OTHER DEPARTMENTS

INDUSTRIES

DIRECTORATE OF INDUSTRIES.

Organisation.

The work of the Directorate of Industries, Maharashtra State, in Wardha district is mainly confined to the development and progress of cottage, small scale and large scale industries. The department of Industries was reorganised and the Directorate of Industries was formed in August 1960. Control of cottage industries was transferred to the Directorate of Industries with effect from 1st December, 1960.

The head of organisation of the Directorate of Industries is the Industries Commissioner and his office is located at Bombay. Wardha district which falls in Vidarbha region of the State is under the control of Deputy Director of Industries (Class I State service) whose office is at Nagpur. In addition to Wardha district, he is also responsible for development and progress of cottage, small and large scale industries in the remaining districts of the Vidarbha region viz., Akola, Amravati, Buldhana, Bhandara, Chandrapur, Nagpur and Yeotmal. He is also the Deputy Controller of Weights and Measures and exercises direct control over the district level administration of Bombay Weights and Measures (Enforcement) (Amendment) Act, 1964.

The regional organisation follows the pattern of Revenue Division. Every district has an Industries Officer (Class II State service). The District Industries Officer is under the executive control of the Collector of the district who is also an ex-officio Deputy Industries Commissioner and is directly responsible to the Industries Commissioner. Except the work of administration of weights and measures enforcement, the Regional Deputy Director of Industries acts as the co-ordinating agency and functions as technical adviser to the Deputy Industries Commissioner.

Wardha district is divided into Wardha and Arvi Divisions for the purpose of enforcement of the Weights and Measures Act. Each Division is in-charge of Senior/Junior Industries Inspector and every Divisional Inspector is assisted by the necessary staff. Senior Industries Inspector is in-charge of Wardha Division, whereas Junior Industries Inspector is in-charge of Arvi Division. The regular duties of Industries Inspector are inspection, investigation, collection of revenue and enforcement of Bombay Weights and Measures (Enforcement) (Amendment) Act, 1964. In addition, the Industries Inspector is required to render guidance to new entrepreneurs for selection of suitable industries, and for various types of assistance rendered by Government and other agencies in respect of land, power, machinery, finance and technical guidance.

Functions.

The main functions of the Directorate of Industries are as under:—

(a) In the sphere of promotion of large scale industries the functions of the Directorate of Industries are restricted to processing of applications for industrial licences and offering suitable recommendations to the Government of India under the Industries (Development and Regulation) Act, 1951, developing areas with facilities of power, water, transport, etc., for location of large scale industries, providing facilities for industries as also for industrial research by giving grants and encouraging export promotion, (b) In the sphere of development of small scale industries the Directorate of Industries plays a major role by assisting entrepreneurs in the following ways:—

(i) Securing land, water and power.

(II) Organising co-operative industrial estates.

(iii) Giving financial aid.

(iv) Providing assistance for import of machinery, spare parts and raw materials.

(v) Providing assistance for machinery under hire purchase basis.

(vi) Providing assistance for securing indigenous raw materials.

(vii) Marketing of products through Central Stores Purchase Organisation for buying requirements of State Government.

(viii) Quality marking of products of S.S.I.

(ix) Export promotion.

(x) Providing research, facilities through industrial research laboratories and research grants.

(xi) Imparting training to craftsmen and

(xii) Organisation of resource-based small and cottage industrial co-operatives to stimulate industrialisation in industrially under developed areas.

(c) The development of cottage and village industries and handicrafts is the responsibility of the Zilla Parishad. However, the Directorate gives technical guidance to the institutions under the Zilla Parishad.

Activities.

The office of the Industries Officer, Wardha has carried out the following work:—

(i) Nearly 227 units have been registered as small scale industries with the Directorate for receiving different types of assistance.

(ii) 40 schemes for starting of new units have been approved.

(iii) 32 units have been registered for subsidy on power consumption.

(iv) In addition to the above, assistance was rendered to various units for securing (a) exemption from electricity duty and (b) recommendations for water, power and land, for import and export, for machinery under hire purchase scheme, for indigenous raw materials, etc.

In addition to the activities stated above, the Directorate has a Rural Industrial Project in Wardha district and is in-charge of a different organisation under the control of the Directorate. The details of the Rural Industrial Project in Wardha district are given below:—

Rural Industrial Project,

Introductory.—Among the main objects of the Third Plan in implementing programmes for village and small industries were the promotion of the growth of industries as ancillaries to large industries, organisation of artisans and craftsmen on co-operative lines and improvement of the productivity of the worker through positive forms of assistance. Specific reference was, therefore, made to the importance of evolving a programme of rural industrialisation which would take into account the various aspects of development in each area and ensure close co-operation of various institutions and agencies working in the area. Government of India have set up a Rural Industries Planning Committee for reviewing the progress of industries in rural areas, advising on problems of policy and planning relating to them and recommending programmes for intensive development of village and small industries in rural areas.

Objectives:—The primary objective of the project is to bring about a cooperative agro-industrial economy. This involves all round development of agriculture, irrigation, communications, industries, social services, etc. For this purpose, the initiative and effort of local communities has to be stimulated and mobilised to the fullest extent. Among the most important measures for diversification of rural economy is establishing industries based on agriculture and other resources and development of non-agricultural alongwith agricultural occupations. The most difficult problem in the rural areas is to create, maintain and expand non-agricultural employment. The success of efforts in other directions also depends on the progress achieved in building up industries suited to rural areas. The projects are, therefore, required to direct themselves to industries which can be developed in rural areas and activities ancillary to them.

