The Gazetteers Department

This occupation including hotels provided employment to 2,089 persons as per Census figures of 1961. It has come to the forefront in the recent past mainly due to urbanisation, growing industrialisation and increasing commercial activity. There is a continuous flow of people from rural to urban areas in search of employment to whom the lodging and boarding houses provide a convenient temporary accommodation. So also the business community, which converges on centres of trade and finds easy accommodation in the lodging and boarding houses. This has made the profession a lucrative one and has attracted a number of entrepreneurs. There are quite a few such establishments in the district.

Most of the establishments in the district have been established during the last thirty to forty years. They are generally run on ownership basis. The establishments are generally housed in rented premises, and are of a medium size. Only a few could be called big and luxurious establishments. The establishments are found at every taluka headquarters and at the district place. Some of them are entirely lodging houses whereas others combine boarding with lodging. In case of lodging houses, they are situated near important business places, such as, bus stands. railway stations, etc., whereas boarding houses are found in almost all parts of the town.

Accessories consist of foodgrains, condiments and spices. groundnut oil, vegetable ghee and vegetables in vegetarian boarding houses. The requirements of non-vegetarian boarding houses comprise fish, mutton (specially goats) and eggs in addition to the items aforementioned. A big establishment spends from Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 3,000 every month, whereas in the case of medium sized establishments the expenditure on these items varies from Rs. 600 to Rs. 1,200. The small boarding houses spend about Rs. 300 to Rs. 500 for purchasing the accessories for the same period.

The tools and equipment of a boarding house comprise a few benches, small dining tables or pats (low wooden stools), as also bowls, dishes and pots of different sizes. The equipment of a lodging house consists of a few cots iron or wooden, a few mattresses, pillows and bed sheets. Dressing tables, hanging mirrors, easy chairs, tables and such other kind of furniture is seen only in a few lodging houses.

The amount spent on tools and equipment depends upon the size of the establishment. Generally Rs. 1,800 to Rs. 2,500 are spent on tools and equipment in a big lodging and boarding house, whereas for the same item, the medium sized establishments spend Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 1,100, while the small boarding houses require about Rs. 600 to Rs. 700 for purchasing the same. Sometimes in large sized establishments a radio-set is found.

The fixed capital includes items, such as, cost of construction of the building, if the establishment is housed in its own premises, various cooking utensils, crockery and furniture etc., while working capital represents the purchase of raw materials. Some amount is also required to be kept reserved periodically for replacement of broken cooking utensils, dishes, glasses, bowls, etc. It is customary with the owners to secure capital by way of cash advances from customers on a monthly basis or from kinsmen or friends. In the case of lodging houses, after the initial investment by way of fixed capital, the working capital plays a very significant part. A big lodging and boarding house in the district was found to have fixed capital amounting to Rs. 14,000 and working capital of Rs. 12,000. The average fixed and working capital invested in a medium sized boarding house was Rs. 1,000 and Rs. 900, respectively, whereas it was Rs. 500 and Rs. 400 in a small, sized boarding house. The wages of the servants vary according to the nature of the work performed. Generally servants employed in a lodging and boarding establishment get a salary of Rs. 25 to Rs. 60. Skilled workers, such as. cooks, are paid more. They are always in demand by one or other establishments. The wages of a cook vary from Rs. 60 to Rs. 90. The workers in addition to their salary are provided with tea and two meals per day. The job however is not assured and looking to the labour involved, wages paid to the workers are poor.

The turnover of a lodging and boarding house depends upon the number of permanent members and the casual customers. The management of the establishment, the quality of food that the establishment serves, the location are also determining factors in this regard. The daily turnover of a big establishment varies from Rs. 100 to Rs. 175, while that of a medium sized establishment varies from Rs. 50 to Rs. 80.

Rent, electricity, municipal taxes, wages to the labourers, raw materials etc., constitute the expenditure of the establishment. The expenditure on these items varies according to the size of the establishment. The monthly expenditure of a big establishment in the district vanes from Rs. 1,500 to Rs 2,500, and that of a medium sized establishment from Rs. 500 to Rs. 800. As far as the earnings of the establishments are concerned, the large sized lodging and boarding houses earn from Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 1,500 per month, while the hoarding houses earn from Rs. 200 to Rs 900 per month.

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