OTHER DEPARTMENTS

DEPARTMENT OF COTTAGE INDUSTRIES AND INDUSTRIAL
CO-OPERATIVES

Organisation.

SATARA OFFICE OF THE DEPARTMENT OF COTTAGE INDUSTRIES AND INDUSTRIAL CO-OPERATIVES is under the administrative control of the Assistant Director of Cottage Industries and Assistant Registrar for Industrial Co-operatives, Kolhapur, at the sub-divisional level. His next superior at the Divisional level is the Deputy Director of Cottage Industries and Deputy Registrar of Industrial Co-operatives, Poona Division, Poona. The Director of Cottage Industries and Additional Registrar for Industrial Co-operatives, Maharashtra State, Poona, is the head of the department.

The Assistant Director of Cottage Industries and Assistant Registrar for Industrial Co-operatives, Kolhapur, has general powers of supervision over:—

(1) demonstration parties and peripatetic schools,

(2) industrial co-operative societies, and

(3) survey work in connection with industrial co-operatives and village industries.

He has general control over the Government staff in the district pertaining to cottage industries and industrial co-operatives. He entertains and scrutinises applications for loans from individual artisans, educated unemployed, backward class persons and co-operative societies, and forwards them to the Deputy Director concerned or Director of Cottage Industries as the case may be. He also sees that agreements in connection with the loans sanctioned are properly executed, after which the loans are disbursed by him. He endeavours to introduce improved implements and improved methods of production in village and cottage industries and communicates to the Small Industries Research Institute at Poona the problems requiring research in regard to such implements and methods. He has to maintain contact with associations of artisans or with individual artisans in the district who have distinguished themselves in their respective industries, make a continuous study of the needs of the different cottage and village industries and render help in the revival of the decaying and extinct industries, particularly through utilisation of locally available raw materials. It is partly his duty to prepare schemes for the development of cottage industries and industrial co-operatives.

Under the Assistant Registrar is the District Officer of Cottage Industries and Industrial Co-operatives, Satara. He attends to the organisation of industrial co-operatives and development and promotion of small-scale industries. He is expected to supervise the working of demonstration parties, production centres, training schools, etc. and is responsible for recommending loans and subsidies to industrial societies and for recovery of the stipulated instalments. The District Officer, Cottage Industries and Industrial Co-operatives, Satara, is assisted in his work by one Grade II and two Grade HI Industrial Supervisors, one Handloom Supervisor, one Instructor in Cotton Weaving and one Jobber for powerloom scheme.

Industrial Co-operative Societies.

In 1959, the various types of industrial societies in the district were as under:-

These Societies with a total membership of 5,576 in 1959 had the share capital of Rs. 1,73,664 and the total working capital of Rs. 5,02,443. During 1958-59 rebate on sale of handloom cloth was given to the weavers' societies to the extent of Rs. 20,992 and management grant of Rs. 6,518 has been granted to societies for dye house and sale depots. In addition accessories worth Rs. 3,570 were granted to these societies. The powerloom scheme has also been introduced in the district at Phaltan and powerlooms have been already allotted and installed. Similarly it is proposed to introduce powerloom at Atit. The number of registered handlooms in the district was 2,057 in 1959.

Peripatetic Schools and Production Centres.

There are two production centres and two peripatetic schools in the district run by the department of Cottage Industries. A pit tanning centre has been started at Satara in March 1957 under the Second Five-Year Plan. The object of the centre is to introduce improved methods of tanning amongst the local tanners. The re-tanning and finishing centre at Satara, has a large scope for the development of the tanning industry because the local tanners of whom there is a large number, use old methods of tanning. Technical advice and practical demonstration is being given to the local tanners so that their old methods might be improved. A carpentry and smithy school has been started at Karad. Fifteen trainees have been admitted to the school, when its fresh term began in April, 1959. The term period extends over one year. After completion of the course, certificates are awarded to successful candidates by the Department. Trainees are paid a stipend at the rate of Rs. 25 per month. A leather work school has been started at Shirwal in Khandala peta since December 1958 when fifteen regular trainees were admitted. The duration of the term is of one year. The trainees are paid a stipend of Rs. 20 per month. Training in improved methods of leather work and use of improved tools and equipment is given.

Technical Experts and other Government help.

