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AGRICULTURE AND IRRIGATION
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RURAL WAGES
Casual Labour.
In Satara district, there is a tendency among the big tanners and the
agriculturists to employ casual field labourers, particularly when there is
pressure of work on the farm. This phenomenon is also explained by the very slow
progress of mechanisation of agriculture which involves the use of tractors and
the like with the result that most of the work is carried out with the help of
manual labour. Generally, male labourers undertake heavy work whereas female
labourers are employed to attend to light type of work such as weeding,
threshing, etc. These casual labourers belong to either of the following
categories: —(1) poor cultivators having small holdings, (2) landless persons in
the village, (3) persons belonging to backward classes, and lastly (4) persons
obliged to seek employment outside their own villages. Casual labour is more often than not hired on daily wage basis and is paid in cash or in kind or partly in cash and partly in kind. When it is employed on a seasonal basis, usually payment is made once in a month. In tracts having work all the year round, for instance sugarcane tract in Phaltan taluka, the labourers are employed on yearly basis. Such labourers are known as saldars
and the rates of wages paid to them depend upon their skill and efficiency as
well as upon the nature of the work done. The wages are paid in cash or
alternatively partly in cash and partly in kind. In Khandala peta casual labour
is paid in kind at the time of harvesting. Now due to the availability of more
profitable employment at Lonand railway station or at some construction work or other type of work forming part of a project or a scheme of the Government, supply of casual labour for agriculture has relatively declined. In Satara taluka, child labour is rarely employed as it is normally engaged on their family farms.
TABLE No. 38.
RATES OF WAGES, CASUAL BUBAL LABOUR AND SALDARS* IN SATARA DISTRICT IN 1955-56.
(In rupees.) |
Taluka |
Daily |
Monthly | |
Man |
Woman |
Child |
Man |
Woman |
Child | |
Jaoli |
1.00 to 1.25 |
0.50 to 0.62 |
0.50 |
40 to 50 |
-- |
20 to 25 | |
Karad |
1.00 |
0.50 |
0.37 |
-- |
-- |
-- | |
Khandala |
1.00 |
0.62 |
0.50 |
-- |
-- |
-- | |
Khatav |
1.25 |
0.50 |
0.62 |
45 |
-- |
22.50 | |
Koregaon |
1.00 to 1.25 |
0.50 |
0.50 |
45 |
-- |
22 | |
Man |
1.25 |
0.50 |
0.62 |
45 |
-- |
22.50 | |
Mahabaleshwar |
1.25 |
0.50 to 0.62 |
0.50 |
-- |
-- |
25 | |
Patan |
1.50 |
0.62 |
0.62 |
40 |
-- |
25 | |
Phaltan |
1.25 to 1.50 |
0.50 to 0.75 |
0.62 |
45 to 50 |
-- |
22.50 to 25 | |
Satara |
1.00 |
0.50 to 0.75 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
continued..
|
Taluka |
Yearly | |
Man |
Woman |
Child | |
Jaoli |
-- |
-- |
200 | |
Karad |
150 to 200* |
-- |
60 to 100 | |
Khandala |
250 to 350 |
-- |
100 to 125 | |
Khatav |
500 |
-- | 200 | |
Koregaon |
500 |
-- |
200 | |
Man |
500 |
-- |
200 | |
Mahabaleshwar |
-- |
-- |
200 | |
Patan |
450 |
-- |
250 | |
Phaltan |
500 to 600 |
-- |
225 to 250 | |
Satara |
150 to 200† |
-- |
-- |
*Labourers employed on yearly basis.
†The cash wages paid are in addition to facilities like food, clothing, etc., provided by the employer.
Daily and Monthly Wages.
The above table outlines the rates of daily and monthly wages paid to casual labourers and the rates of wages paid to saldars. The table reveals that daily wage rate for a male labourer varied between Re. 1.00 and
Rs. 1.50 in all the talukas of the district. However, the normal average rate of wages paid amounted to
Rs. 1.25 per. day A female labourer is usually paid half the wage
paid to a male worker. Thus their daily wages varied between
Rs, 0.50 and Rs. 0.75. Not much distinction is made between female
labour and child labour so far as the payment of wages is concerned. However, female labour is preferred to child labour by the landlord
or the employer since wages paid to both of them are almost the
same whereas output of female labour is likely to be higher. The
rate of wages paid to child labour varied between lie. 0.87 and
Re. 0.62, the more usual rate being lie. 0.50. Sometimes labourers
are also employed on a monthly basis in which ease, as can be seen
from the bible, the wages paid to them are almost proportionate
to the prevalent daily wage rates. Monthly wage rates varied between
Rs. 40 and Rs. 50 for male labourer and between Rs. 20 and Rs. 25
for child labourer. It appears that female labour is not employed
either on monthly or on yearly basis in any of the talukas in the
district.
Annual Servants
Saldars.
Annual servants called saldars are usually employed by those cultivators whose holdings are of such a size as can provide a continuous and regular employment throughout the year.
There are no fixed hours of work for the saldar, he is supposed to offer his services whenever called for. Occasionally children are also employed as saldars. Throughout the district women are nowhere employed as saldars. The tenure of the contract with a saldar holds good generally for a period of one year. Normally the payment to a saldar consists of fixed monthly instalments, the net balance due to him being paid at the end of the year. Sometimes they are paid in advance or are granted loans in which case they continue to work till the amount borrowed is repaid in full.