Organisation:—In furtherance of the above objective, the Planning Commission set up the Rural Industries Planning Committee in 1961. This Committee lays down the overall policy and issues directions relating to the programme for rural industrialisation. The Government of India selected 45 areas in the whole country as Pilot Rural Industries Projects and of these 4 were allotted to the Maharashtra State. Of these, Wardha district as a whole, forms one project area excluding municipal towns of Wardha, Arvi, Hinganghat and Pulgaon (with a population of more than 15,000).

The entire funds are provided by the Centre by way of loans and grants. The latter covers expenditure on establishment, contingencies, training, study tours, common facility centres and other extension services.

In policy matters, the projects have also to be guided by the directive! received, from time to time, from the Development Commissioner, New Delhi. Schemes on various industries are also available from his office.

While the funds are provided by the Centre, the entire scheme is entrusted to the State Government for implementation within the general framework of the policies laid down by the Centre. The Industries Commissioner, Bombay, is in overall charge as head of the department and the projects are actually headed by the Joint Director of Industries (Rural Industries), Bombay.

At the State level, there is executive committee of which the Secretary to the Government, Industries and Labour Department is the Chairman and the Industries Commissioner and the Deputy Secretary, Finance Department (Rural Industries Project section) are the members. The Joint Director of Industries (Rural Industries Project) is the member-secretary. Programme is finally approved by this committee which decides all policy matters, reviews progress made and schemes scrutinised by project level executive committee. In recommended cases, loans above Rs. 10,000 and upto Rs. 25,000/ are sanctioned by the Industries Commissioner, above Rs. 25,000/- and upto Rs. 1 lakh by the State level executive committee, and above that by the State Government.

The Director, Small Industries Service Institute, Government of India, Bombay, when approached, prepares detailed schemes for particular units and also extends technical guidance, if sought. He also makes available mobile vans fitted with machinery and accompanied by technical personnel who can tour in the area and give practical demonstration in the manufacture of particular utility articles.

District Project Area:—At the project level, the State Government has appointed project advisory committee. The Minister in-charge of the district and the President of the Zilla Parishad are the Chairman and Vice-Chairman, respectively of this committee. Rural industrialisation is closely connected with an all round development of agriculture, irrigation, communications, power supply, credit facilities, social services, etc. and as such, it must form a part of a wider and well co-ordinated plan of local development. In addition, it is necessary to associate popular representatives having intimate knowledge of their areas and who can properly put forward the urges and demands of the people in a realistic manner. Keeping in view all these essential and the democratic aspects of the whole scheme, the body of members of the project advisory committee consists of the Collector, Chief Executive Officer of the Zilla Parishad, District Deputy Registrar of the Co-operative Societies, Chairman of the Co-operative Bank, Manager of State Bank, Block Development Officers, Chairmen of all Panchayat Samitis, representatives of Khadi and Village Industries Board, Industrialists, etc. The Regional Deputy Director of Industries is also a member of this committee and the Assistant Director of Industries in-charge of the project is the member secretary. All programmes of the project are placed before this committee which discusses them and makes suitable recommendations.

For executing the decisions taken by the project advisory committee, there is a small body at the project level called the project level executive committee. The chairman of this committee is the Collector, the Regional Deputy Director of Industries is a member and the Assistant Director of Industries (R.I.) is the member secretary. All cases are put up before this committee for further action. This committee is authorised to sanction loans upto Rs. 10,000

The project is in-charge of an Assistant Director of Industries who it assisted by two Industries Officers and two Senior Industries Inspectors besides a small office staff. The Project Officer does all spade work and prepares the programmes which are put up before the project advisory committee and subsequently before the other bodies. It is the responsibility of the Project Officer to execute all the decisions taken by the competent bodies and to ensure that all departmental formalities are properly gone through in all cases. The Project Officer has been delegated necessary administrative and financial powers including power to sanction loan upto Rs. 2,000.

Rural Industries Project, Wardha.—This project was established in February 1963. The project has assisted entrepreneurs who have come up in some other lines also. So far the following industries have been assisted and are established or are being established.

Financial assistance given to the different types of units is shown in the following statement:—

The following statement shows the number of persons trained since 1964-65 to 1967-68:—

The following statement gives information regarding study tours:—

Common Facility Centres.—Rural artisans and entrepreneurs are generally handicapped for want of requisite machinery and equipment to perform certain operations efficiently, quickly and cheaply as they cannot afford to purchase such machinery. This has led to the establishment of common facility centres of which advantage can be taken by a group of local persons engaged in that particular line. The following Common Facility Centres have been provided by the Project.

Common Facility Centre, Anji.—This centre is run departmentally and assists the local carpenters who have organised themselves into a co-operative society and have been individually financed by the project.

Stone Crusher and Mobile Mixer.—The former was purchased on March 28, 1966 for Rs. 36,835 and the latter on May 5, 1966 for Rs. 7,102. These have been handed over to the District Labour Co-operative Federation consisting of 37 labour co-operatives.

Common Facility Centre, Pimpalkhuta.—One chilling plant, costing Rs. 51,805.34 is purchased and utilised by the Arvi Milk Producers' Cooperative Union.

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