Technical experts in various industries attached to the office of the Director of Cottage Industries, Poona, give technical advice to the industrial co-operatives as well as production centres and peripatetic schools. Various methods of production, use of improved tools and equipment and various chemical processes are tried to minimise the cost of production. Government also helps in marketing the products of cottage industries through Government subsidies, sales depots and emporia and also through the mobile van placed at the disposal of Deputy Director, Cottage Industries, Poona. Till 1959 a sum of Rs. 63,200 was disbursed among eight weavers' co-operative societies in the district under the handloom development scheme and a sum of Rs. 99,087 has been advanced to fourteen societies other than the weavers' co-operative societies as direct departmental loans. Government loan through the department and through various schemes to help weavers' co-operative societies as well as other types of societies to meet their requirements of working capital is sanctioned in Satara as in other districts.

Loans to Individuals.

In cases where it is not possible to form a co-operative society of artisans or in cases where societies are not in a position to solve the problems of the individual artisans, loans to individuals for development of cottage industries are also granted by the Cottage Industries department. Till 1959, individual artisans engaged in various industries have been granted loans under various schemes as detailed below:—

Development Blocks.

There are four development blocks in the first stage at Satara, Patan, Wai and Khandala, one block in the second stage at Karad and two pre-extension blocks at Javli and Koregaon. All first stage blocks have been provided with an Extension Officer for Industries. There is no Extension Officer for Industries for II-Stage Block at Karad. Industrial activities in the Karad Block are looked after by the Extension Officer (Co-operatives), II-Stage Block, Karad.

Satara Block.

The Block started functioning during 1956. During the budget period peripatetic schools in hosiery, carpentry and smithy, tailoring and toys and doll-making for women were conducted out of the Block funds and 60 trainees received training in the abovementioned industries. Glue manufacturing was also taken up and 19 industrial co-operative societies were formed in the Block area.

Patan Block.

The Block was started on 1st November 1956. The activity in the Block area consisted in running peripatetic schools in tailoring for men. Short courses for three months for training in tailoring for mahila mandals were taken at Malharpeth, Patan, etc. in the Block area. Leather work school at Tarale and a carpentry and smithy school at Dhebewadi are also being conducted. Till 1959, 80 trainees have undergone training in various industrial activities in the peripatetic schools. In 1959, there were twelve industrial co-operative societies in the Block area.

The Patan and Satara Block period expired on 1st November 1959 and the blocks have been converted into stage II Blocks. The activities which were undertaken in stage I period arc continued with the available funds in Stage II.

Wai Block.

The block was started on 2nd October 1956 and the following activities have been taken up in the block area. About one hundred trainees were trained in various industries in the peripatetic schools conducted by the Block authorities. The various peripatetic schools were: dyeing and printing school, carpentry and smithy school, tailoring schools, schools for training in sheet metal training in fibre work and for training mahila mandals in soap-making at six places in the block area. In 1959, there were 12 industrial co-operative societies in the Block.

The Block was started on 1st April 1958. There is a tailoring class for mahila mandals each at Shirwal and at Lonand. One Departmental school in leather work is functioning in the block area. In 1959, there were five industrial co-operative societies in the block.

Khandala Block.

Karad Block.

The Block is a Stage II block, with a budget provision of Rs. 50,000 of which Rs. 10,000 as recurring and Rs. 40,000 as nonrecurring. One departmental carpentry and smithy school is functioning at Karad. In 1959, there were twenty industrial co-operative societies in the block area.

Pre-extension Blocks.

A pre-extension service scheme has been recently applied to the Javli and Koregaon talukas in the district.

All the industrial activities in the development block areas are carried out with the help of the community development block staff irrespective of the block to which it is attached and in co-operation, with all other Government departments in the district.

Other agencies.

The Khadi and Village Industries Board is functioning in the district with a staff of one District Organiser and one Oil Ghani Inspector stationed at Satara. The Village Industries Board undertakes the activities including (1) vastra swavalamban scheme; (2) production of khadi; (3) popularising Amber Charakha; (4) development of wool industry; (5) promoting silk industry; (6) neera and palm gur scheme and classes in neera and palm gur; (7) gur and Khandsari production; (8) scheme to help oil men's co-operative societies; (9) hand-pounding of rice; (10) extraction of fibres; (11) glue manufacturing and (12) potteries.

The bee-keeping scheme undertaken in Mahabaleshwar area and the Parli Valley and Koyna Valley by the Village Industries Board and the Khadi Commission has made considerable progress in the collection of honey. The Board runs a bee-keeping research centre and an emporium for selling honey at Mahabaleshwar.

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