It will be noticed from table No. 39 that the rates of wages paid to them varied between
Rs. 150 and Rs. 200 in Karad and Satara talukas and Rs. 500 and Rs. 600 in Koregaon, Khatav, Man and Phaltan talukas. In case of Karad and Satara talukas the wages paid are lower because, besides cash payments, saldars are also paid in kind. Payment in kind includes provision of three meals a day, clothing, tobacco for chewing and smoking and a cup of tea twice a day, etc. In Karad taluka, over and above these facilities, they are given four or five holidays on festive occasions. Low wage rates in Khandala peta are to be explained in terms of the comparative barrenness and hilly nature of the tract. In Koregaon, Khatav, Man and Phaltan talukas they are paid a consolidated higher cash wage of Rs. 500 since they are not provided with any other facilities like food, clothing, etc.
Table No. 40 indicates the rates of wages paid to casual labourers according to the nature of agricultural operations.
TABLE No. 39.
RATES OF DAILY WAGES ACCORDING TO THE NATURE OF AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS SATARA DISTRICT IN 1955-56.
(In rupees.)
|
Name of operation. |
Jaoli |
Karad |
Khatav | |
Man |
Woman |
Child |
Man |
Woman |
Child |
Man |
Woman |
Child |
Harvesting |
1.25 |
0. 62 |
0.62 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
1.25 |
0.60 |
0.50 |
Transplanting paddy |
1.25 |
0.62 |
0.62 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
1.25 |
0.60 |
0.50 |
Threshing grain |
1.25 |
0.62 |
0.62 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
1.00 |
0.50 |
0.50 |
Earthing-up cane |
-- |
-- |
-- |
3.66 |
-- |
-- |
2.00 |
-- |
-- | |
Cutting cane |
-- |
-- |
-- |
2.50 |
-- |
-- |
2.25 |
-- |
-- |
Gul preparation |
Gulava |
-- |
-- |
-- |
4.00 |
-- |
-- |
2.50 |
-- |
-- | |
Jalva |
-- |
-- |
-- |
2.00 |
-- |
-- |
2.50 |
-- |
-- |
Operating implements |
1.25 |
-- |
-- |
1.25 |
-- |
-- |
1.25 |
-- |
-- |
|
Name of operation. |
Koregaon |
Mahabaleshwar |
Man |
Man |
Woman |
Child |
Man |
Woman |
Child |
Man |
Woman |
Child |
Harvesting |
1.25 |
0.50 |
0.50 |
1.25 |
0.62 |
0.50 |
1.25 |
0.60 |
0.60 |
Transplanting paddy |
1.25 |
0.50 |
0.50 |
1.25 |
0.62 |
0.50 |
1.25 |
0.60 |
0.60 |
Threshing grain |
1.00 |
0.50 |
0.50 |
1.25 |
0.62 |
0.50 |
1.00 |
0.60 |
0.60 |
Earthing-up cane |
2.25 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
2.00 |
-- |
-- |
Cutting cane |
1.25 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
1.25 |
-- |
-- |
Gul preparation |
Gulava. |
2.50 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
2.50 |
-- |
-- |
Jalva |
2.50 |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
-- |
2.50 |
-- |
-- |
Operating implements |
1.25 |
-- |
-- |
1.25 |
-- |
-- |
1.25 |
-- |
-- |
TABLE No. 39-contd.
|
Name of operation. |
Patan |
Phaltan |
Satara | |
Man |
Woman |
Child |
Man |
Woman |
Child |
Man |
Woman |
Child |
Harvesting |
1.25 |
0.62 |
0.50 |
1.25 |
0.60 |
0.60 |
1.25 |
0.75 |
0.50 |
Transplanting paddy |
1.25 |
0.62 |
0.50 |
1.25 |
0.60 |
0.60 |
1.50 |
0.75 |
0.50 |
Threshing grain |
1.25 |
0.62 |
0.50 |
1.25 |
0.60 |
0.60 |
1.50 |
0.75 |
0.50 |
Earthing-up cane |
2.50 |
-- |
- |
2.50 |
-- |
-- |
3.00 |
-- |
-- | |
Cutting cane |
1.00 |
-- |
-- |
2.25 |
-- |
-- |
2.50 |
-- |
-- | |
Gul preparation |
Gulava |
3.00 |
-- |
-- |
2.50 |
-- |
-- |
4.00 |
-- |
-- | |
Jalva |
2.00 |
-- |
-- |
2.50 |
-- |
-- |
2.00 |
-- |
-- |
Operating implements |
1.25 |
-- |
-- |
1.50 |
-- |
-- |
1.25 |
-- |
-- |
The above table reveals that there was uniformity or near-uniformity among different talukas of the district so far as rates of daily wages for operations like harvesting, transplanting of paddy and threshing of grain were concerned. A male labourer was paid Rs. 1.25, a female labourer Re. 0.60, except in Koregaon and Satara talukas where the payment was Re. 0.50 and Re. 0.75 respectively; and a child labourer Re. 0.50 except in Jaoli, Man and Phaltan talukas where the payment was Re. 0.62. The work of operating implements is carried out usually by male labourers who are paid Rs. 1.25 per day, since it involves heavy manual labour. For earthing up cane, a male worker was paid between Rs, 2.00 and Rs. 2.50 and for cutting the cane Rs. 1.25 in Khatav, Koregaon, Man, Patan and Phaltan talukas whereas in Karad and Satara talukas he was paid Rs. 2.50 and Rs..3.00 respectively.
In the preparation of gul, gulava and jalva are the two important persons on whose skill and vigilance depends the maintenance of the quality of gul manufactured and consequently they are paid relatively higher wages as compared to those paid in regard to other operations. Gulava and Jalva were paid Rs. 4;00 and Rs. 2.00 respectively in Karad and Satara talukas, Rs. 3.00 and Rs. 2.00 in Patan taluka while in the remaining talukas both received a uniform wage rate of Rs. 2.50. Further the table reveals that rates of wages paid to men and women for various operations were somewhat higher in these three talukas compared, to the prevailing wage rates in other talukas of the district.
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