated on the outskirts of Sangli city and in close proximity to Madhavnagar, Sangli Industrial Estate Co-operative Society was established in the year 1960-61. It covers an area of 54.632 hectares (135 acres) and has a share capital of Rs. 10 lakhs. The estate received financial assistance from the Government, the Life Insurance Corporation and the Sangli Industrial Development Fund. The estate has 319 plots, of which 294 plots are of 465 sq. metres (5,000 square feet) and 25 plots of 3,720 square metres (40,000 square feet). By April 1966, out of the former, 122 plots were developed and out of the latter, 21 were developed.

Various industries have been started, the chief among them being re-rolling mills, foundries, light engineering, textiles, cement pipes, optical industries, furniture, cots, aluminium vessels, handmade paper, fountain-pens, forging, sizing, industrial chemicals, agricultural implements, etc. Till 1965, 70 such establishments working in the estate, provided employment to about 1,200 persons. The capital invested in these industrial establishments amounts to Rupees one crore. The following chart gives the position of factory sheds constructed during 1961-62, 1962-63 and 1963-64: —

FACTORY SHEDS CONSTRUCTED DURING 1961-62, 1962-63 AND 1963-64, AND THE COST OF CONSTRUCTION.

The category-wise classification of the industrial units functioning in the industrial estate is given below: —

The Industrial Estate Co-operative Society helps its members in various ways, such as receiving work orders, increasing their turnover, making available the raw material and capital required by them as a so the construction material like galvanised sheets, asbestos, electricity, etc. Further, the society has made arrangements with the Life Insurance Corporation to provide loans to its members on easy terms.

Miraj Industrial Estate.—Another industrial estate has been established at Miraj by Miraj Industrial Estate Co-operative Society on Sangli-Miraj Road. The land was acquired for constructing the factory sheds. The number of plots for medium type of industries is 14 and that for small-scale factories is 57. Out of these, 12 medium and 21 small plots have been allotted to the members. Two plots have been reserved for facility centres and 4 for offices of the society. During 1962-63, only 3 industrial units commenced functioning in Miraj Industrial Estate. They were (1) cement moulding, (2) porcelain works, and (3) manufacture of sugar candy. The number increased to 6 in the year 1963-64, when three additional units, one each of electrical engineering, pharmaceutical drugs and machine job work were established.

A steady growth of industries is expected from these two industrial estates.

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