The Gazetteers Department

The work of the Directorate of Industries, Maharashtra State, in Yeotmal 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.

The head of the organisation of the Directorate of Industries is the Industries Commissioner and his office is located at Bombay. Yeotmal district which falls in Vidarbha Region of the State is under the control of the Deputy Director of Industries (Class I, State Service) whose office is situated at Nagpur. In addition to Yeotmal district, he is also responsible for development and progress of cottage, small scale and large scale industries in other districts in Vidarbha Region viz., Akola, Amravati, Buldhana, Bhandara, Chandrapur, Wardha and Nagpur. He is also the Deputy Controller of Weights and Measures and exercises direct control over 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. The Collector and Deputy Industries Commissioner, is directly responsible to the Industries Commissioner. Except the administration of Weights and Measures Enforcement Act of 1964, the Regional Deputy Director of Industries is the co-ordinating agency at the district level and functions as technical adviser to the Deputy Industries Commissioner.

For the purpose of enforcement of Weights and Measures Act, Yeotmal district is split into three Divisions, comprising Yeotmal tahsil, Pusad and Darwha tahsils and Wani and Kelapur tahsils with their headquarters at Yeotmal, Pusad and Wani, respectively.

The Industries Officer, Yeotmal is assisted by one Senior Industries Inspector and 3 Junior Industries Inspectors. The Senior Industries Inspector is in charge of Yeotmal Division whereas Pusad and Wani Divisions are in charge of Junior Industries Inspectors. Every Divisional Inspector is assisted by one Manual Assistant and one peon. At the headquarters the Industries Officer is assisted by one Junior Industries Inspector and one clerk and peon. The regular duties of Industries Inspectors 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 regard to land, power, machinery, finance and technical matters.

Functions.

In the sphere of promotion of large scale industries, the functions of the Directorate 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 and providing facilities for industrial research by giving grants as also for export promotion. In the development of small scale industries, the Directorate plays a major role by assisting entrepreneurs in the following manner: —

(i) securing land, water, power; (ii) organisation of co-operative industrial estates; (iii) giving financial aid; (iv) assistance for importing machinery, spares, raw materials; (v) assistance for machinery on hire purchase basis; (vi) assistance for 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 Industries Research Laboratories and research grants; (xi) imparting training to craftsmen; and (xii) organisation of resource-based small and cottage industries through Government sponsored industrial co-operatives to stimulate industrialisation in industrially under developed areas, etc. The development of cottage and village industries and handicrafts is the responsibility of the Zilla Parishads. However, the Directorate gives technical guidance to the institutions under the Zilla Parishads.

In addition to the functions stated above the Directorate also performs the following functions to foster the growth of industries and bring about their all-round development: —

(A) Assisting small scale units for registration of their units as small scale industrial units in order to get the facilities offered to small scale units by the Government.

(B) Assisting new units for approval of their new schemes and processing provisional registration of small scale industrial units which are in effective possession of land, building and machinery.

(D) Assistance in getting power and power concessions.

(E) Grant of subsidy on power consumption.

(F) Incentives to S.S.I. units in underdeveloped or industrially backward areas.

(G) Assistance in regard to marketing and export of products.

(H) Extending help for procuring imported and indigenous, raw material.

(I) Assistance in securing land for industrial purposes.

(J) Extending financial assistance to S.S.I, units.

(K) Revenue Collection under Weights and Measures Act.

In addition, the Directorate conducts one training-cum-production centre located at Shirpur in Wani tahsil. The artisans are trained in pottery production in the above centre by the pottery instructor and demonstrator (L.I.) who render technical guidance in their respective subjects. There is also a demonstrator for leather industry who is attached to a co-operative society of Mukutban where leather tanning is done at present.

It may also be stated that as a result of the recommendations made by the study group for landless agricultural labourers, set up by the Consultative Committee for (the Third Five-Year Plan, the Government after careful consideration of factors involved in the study-group report sanctioned a scheme for the development and management of industries in rural areas during the Third Five-Year Plan in the Yeotmal district through cooperative institutions. Accordingly, district co-operative industrialisation and development society has been found in the district. The scheme aims at the absorption of landless agricultural labourers in industries so as to increase their per capita income, improve their economic conditions in general and to achieve rural industrialisation by utilising locally available raw materials, skill etc. This scheme has been continued further in the Fourth Five-Year Plan. Out of the 13 schemes submitted by the society, Government have so far approved six schemes and released share capital of Rs. 10,47,054 to the society. The schemes approved by Government pertain to (1) hydraulic lime, (2) Mangalore tiles and stoneware pipes, (3) building bricks, (4) bone meal, (5) R.C.C. spun pipes and (6) fertiliser mixture. Out of these, the society has implemented only 3 schemes viz., (i) R.C.C. spun pipes—one unit, (ii) building bricks—one unit, (hi) fertiliser mixture—one unit. These three units have gone into production and products are sold in market.

A master plan has also been prepared by the office of the Industries Officer for this district.

Land acquisition of the proposed industrial estate to be located on the Yeotmal-Dhamangaon Road, Yeotmal is in progress.

In so far as the actual achievements are concerned, the Directorate has registered 215 small scale industrial units; three units got the machinery through the efforts of the Industries Officer; two units have taken advantage of power concessions; 33 units have been given subsidy and one unit has secured land through this office. Under the financial aid to S.S.I, units, an amount of Rs. 42,320 was disbursed in addition to Rs. 80,000 to 2 units through the Maharashtra State Financial Corporation.

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